Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-30

Strange Things m Editor Enceur
ters in Prepared Copy.


tiers In Prepared Copy.
This telegraph editors and copy readers
of newspapers run across great many
remarkable statements In the copy re-
ceived from country correspondents ana
even from the press rite
expressions become habit with cofrc-
spondents, and II il one of the duties Oh
the copy-reader 10 eliminate these wnen
he runs across them. desk man on
the Kansas City star took the trouble TO
lot down such Of these as he came across
from day TO day. Some OF them are ac-
tuaily weird. as follows:
..He was overcome by smoke In the
upper story"
"The man was fatally wounded He
may die"
"rhc supposed to be dead Jones STAB
bed the alleged murderer twice, innic'ing
fatal wounds. which he cannot survive.
"Jerrel was blown about thirty feet he
leaves a family
"smith was shot twice by the alleged
slayer-one ball entering the intestines,
the other penetrating his right lung. The
coroner is investigating. Bloodhounds
have been put on the trail"
Writers often have things occur In the
most remarkable places. The following
instances have actually appeared In news
papers or have been dragged out OF copy
by editors before they got into print:
1.-THE man was shot twice In the sa-
| LOOM
"He fell upon his being shot,"
He was shot in the suburbs"
"He was injured In the fracus."
"she whipped him upon his RETURN"
"He kissed her passionately on her re-
| appearance"
"He kissed her back"
He walked In upon her invitation.
"she seated herself upon his entering,
"She tainted upon his departure.
| He chung to her weeping"
'"rhey gossiped upon his downfall.
Dead persons often do stranger things
| than one would suppose. Witness the
| following:
| 'The suicide on reviving said
| Before he died the deceased said
Triteness. however, is the besetting sin
of unframed correspondents. The follow
ing are old friends and will be readil,
| recognized by newspaper readers:
1T Is reported on the highest authorit,
by one who has the ear of the president
but whose name IL suppressed for obvious
| reasons. that The information tina
usually follows a statement of that kin'
Is as valuable as Its introduction Is au
thoritatiye.
story by saying, ut is said the story cal
be supported by facts seldom sees tn
story in print.
Some of the most common examples o
triteness are:
ut was a gala day." or red-fetter day
as the case may be.
THE police are in suspense"
"He broke down and confessed"
1.-THE distracted husband or VIE
"a wellknown citizen" On one occa
sion the correspondent put IL "A We'll
known citizen, who is also a well-to-d
farmer"
There is general alarm here owing 4
indications of a recurrence of the dis
turbances."
Everybody is of the opinion to the eff
feet that"
He spoke In part as follows"
"Our little town was thrown into fer
: nent of excitement this morning by
1.-THE citizens are free TO say that I'll
law will never take its course"
Deceased was a Mason of high de
gree"
John Jones, the erstwhie senior mem
t Der of the cash grocers. Jones Brothers
has"
your correspondent has learned
"rhe expression Is used advisedly."
. |
, citizen. and known to almost every maj
woman. and child in the city"
"a general denial was entered"
2 mo one was hurt. though Proprietc
5 Barker was slightly injured"
, THE captain was rescued In q precar
, | Gus condition"
. Sometimes men write what they do M
Y | mean. For instance. here Is TELEGRAM
= ! from New York: John KrOpf, who mad
a fortune and lost IL laying stone side
walks. committed suicide last night.
Mr.. Kropf made his fortune in layin
sidewalks, but probably lost 1t otherwis
= The possessive case Is sometimes VIII
q. ten in strange fashion. The followii
instance was detected in a letter tro
a country correspondent; 1.-The man VINO
wife died's house
, The prefxing OF mans occupation
office often produce queer results In prlf
for instance:
.. United States Deputy Marshal Smith
: etc. But the most remarkable actu
. case OF this kind Is the following:
Secretary OF the German Central Col
| mittee for the Erection of Hospitals I
. the Cure OF Persons With Diseased l4un
! | Elsenhaupt said"
The country correspondent views loo
l events through powerful binoculars, eve
u fire f. a cOnfiagration or holocaust, a.
e every accident has horrible details
The following is an actual report sent
a local correspondent In Missouri:
horror second only TO the Johnston
: flood Is upon us. The Missouri Paci
dyke was undermined. giving way Ia
night Among the losses were slxty-fi
hogs, which were drowned"
Canal Report With the President