The Topeka state journal., 1903-02-11
He HATES FAKES.
Dave Leahy COrrects Some
False Impressions.
He Is Aware Of His Reputation
as a Fake Writer.
SHOWS THE EVIL OF 1T
Newspapers in Trouble Because
Of Inscriptions Writers.
The Importance of Wichita as a
Fake Center.
SHOWS THE EVIL OF IT


Gentlemen. for seven years have
not sent press dispatch across the
Missouri river, except to Kansas City.
And yet get the credit for every lie
and fake that is sent out from Wich-
ita."
Thus Dave Leahy of Wichita spoke
TO the Kansas Editorial association
Tuesday afternoon, and the association
gave him an informal vote Of confidence
and certificate of good character.
II know" said Mr.. Leahy. leaning
heavily on the crutch which he is oblig-
ed TO carry nowadays to support his big,
rheumatic frame. that am generally
believed to be the biggest liar in the
state A prominent Topeka man, Judge
"A. 3. Quinton. once told a friend of
mine that Kansas would be a pretty
good place to live in if somebody would
kill off Dave Leahy and Carrie Nation.
I'm sorry people have such an opinion
of me, and I assure you that it is en-
tirely unwarranted. In all my 20 years
experience in this state. I have never
written one line to injure Kansas"
Mr.. Leahy read a paper in which he
gave a most fascinating history of
Wichita as a center for fake news stor-
les. He admitted that his town was
the headquarters for so7ne Of the wild
est newspaper fiction ever sent over a
press wire, but he denounced the men
who wrote this character of stuff
THE title of this paper might tempt
one to treat it in q humorous vein. but
I viii consider it more seriously. for the
paper that viii tell the truth viii ANe
and the paper that lies VIII not, Public
confidence is the best paying capital Of
q newspaper, large or small, and the
editor should guard against losing this
confidence. The owner of paper should
be more careful in the selection of a re-
porter than the banker is in the selec-
tion of a cashier. for a liar in a news
uaper Office is worse than q thief IN a
bank A bank can tide over tempor-
airy loss easier than a newspaper can
regain lost confidence.
WHEN FAKING BEGAN.
ION the whole. the correspondents Up
to the time of the Oklahoma opening
were men Of good professional charac-
ter. 1t has been different since. With
the exception of two or three papers,
none of the out of town papers are
represented in Wichita by correspond
ents actively engaged in newspaper
work Either their passion for taking
or their incompetency caused them tc
be fired, after a brief trial, from the
local papers. These are the kind OF
fellows who have brought disgrace
upon the newspapermen- OF Wichita,anc
incidentally upon honest newspaper
workers in the entire state
Whether it was because they were
cut off from the legitimate connection
with the press, and hence felt under nC
obligation to conserve its interests, OF
whether the necessity drove them to it
or because of perverse morals I can noi
say but certain ii is that during the
past year or more they have been car.
rying on their taking operations witt
a high hand. One or two of them die
not pretend to use legitimate news OF
acceptable value, but drew upon theii
inaginatons SO copiously that / am in
formed, quarter of a million dollars
In libel suits are now pending againsH
papers represented by them. They dt