The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-24
He LAUGHED LAST.
story of Reporter Who Beat the
Combination.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
One night at police headquarters in New
York reporter found in his box in the tele-
graph bureau slip announcing an accident
in the Twenty-fourth precinct which would
require investigation, for it suggested a
story. This was many years ago, and the
conditions of reporting were very different
from those that prevail now. The police
station of the Twenty-fOurth precinct was
on West Forty-seventh street as it is to-
day, but there were no elevated railroads
and no swift cable cars. There was little
use for such things; that part of the city
was not built up.
So the reporter had either to walk or take
a cab, if he went at all, and the risk for
him to go or to stay was equally great, for
he alone was fighting a combination of all
the other reporters in Mulberry street.
They were an able lot of men. L think
Henry NJ Stanley was one of them. AT any
rate, police headquarters was the center at
which most of the great events OF the day
were first announced, some officially, others
only as gossip, and, since there was no
trustworthy common news service, each
newspaper assigned there its best man.
These men combined now and then, in order
to enable them the more safely and easily
to cover the city. When anything happened
one man would go to the scene while the
others remained behind to take care in turn
of subsequent reports. Then as the news
was gathered by the individuals It was
traded in the group.
The reporter who was working alone had
to go out on each slip or trust to luck
that it would turn out to be matter or
no interest and while he was away things
more important would occur which he
would miss. This night there was no choice
for him. since the slip in his hand told of
a great event, the fall of a building in
which many persons were injured. His paper
had to have complete account of that. He
he walked and ran. The representative of
the combination might be well ahead of
him. Perhaps several men had gone; the
accident was so serious.
He did not see the other reporters look
ing out through blind in the office, where
they had gathered. Neither did he hear
them smoker as he stepped off on a run.
The slip in his hand had not aroused the
least suspicion of it's genuineness when he
read it. And of course there was no clerk
or official who would have dared the dis
pleasure OF all the newspapers in the COM
bination to win the favor of one. So, though
many men had seen the slip written by the
combination and knew it was a joke on the
new reporter, the new reporter was allowed
TO go forth way up to Goatville;' for so
West Forty-seventh street was called in
those days.
Hot and out Of breath the new reporter
arrived at last at the Twenty-fourth pre-
cinct station.
Hello, -" said the sergeant on duty,
I'm glad to see you. You're the first thing
that has hoated in here tonight. But what 5
Hurry? Oh, don't trife now! 1 want this
and l want it quick" And he threw the slip
The sergeant picked it up, held it in his
thick fingers moment, as he read, reread
and examined the hour, place, precinct,
number. a led nd he rod
to open his book, but suddenly he dropped
the paper and laughed. 1t was coarse but
checked it. The reporter exclaimed, asked
questions and stormed; the sergeant roared
Then he said in broken periods:
Il know all about it, see it now. They
put up job en- you, the combine has.
remember now that the other night one of
them was up here and / happened to say,
says l, that this place was lonely and he
says, says he, well, I'll send up the new
man to entertain you your next night on.
so here you are. I'm glad to see YOU.
And he pumped more laughter out Of his
huge body.
The new reporter had to laugh at the
sergeant, and that Gained the scene. They
soon were chatting in a gossipy way, the
reporter wishing to rest little and also to
make friend, and in the social purpose he
They had not been talking long when the
door slammed and boy ran in.
:. Say. serg', dere's gent-de gent what
name now, yer Knowles killed lady, de
lady he brung home married to him last
winter, you know, and, say"
The sergeant was pulling the gong for re-
serve officers, but the reporter was listen
ing. -.
too. Mike heard de shots fired, and Dan
Cahill seen it first, but got here first"
The door opened again. More boys came
finally the crowd.
Now, sergeant, it's my turn for joke, .
said the reporter. Don't you report this
to headquarters till your precinct detectives
have got a good grip on the case. That'll
help, you and it will put me even with the
combine
The sergeant hesitated just a second.
Done, he said.
His orders were quickly given, the record
was taken by him and the reporter together
Mikes statement, Dan Cahill's anu the
boys who got there first. Then the reporter
suggested to the keenest looking detective
to take the brightest looking boy for guide
and witness, and off they went.
1t was nearly IL o'clock when they left
the station house. For an hour they
with hints. interviewing neighbors, examin-
ing the scene, getting the police ideas and
their theories. He soon had the story And
1t was a good story, one of the sensations
Away he ran for his office. When he
turned into Mulberry street it was nearly
midnight The time was short to do the
fore beginning whether the sergeant was
keeping faith. He was. There was no slip
there of murder and suicide. SO he started
to cross the street to his office.
'Ha, hal! "Ah, heml" "Ha, har
He FASTENED to his office, woke up his OPP
orator and set to work. The story had
taken form in his head on the way down
town, so all he had TO do was write, page
on page, almost the mere mechanism of
composition. Across the street gathered the
combinations they knew what he was up to;
he was trying TO fool them.
''Ha, hal" "Ah, hem!" 'Ho, ho!'
1t was inspiration to him. He never had
seen things so wildly, narrative never sped
as it did then from his pen the operator,
understanding the situation, clicked off the
copy into the office, with only a brief intro
ducton to the night editor explaining it all
to him. The only interruption came after
the second page had been received at the
other end.
Might desk says it's the story of the day.
Give 1t rope"
'Ho. ho!' "Ah. hem!'' "He, he!'
The jeers came. then the combination was
silent. Their enemy was keeping up the
bluff. A little over time-for a bluff. One
of them was sent to look into the slip box.
quarters basement, but he ran through the
hall to the telegraph bureau.
Anything on?" he asked.
Nary a thing said the operator, sleep
lily.
The emssary reported. The combination
''Ho, ho!" An, hemg "Ha, ha!' they
call again.
1t was not till press time that a sharp
rap on the telegraph bureau window called
them to the awakening. The new reporter
had finished. stretched and was Just coming
out for breath of fresh air; The combi-
nation, running to answer the operator {
signal found a brief bulletin announcing,
as usual, just enough to show them it was
a big story, and ii came from the Twenty
fourth precinct They snapped open their