Evening star., 1902-05-23
A NEWSPAPER BEAT.
How It Was Obtained Without Any
Department Leak"

Every once in a while one reads in The
Star of the determination of some one of
the high government officials to discover
the source of the leak of a piece of news
which it was not desired should be given
out at that particular, time remarked an
old Washington correspondent, land with
out giving the solution to the secret escapes
of public information, as they vary, 1 will
tell you of one instance which serves to
show how news appears in print in what is
considered by all concerned TO be very
mysterious manner. Like all mysteries,
when unraveled. 1t is wondered that it was
not thought of before. My story is entirely
a part of the secret sources of information
which all correspondents have more or less
at their disposal, and which often comes
from the outside and not from the inside of
the departments.
Some time ago, the precise time is not
essential to the story, very important
public matter was up for determination by
the President. All of the larger metropoli-
tan dailies were particularly interested as
it did not have to do especially with Wash
fngton, and the entire correspondents
world at the capital was on the uui Yive to
get it, including myself. All channels
which were usually tapped by the initiated
were found to be as barren as a desert
stream in midsummer. kilograms from the
home offices poured into our various bu-
reaus here couched in imperative language
that the news must be obtained. evidently
In the belief that all correspondents have
to do is TO go out, ask officials for the de-
sired information and receive it coupled
with n good cigar and bottle of Wine AS
a matter of fact, when officials wish to
keep secret piece of information all pos
sible lOophOles of escape are securely pad
locked, and it is the exception that it gets
out.
81 had about given up hope of securing a
beat in this particular instance, though l
was, or course, as vigilant ever. The
time for the maturing of the project was
close at hand, and any day 1t might by Of
hcial announcement become public proper
ty. One night as l was sitting idly in the
lobby of an uptown hotel, half doing in
my chair waiting for the appearance of a
senator with whom l had an appointment
on an inconsequential matter. l overheard
one of two gentlemen who were sitting be-
mind me drop the words the President
The high backs of our chairs nearly touch
ed, and by instinct my drOwsy senses be-
came clear, and l woke up.
The President remarked one of the
gentlemen. said that it was his intention
TO adopt tina. course. irrespective of the
consequences either to himself the
party
But you pointed out to him what it
meant to us: that he was clearly in error p
replied the other gentleman.
'Elaborately,' responded the first speak
er but the President said that he was
convinced that accruing results would prove
that we, and not he. were in error
Then We may well go back to New
York tomorrow was the answer, and both
gentlemen arose and walked toward the
cafe apparently in a very despondent frame
of mind.
Il was an involuntary listener to this
scrap of conversation. in which il will be
Observed. not single word was dropped as
TO the subject matter thereof. 1 at once
jumped TO the conclusion that the govern
ment. through the Presidents action. in
tended TO take the affirmative of the propo-
snd06eas s1s501; 5hs 5 HSyS sss Which the GORE
deavored to ascertain. With q straight tin
as e the course of the government the cof-
Respondent gould do the rest, while with
the wrong tip he could not only make his
paper ridiculous, but would in all probabiii-
ty lose his position; hence the care In
making a scare-head, page wide story
In the furtberance of my conclusion my
paper had the beat of the season the fol
lowing morning as 1 stated the facts as
though they came from official sources. as
indeed such I considered them; to my MIND
as a correspondent it was as clear as Il
the President himself had given me the in
formation. Two days after member Of
the cabinet gave out officially what / hat
wired over, and with it the announcement