The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1903-12-31
! HIS BIG NEWS BEAT. !
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
x BY VICTOR SMITH.
S0o0o@ooooo@o@S
BY VICTOR SMITH.

nj EWSPAPER reporters have so
Nv many narrow shaves that they
learn to love danger. What other men
style "heroism' is to them a mere
matter-of-fact monotony of drudgery
1T is regarded as unprofessional to
dodge an assignment, no matter what
its difficulties or perils. Every duty is
In effect leap in the dark when it
involves the unraveling of mystery,
and there is no happiness greater than
taking ones life in ones hand and
scoring a beat"
In my sappy days there were anx-
lous moments, but good luck and some
wit pulled me through. One morning,
being early at~the Office, the assistant
city editor Informed me that murder
had been committed in the southern,
part of New Jersey.
ut may be big story" he sail;
do you think you can handle it?"
No reporter living would have in
swered in the negative.
You have never been out on e. muir
der have you?"
mo. But u like 1t.
'Well, go down and see what YOU can
do with this. want to give you a
chance"
At II o'clock was en- route; at eight
oclock-nine hours later-I arrived in
a small village 81 miles from New
York. 1t was in the heart of the cram
berry country. The place was dark
At modest inn l ran into group of
Villagers who were speaking solemnly
about the crime. AS usual in such
cases, they eyed strangers with sus-
picion. When their eyes fell on me,
knew l was marked man.
At first no one would give me the
slightest information. l had at best
four hours in which to dig out the
story and put in on the wire. That
meant hustling. A little questioning
here and there soon led the group to
understand that was a reporter for a
New York paper, and every man shut
up tighter than clam. Other report
ers had been there ahead of me, and
all had gone out into the country three
and one-half miles to interview the
family of the murdered man.
mot a man Of 'em got any news
here" said the inn keeper, "and you're
wasting time"
L suppose every man Of you is a
friend Of the alleged murderer" ven
tured.
Maybe SO, an maybe not. What
leads you to say that"
Because if there were friend of the
victim here he would speak out and
help me to find the murderer. OF
course l can't expect you fellows to
talk
That seemed to strike them. One
took me aside and whispered:
II you want to find an enemy of
Bradwell, who is suspected of the
crime, why don't you go and see ex-
Sheriff Watts? He's right around the
corner, and maybe he'll fill you full of
gulf. | guess he's about the only man
in the village who's dom any talkin'."
The ex-sheriff was easily approached
and when named the paper for which
| worked, he exclaimed:
That's my paper. I've took it nigh
on 40 years, an ] don't mind tellin
you jest what l know about this terri
BILE affair. l think I know-I think ]
know-all the parties, the motive, and
when the deed was done"
We sat in his Office an hour, and hi
did indeed fill me full of one Of the
most amazing stories ever told, ant
with such minutia of detail that l in
stinctively knew he told the truth.
soon had two or three columns in m,
mind and few notes.
1t was unnecessary to ask him tt
leave something to the imagination
for no Imagination could picture al
Improvement upon his narrative.
Now" he said in conclusion, CIV
put you in the way Of getin' at tn
whole affair.""
81 must see the family of the muir
dered man, and, if possibie, shoul
ike to interview the murLer:f.''