Evening star., 1898-04-01
UNDERTAKES
HE SPOILED HIS STORY.

Misguided Zeal for Truth Was This
Reporters Ruin.
From the Chicago Record
Newspaper reporters arc sometimes
thrown against strange experiences in get
ting the news that other. folk comfortably
read next morning But, believing himself
in a fair way to obtain a narrative which
no other news writer is aware CT, the re-
porter is willing to go sleepless and foodless
and to undergo all kinds of perils in order
that by all means he may get his piece of
exclusive news.
Such a man was Ezra Hemming, who
worked on western paper-ore of the
kind which would now be denominated as
"yellow"-and frequently thrilled his town
with startling stories of fact. Hemr:ing
had reputation for alertness which was
second to none, and as he had large circle
of friends who made it their business to
inform him upon privately known affairs,
he was seldom at the short end of an ''ex-
elusive" story. One day John Boyd, who
was the sheriff of the county, captured
horse thief who was badly Wantel by a
community in the interior of the state. The
deputy from the county the officials of
which were after the thief came down to
the metropolis. and in his conversation with
Boyd intinlated that there would be A
lynching when he got home with the pris-
oner. Boyd told Hemm.ng Of the threaten
long talk with the deputy. TO his dis
may, he learned that the prisoner would
not reach the rural community which
wanted to do business with him until 2:iJ
in the morning, an hour which sprecluded
the possibility of good story. Hemming
was a man of resources, though, and as
there seemed to be little question of the de-
tails of the coming event. he went to the
office and wrote a three-column account of
The lynching, mentioning the names of
prominent citizens present and adding -four
ishes and ornamentationS. To stretch out
to imposing length, he caused one man,
whom he was prudent enough to designate
as unknown to mount q box and make
an appeal in behalf of the culprit.
Despite the prayer of Hisginson's ten
derhearted advocate, however, Hemming
wrote, 1.-The farmers who had suffered from
his depredations insisted on wreaking their
vengeance" And he went on in that strain
for several pages. making the intercession
a strong point.
He explained to Crawford, the city edi-
tor, II at there was no doubt Of tho thing
coming out just as he had written it, but
to be sure he would wire Yes or No
from the station when mis- train reached the
town, for he planned to accompany the
deputy.
At 3 o'clock in the morning Crawford re-
ceived this jubilant bulletin:
big thing. Five hundred people. Mile
or more Of rope. Now headed for tall syca-
more tree
And just the foreman was sending to
the press room the page with Hemming's
glorious exclusive story came this an
nouncement:
It's all off; they're not going to do it,
Hemming caLe back looking like a mad
man. For two days he roved around, stop
ping at odd times to butt his head against
something hard. At last he waS@induced
by Crawford to explain.
when we got there ne said. 'it was
sure thing. They had it all ready, and
took Higginson away from the deputy with
yell. Then 1 sent my lrst bulletin. They
rushed him to the sycamore and were just
going TO swing him up when it occurred to
tcdy didn't rise up and make an appeal for
mercy for the thief. l waited, hoping for
the usual intercession, till the danger line.
and then. as nobody else showed a sign of
talking for him 1 jumped up on something,
and started in or it myself. I just wanted
to make the facts fit the story 1 had writ
ten, SO 1 made the speech l had attributed
To the unknown. At first they didn't want
to listen, but soon they quieteo, and 1
lucky 1 was to have written the thing.
jumped down then and stepped aside to let
the regular program go on. AS / did so
somebody yelled: BY thunder, he's rightv
And another voice declared: 1t wo:l!d dis
grace the town, boys" And Il third called:
Let's take him back to jaiir And before
l knew it that lot of chumps had turned
tail and rushed my thief-my private horse
thief my own man-for w3om had spread
myself over three columns. back to the
town and to the jail. where they left him
and dispersed.
That said Hemming, sadly, 'is why
I want somebody to break my head in.
Would you mind kicking me- all afternoon
if pay you for your trouo'e?'