The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-20
THE WORLD AS
RELLs "ST0P THIEF" AND HOLDS
UP IT'S PRoFFERED REWARD.

Transformation Under the Brass Demo her n
Claimant or the Advertised $500 Reward
ApPearp-.'m ow Can You ~ shrteks Puiitser
-'Didnt we Catch the Thief ourseilurs ~
This story shows how the offering of rewards
and prizes by Pulitzer and his World ia not so
expensive as It looks from tho outside. unless,
as in the present case. the claimant Of the re-
ward is ipconsidorate enough to take his claim
to the courts.
On Aug. 10, 1896, an employee of tho World
named Meehan succumbed to the influences Of
his environment and became a thief. lie stole
from the circulation Office tho proof sheets OF
the Worlds circulation lists. When tho theft
was discovered the World put its own slcuths
to shifting on tho trail, sent word to o'Bricn.
who was then Chief Of tho Detective Bureau.
and published In its advertising columns an
offer Of $500 reward to any one who brought
about the capture or conviction Of the thief.
Notice of this reward was also sent to the pub
LEGATION offices Of all the newspapers.
A few days after tho theft Meehan, the thief.
went to the Office of the Commercial Advertiser
and offered to sell the list to ]. c. Cook, who
was then tho circulation manager or that news-
paper. Mr.. Cook put him off and communicated
with the World. BY q description furnished by
Mr.. Cook to Central Office detectives Meehan
was caught, and with Mr.. Cooks evidence was
convicted.
Nobody mentioned the word reward" for o
month after that. You can bet your bottom
dollar that II wasn't the World that mentioned
It then; IT was Mr., Cook. He mentioned It to
John. Norris. the business manager Of the World.
Norris was quito indignant.
INTEND sSSq 70 d Gain r sSas r %s:nsn he ''id' that you
That's just what I mean" rejoined Mr.. Cook.
Norris professed to DO greatly eisgusted.. 1t
was showing great lack Of brotherly feeling.
Sonsiaerstion. ana tact on MT; COOKS part t9
with his superiors. put Cook off for almost six
went to Hounds & Dillingham;, lawyers. at 90
Broadway. and instructed them to collect that
Cooks claim was assigned to one Carl +. Burritt.
Until the Wortd was notified of the suit there
was no intimation from anybody under the
brass dome that Cook was not the one who was
responsible for Meehan's capture. But lol with
notice Of q suit it was discovered that Cook
Wortd's publication office was said to have seen
Meehan acting suspiciously near the place from
told Monaghan, the Worid's superintendent OF
delivery, and Monaghan had told Norris and
SSff bss had sau t1ld 'h So d tSe 1Sssa @ soar 'S M " shHa
Gorcoran made an interpellant in the suit Of
BTSSrritit, G9ok,s assignee. against the WorLd;
Corcoran to fighting in the courts as to which of
them deserved the reward, in the belief that the
reward itself would become so tied up that it
The World took its effort UP to the Appellate
DIVISION OF the supreme Court, slttlnR IN Brook
lyn. The denial of the Worlds motion that
Corcoran be made an interpellant was confirmed
in the Appellate Division on Tuesday. Justice
Hatch wrote the opinion. In 1t he said that the
Worlds story that Corcoran was the real
agent of Meehan's capture was quite unsup-
ported by evidence. He said that Cooks claim
was not only supported by the evidence. but that
tho World had not, denied his assistance nor
discovered Corcoran's services until it was in
imminent danger OF being forced TO pay the $500
reward to Cook. And all concurred.
The trial Of the main issue. as to whether tho
World shall DO permitted TO wclch with i'm
punity, comes Off at White Plains in February.