The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-06
THE STORY OF 4 GREAT SCOOP.
4 Beat That Was n Beat Though Pre-
%viOusIy

| This is a story of a big newspaper
scoop" which for its audacity Of con-
lception anad its successful termination
has probably never been equalled in
this or any other country. And.
strange TO relate. although the beat
consisted OF the" story Of the day, it
was handled almost exclusively by the
business office.
Everyone remembers H. H. Holmes,
the multi-murderer. who was hanged
for his crimes in Moyamensing prison
in the spring Of 1896. and everyone cor
nected with any newspaper ~hereabouts
will remember the famous confession
(which he prepared just before his exc
Icution and for which there wa some
lively bidding among all the big news
Ipapers to which it was offered. 1t is
needless to add that The Inquire-'s bid
for the Philadelphia right OF publica-
Ition was the highest. but it may be
told here that the price paid ran into
1.-The thousands.
Conferences were held far into the
IA 4IS AIA1 SL-oA VI NCSOllILiOuS
with Holmes representatives. for the
most important factor in the matter
was the necessity for absolutely safe
Iguarding the many thousand dollared
paper, or in other words to insure it's
appearing exclusively in The inquirer.
Extraordinary precautions were taken
from the IN Of its arrival at the
office. After being securely locked in
the vault over night, it was given My
Ito the most trusted employees in the
composing room to be put in type, the
proofs of which were in turn most care
fully guarded.
Then came the most audaciouS part
of the whole plan.
In all of PhiladeIphia's morning and
evening papers on Saturday appeared q
full-page announcement that The in
IQuirer had secured the sensational
story of the day and that 1t would be
printed in the following days Sunday
tissue. The statement was also en-
bodied in the lad" that the famous
confession would appear exclusively IN
THAT paper.
Immediately there were scenes Of
hustle and excitement in the other
newspaper offices. The heads of de-
ipartments We're called in consultation,
and many were the plans that were
devised for getting hold of a first edi-
ton and stealing this story that The
Inquirer boosted so loudly about.
At The Inquirer office there was an
air Of hushed expectancy like that
(which prevails on the eve Of a mighty
battle.
1t had been arranged to start The
Inquirer's big presses two hours ahead
of time, for orders had been pouring in,
n nd nm NIi+inr of o06 M 1o~Sa- MOS oN-
READY assured. Promptly at IL o'clock
|every door and window of the building
was closed and locked, and they were
loff' in the preSSroom. All of the usual
Sunday supplements had been previous
lily collected or stuffed" together. and
las the big piles of the precious copies
lof the news section came upstairs they
lwere turned over to those whose duty
lit was to stuff the other supplements
into this one, thus making the complete
newspaper.
The press had hardly started when
Tout from this body Of men went a
l"stuffer," who had been put on as an
IeXtra on account Of the size of the
edition. Hidden under his coat, OF
~Icourse, was a copy of the paper, which
The had secured in spite Of the eagle
Ieyes of the watchers in the packing
iOO1llSs - q ~ oAAoN- AlSN ~
ltions from another newspaper, and their
lplans were so carefully made that it
seemed to them they could not fail. As
1.-THE thief appeared in the front office a
lcab darted from the other side of the
Istreet and the circulation manager of
la rival paper sprang out Of it and up
Ito the door to receive the muc1 desired
Ipaper. But they had overlooked one
Thing. The door was locked, and, as
1.-THE chief thief and his accomplish
Istood staring at Zach other through
the plate glass doors, an avalanche OF
ieditors, reporters, business and delivery
room employees landed like a guards
back formation in football on the top
lOf the unfortunate tool. When he was
Fabricated rom the heap it was found
that his nose was broken. and ne had
Sustained numerous other 5rir,. as and
fractures. These, it should be said i IN
le~xplanation, were unavoidable, al
Though no one else was hurt. The
thief was placed under arreSc, and,
later, made a full confession under oath
duplicating those high in office on the
newspaper alluded to heretofore. THIS
was printed in full in the next days
Issue of The Inquirer, and has never
been denied. The unlucky tool was at
lterwards released through the clemen-
Icy of the publisher Of The Inquirer.
Up to the time Of this incident every
lone had been most good naturei, hIt
like the spark in the barrel of gun
powder, it fired every Inquirer employee
lat once, and then the team work.
Istarted.
Not a wagon left the office that did
not have an editor, reporter Or other
trusted representative on the rear end,
and each was prepared to do or die if
necessary in order to protect the story.
The night editor on one wagon was
Iarmed with a pair of scissors tthis is
literally true), while the sporting edi-
tor, with an extra large plug OF tobac-
leo. mounted another wagon.
Bundles were watched in all the rail-
road stations and at every other point
until they departed. or the hour arrived