The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-16
He spoiled His story.

Newspaper reporters are sometimes
thrown against strange experiences in get
ting the news that other folk comfortably
read next morning, says the Chicago Re-
cord. But, believing himself in a fair way
to obtain narrative which no other news
writer is aware of, The reporter is will
ing 70 go sleepless and foodless and to
undergo all kinds of peril in order that
by all means he may get his piece of ex-
elusive news
Such a man was Ezra Hemming-one
OF the kind which would now be denomi-
mated as "yellow''-and frequently thrill
ed his town with startling stories of fact
Hemming had a reputation for alertness
which was second to none, and as he had
a 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 exclusive story. One day
John Boyd, who was the sheriff of the
county, captured a horse thief who was
badly wanted by community in the in
terror of the stale. The deputy from
the county, the officials of which were af-
ter the thief, came down to the metropo-
lis. and in his conversation with Boyd
intimated that there would be a lynching
when he got home with his prisoner.
Boyd told Hemming of the threatening
aspect of things, and the reporter had
long talk with the deputy. To his dismay
he learned that the prisoner would not
reach the rural community which wanted
TO do business with him until 2:45 in the
morning, an hour which precluded the
possibility of a good story Hemming was
a man of resources, though, and as there
seemed TO be little question of the details
of the coming event he went to the Office
and wrote a three account of the
lynching mentioning the name of promi-
nent citizens present and adding flourish
es and ornamentation. To stretch out to
imposing length he caused one man.
whom he was prudent enough to designate
as unknown to mount box and make
an appeal in behalf of the culprit.
Despite the prayers of Higginson's ten
der-hearted advocate, however" Hemming
wrote. 1.-THE farmers who had suffered
from his depredations insisted on wreak-
ing vengeance" And he went on in that
strain for several pages, making the inter-
cession a strong point.
He explained to Crawford. the city ed
iitor, that there was no doubt of the thing
coming out just as he had written it. but
to be sure he would wire Yes" or ''No"
from the station when his train reached
the town, for he planned to accompany the
deputy.
At 8 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 syc-
amore tree"
And just as 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 came back looking like a mad
man. For two days he roved around,
stopping at odd times to butt his head
against something hard.
when we got there" he said, lit was
a sure thing. They had it all ready, and
took Higginson away from the deputy
with a yell. Then 1 sent my first bulle-
tin. They rushed him to the sycamore
and were just about to swing him up when
it occurred to me that it would spoil the
story if somebody didn't rise up and make
an appeal for mercy for the thief. l wait
ed hoping for the usual intercesson, till
the danger line, and then, as nobody else
showed a sign of talking for him jumped
up on something and started in on 1t my
self. just wanted to make the facts fit
the story 1 had written, so I made the
speech attributed to the unknown. AT
first they didn't want to listen, but pretty
soon they quieted and l poured it in.
thinking all the time how lucky 1 was to
have written the thing. I jumped down
then and stepped aside to let the regular
programme go on. AS did somebody
yelled. BY thunder he's right! And
another voice declared; 1T would dis
grace the town. boyst" And third called
Let's take him back to jailn And
before knew it that lot of chumps had
turned tail and rushed my thief, my pri-
Vate horse thief my own man. for whom |
had spread myself over three columns.
back to the town and to the Jail, where
they left him and dispersed
That" said Hemimng, sadly, sis why I
want somebody to break my head in.
Would you mind kicking me all afternoon
if pay you for your troubIe?''