Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-02-05
LIE FIYE FRANc PIEcE.
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By JAMEs 5. EyANs.

In the cub" days Of the newspaper
reporter Troupe Mcintosh saw little
in life that had more than ordinary
interest for him. He got few assign
ments, and these were chiefly obitu-
AIRY notices, church bazaars and small
fires. The city editor did not have
confidence in him. He had displayed
little OF the instincts that are essen
tial to reporters who make names
and are permitted to sign stories. But
Mcintosh knew the stun was in him
and that some time or otner, he would
show it.
One afternoon the city editor walk
ed hurriedly from his room to the
local room. In his hand was a piece
of yellow paper and he was excited.
where is Davis? Where is Horn2
Where is Allen?" he shouted at Nc
Intosh."
Il think they have gone" said the
cub" meekly.
You think they have? You don't
see them do you? And they don't
usually leave with you memoranda
of their doings, hey?"
The "cub" attempted to say some
thing, but before he could proceed the
city editor said: Here, go to Butler
on the o'clock train. do not like
to trust so important an assignment
to such an ordinary blockhead, but
you are the only one in sight. Get
some expense money down stairs and
hurry You've barely time to catch
the train. Take this telegram. 1t
will explain why you are sent. Get
your facts and write all you can get
on the story. BY the time you arrive
there, have made arrangements with
the telegraph company to handle your
matter as fast as you can write it.
Get along now, and do your best.
The cub fairly flew to the depot.
Out of breath almost, he found q seat
ir the car and for the first time look
ed at the telegram. 1t was merely a
bulletin from the Butler correspond.
ent and read:
John Billings, cashier Second National
bank, found his wife in arms of william
Champenois this afternoon Billings killed
Champenois then his wife and then him
self. Society Is greatly startled. Both
the wealthiest and most influential IN
| town. How much?
Well, here was story for the
cub after all. Butler was forty miles
distant, and the train would make it
In less than an hour. AS the cars
sped along the cubs mind was
framing sentences. He paced nervous
| ly up and down the aisleway, occa-
sionally throwing back the lapel of
his coat, showing his reporters star.
| Regaining his seat, he would take
out a pad of paper from his pocket
and scribble. The opening sentence
of his story cGaid not be framed ex-
actly right to suit him. He wanted
something that would catch and glad
den the city EDITORS eye at first
| glance. Finally he wrote something,
looked at it a long while, smiled and
put the paper in his pocket. At But
Ter there was little difficulty in obtain
ing the facts. The coroner's jury was
! liz session when he alighted from the
train. He heard the testimony of the
servants in the Billings home, who
saw the shooting. They also testified
that Champenois had been a frequent
visitor at the Billings home, both
while Mr.. Billings was at home and
occasionally when the husband was
absent. Their testimony was some
what@ sensational and disclosed a
phase of Mrs. Billings life that was
not in keeping with her reputation in
the community. Champenois left a
widow; Billings had no children.
The cub secured photographs
which hemailed on the o'clock train.
BY 10 o'clock he was in possession of
all the information necessary for a
long story. He began to write At
first he was nervous and uncertain of
himself, but after he had written two
or three hundred words, the rest be-
came easy to handle. He wrote rap
idly, and by midnight he had three
columns Of matter in the newspaper
Office. At / O'Clock the fast train for
New Orleans was due and the cub
boarded it. He attempted to write on
the cars, but he found that dificult;
gave that up and tried to talk to the
conductor, but the conductor was
|