The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-10-04
The Misrepresented Reporter

Il guess the readers OF my paper
don't want to know anything about
this. Mr.. Latimer," and Harry Van
Ness. star reporter on the World. tore
up his notes. gripped Latimer's out
stretched hand and strode out of the
Tenderioin Police Station. This Incl
dent occurs in act four of The Rish-
ops Carriage" and it has been put
there, obviously, TO make the audience
think that this star reporter is a very
noble fellow whose heart has not been
hardened by his newspaper experience.
/ No doubt the audience. IMMERSED in the
ways OF newspaperiom. does regard
/ Harry Van Ness as noble fellow: no
doubt this tearing UP Of his notes does
strike them as an act OF generous
sacrifice. But as a humble nj wsparer-
man l beg leave To raise nv pen In
! protest against this incident which
Miriam Nicholson, for whose talents I
, have great admiration. has used to
lard the leanness of happy ending for
her melodrama, Ny protest. be it be-
ievei. springs from no spirit of hyper
critical dilettanteism but finds its in
spirauon in a somewhat extended
study of the newspaperman as depicted
on the stage and in current fictian.
This study has been most unfortunate te
in its results. for only once or twice
have found a counterfeit presentment
thar resembled the real thing. / do
not remember that any note of indig-
nation was sounded when Miss Michel
sons series OF newspaper stories was
published in the Saturday Evening
Post Those stories-they were called |
The Adventures Of Yellow Journal |
ist. / think-were a gross libel on |
noble profession. but they passed un-
challenged. perhaps because no mem |
Der Of that profession cared TO inflict \
critical chastisement on brilliant wo- /
man, especially upon a woman who /
had bur lately risen from the local /
room TO the larger sphere of fiction.
But here. il seems to me. is an oppor- /
tunity 10 lecture Miss Nicholson and /
others who distort the nswspa perman's l
character. without srousing the suspi-
cion Of undue bitterness while at the
same time indicating that more seri-
Gus misrepresentation is quite as COM
mon as the trivial sort OF which the !
incident in The Bishops Carriage"
is an example.
A SENTIMENTAL EPISODE.
What is that incident? Simply this.
Tom Dorgan, burglar, jailbreaker and
possible murderer, has been arrested
in the apartment of Nance Oiden. for
merly his pal in crime but now a
famous mimic whose debut in vaude-
vile is the sensa ton of the moment in
New York. Jealous of Nance's love
for Latinler, Dorgan lyingly duplicates
her in q theft and she is arrested and
taken with him 10 the Tenderioin Sta
ton OF course there is an affecting
scene when they are booked. L.atiHer.
the lover. makes a piteous appeal; so
does Nance: and in the end Dorgan ad-
-niIs that he has lied. The desk ser
ge2nt. Ike the recording angel, drops
Z sentimental tear and Nance's name
IS erased from the official blotter. Har-
~ Van Ness, star reporter on the
World, has been present all through
this scene ct may be remarked in
passing that the star reporter on the
real World does not do night police az
the Tenderloin Station)- Van Ness is
evidently quite q capable man. for he
keeps in the background. sees every
thing and makes copious but unob-
crusive notes, as good reporter
should. OF course ne realizes that he
has q great story and scoop" be-