The Irish standard., 1903-12-26
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!! HIS BIG NEWS BEAT. !
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ssY VICTOR SMITH.

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mi EWSPAPliR reporters have SO
Vt many narrow shaves that they
Rearn To love danger. What other men
:5tyie ~beroism" is to them mere
imal1er olfacl monotony of drudgery.
1t is Regarded as unprolesSional to
dodge an assignment, no matter what
hts difficulties or perils. Every duty is
lin effect q leap in the dark when it
involves the unraveling of u mystery
land there is no happiness greater than
daking ones life in ones hand and
scoring a beat
In my sappy days there were anx-
dous moments, but good luck and some
wit pulled me through. One morning,
being early at the office, the assistant
city editor informed ME that a murder
lhad been committed in the southern
part of New Jersey.
ut may be a big story" he said;
-''do you think you can handle it?"
No reporter living would have an
severed in the negative.
'*You have never been out on a MUIR
Gler. have you?"
"No. But I'd like it,
well, 80 down and see what you can
edo with this. l want to give you q
tchance''
at II O'Clock I was en- route; at eight
s0'clocll-nine hours later-I arrived in
n small village 81 miles from New
York H. was in the heart Of the cram
iberry country. The place was dark.
AT modest inn ran into a group of
villagers WHO were speaking solemnly
:about the crime. AS usual in such
ceases. they eyed strangers with sus-
Epicton. when their eyes fell on me,
knew I was a marked man.
At first no one would give me the
slightest Information I had at best
Gour hours in which to dig out the
:story and put in on the WIRE That
s1Ieant hustling. A little questioning
ahere 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
.ars had been there ahead of me, and
sail had gDne out into the country three
sand one-half miles to interview the
family of the murdered man.
<'Not a man OF EN- got any news
Mere" said the inn Keeper, land you're
wasting time"
"L suppose every man of you is a
Friend of the alleged murderer" ven
rtured
'Baybe SO, an maybe not What
Heads you To say that?"
"Becaus,, ii there were a friend of the
victim here he would speak out and
help me to find the murderer. OF
course ] can't expect you fellows to
talk"
That seemed to strike them. One
took me aside and whispered:
If seon want to find all enemy of
I3radWell. who is suspected of the
crime, why don't you so and see ex-
Sheriff Watts? He's right around the
'corDsr. and maybe he'll fill you full of
igufr guess he's about the only man
lin the village who's dom any talkin'."
The ex-sheriff was easily approached,
:and when named the paper for which
Il worked. he exclaimed:
THAT'S my paper. I've took it nigh
ON 40 years, an I don't mind tellin'
you jest what know about this terri
ble affair. think I Know think 1
lknow-all the parties, the motive, and
when the deed was DONE"
We sat in his office an hour, and he
did indeed fill me full of one Of the
CT toll
with such minutia of detail that in
sstinctive1y knew he told the truth.
:soon had two or three columns in my
mind and a few notes.
1t was unnecessary to ask him to
Heave something to the Imagination,
tfcr no Imagination could picture an
Improvement upon his narrative.
Nov" he said in conclusion. 1--WE
Eout you in the way of gettin' at the
whole affair."
II must see the family of the MUIR
Siered mnn, and, if possible, should
Hike to Interyiew the murderer"
"As to The former, will drive you
Gs1a to tee farm in my buggy; as to
Che aatter, you'd better wait till to-
s:norrow-"
We went out to the farm at fast
erut, arriving there at little after
zen o'clock had long talk with the
window, her handsome daughter of IS.
and hHE d1Ro SONS, boys of 13 and Is,
respectfully Everything ex-Sheriff
Watts haa dD1d me was vouched for
by the family, and I learned many
Other Interesting, nay, startling, Incl
dents which in his haste had been
overlooked II is unnecessary here to
enter upon the story of the crime. 1t
ns w purpose to tell what happened
to 1sGex-thlt is, myself.
The ether mporters-New York,
Tncntnn Hna Philadelphia-had been
To d. house before me. and l was sur
nka smil Ezfhsr chagrinsd that they
4 - - eyeEllsttngdy ahead Of me
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