The times., 1898-11-14
Stories Palmed Off by Bogus
Journalists.
NUMEROUS IN WASHINGTON
One I'm Particular Who Appeared
when Rostilities Begnn-A Span
ish-American Dreamer-The Binnco
Assassfnatfon and the Bomb in the
Palace Of the Queen in Madrid.

times there is more or less trash of this
sort in newspapers all over the country,
most of ii having been accepted in good
faith on the part of the editors of the
papers. but during the little passage at
arms between the Yankees and the Dons,
it became so conspicuous as to detract
at times from the value OF genuine news.
In Washington this was particularly
noticeable. The National Capital was the
center of the turmoil; from here went
practically all the news of the war. Not
only were the events which directly con-
cerned the American side of the question
chronicled here, but the press of the
country depended upon the Washington
correspondents for information as TO af-
fairs in Spain, Cuba, Porto Rico. ard the
Philippines.
AL of this, of course, came through Of
fetal channels; opportunities for getting
scoops" were numerous. and, a story
once published, it would require the eX-
penditure of great deal of time and
money TO trace il to its source and as
certain its real value.
Harvest for FuI<irs.
Under such circumstances 1t can readily
be seen what a harvest was in store for
the imaginative fakir, who could sit down
before a typewriter and reel off columns
Of trash about the situation in Madrid,
Carlist plots attempts on the life of
Blanco in Havana, doings of the insur-
gent leader in the Philippines, and visions
of phantom fleets.
Such stories went the rounds of the
press daily, all of them bearing the stamp
of probability in the light of preceding
events, but most of them manufactured
out of the whole cloth by the presiding
genius of a fake news bureau.
There was one of these vendors of fake
news in Washington-he is here yet, in
fact-whose talents deserve especial if i'm
personal mention. Ordinarily such a per-
son does not merit even the passing notice
OF a newspaper. The scope of his work
is small; he is usually obscure and his
personality does not occupy sufficient
space in the newspaper horizon to mar
the vista for legitimate workers.
But this particular fakir was and is
Ubiquitous; his persistency and his insen-
sibiity TO rebuff made him a nuisance
that could not be got rid of, and mis-
Take stories We're so colossal that in self
defense many papers We're compelled to
buy them.
He thrust his Semitic personality into
Washington newspaperdom early in the
war, claiming TO be a native of the Ar
gentine Republic, conversant with seven
languages, among them English, which
came from him like fragments of stone
from rock crusher. He was small, i'm
pertinent. obtrusive unclean and alto
gether Objectionable. His last two names
were Joined by the Spanish V, and e
persistently and Indignantly denied that
he was a descendant of German Jews a
fact which his name and appearance IN
dicated.
And yet, despite his objection be per-
sonality. and the fact that he was utter
ly unable to correctly frame Il sentence In
English, he succeeded from the start
The difficulties he met and ovsrt anne, or
rather glided over, would have dscour-
aged almost any legitimate scribe. lu, he
persisted and was successful.
The Blanco Fake
He rented small office in an obscure
street, purchased a Typewriter on the in
stallment plan. and started in For a
while he contented himself with making
and selling translations from Spanish "a
pers. published in Key West, New York
and Mexico, but he became ambitious 10
shine as an originator, and he did.
His first great fake was the story of
an attempt on the life of Capt. Gen.
Blanco. There was not TIE least founda-
tion for the story in any previous news
reports, but the idea entered his brain,
and he went promptly to work on it.
The result was column story. giving
lurid details of the execution of young
volunteer for alleged completely in a plot
against Spain, the indignation and vow oi
revenge of brother of the volunteer,
who was one of the palace guard, his long
wait for an opportunity which finally
came, when he shot Blanco in the leg IS
he was leaving the palace for dive.
This story, coming as it did at a time
when the greatest interest centered in
Havana, was sold to every prominent
newspaper IN the country, netting the
fakir a large sum. Many of the CORE
spondents were afraid of 1t, but the
knowledge that it would be published in
rival papers and the remote chance of
its being true, compelled them to accept
it. 1t stirred up considerable comment,
however and the South American awoke
a few days after to find everyone regard
Ing him with suspicion and his occupa-
tion on the wane.
To Verify the story.
But this did not deter him. He started
out Immediately TO bring forth something
to verify the story and succeeded in max
ing all whom he had deceived believe in
its truth. He made translation of the
story into Spanish. had it printed on a
piece of ragged, tinted paper, and on the
reverse side printed an advertisement in
Spanish. The work was so cieverly done
and his victims We're satisfied.
After he had succeeded in convincing
the correspondents that his story was
authentic, he looked about for other
fakes The profits of his first ambitious
attempt were so alluring that he decided
that taking was better than working Il
find legitimate stories. and he would keeI
it up.
So, closely following the Blanco story
came an account of the finding in the
queens palace. in Madrid, of a dynamite
bomb. Details of an attempt by the Car
lists to compass the death of the boy
king were given with the story. Ffcti-
tious names of people under arrest were
given and he had one man executed and
others under sentence of death.
OF course, at that time, when all MadriC
news came 10 this country via London
after going through a Spanish censor.
hands, no official denial or confirmation
of the story could be obtained, so it wa,
allowed TO go.
Weyier furnished the fakir an endless
theme for remunerative stories. He ha,
him under the espionage of the Spanish
secret service, arrested in his home an,
released. joining issue with the Carlisc
and jumping from one thing to anothe
with dazzling rapidity.
Don Carlos he followed all over Europe