The Green Forest tribune., 1907-11-22
HOW THEY PAD FEM Method Employed by Some of the City Daily Newspapers TO MAKE SENSATIONAL NEWS Way a Dispacth from Green
 Forest Was Multiplied
TO MAKE SENSATIONAL NEWS

It will doubtless be interesting and perhaps news to many Trib. une readers to know how so me 0. the city papers handle their tel egraphic dispatches in order to make racy, sensational reading out of them.
 A very striking illustration O. the methods some papers en- ploy in 'pedding" their dis. patches was had last week in the case of the Oldham brothers, who were asphyxiated in a we'll neal Green Forest week ago las Saturday.
 In order to accommodate well known city daily, The Tribune sent it the following account ol the double tragedy by telegraph
 THE TELEGRAM SENT.
 "Green Forest, Ark, Nov. Ii. Two sons of M. A. Oldham, re- siding near here, Arthur aged thirty and William aged twenty six years, were overcome by gas and died in a well Saturday They had set off a blast and the elder was let down to see the effect of the shot and receiving no response from him the other brother was let down also to see what was wrong, with the result that both were taken out dead several hours later. The escaping gas made the res- cue of the bodies a very difficult task. .''
 Under a four -decked heading on the morning of the 18th the following report appeared, based upon the information contained in the above dispatch:
 AS IT WAS PUBLISHED.
 "Green Forest, Nov. 11.-In a heroic effort to rescue his brother, Auber Oldham, from a well, where he had been overcome by the deadly fumes of escaping gas, | William Oldham insisted that he be lowered into the well. He, too, succumbed, and 1t was hours later when the dead bodies could be recovered.
 The tragedy occurred Saturday. The two men had set off a blast in the well, and soon afterward Auber Oldham, the elder brother, went down to ascertain the re- suit.
 The minutes passed, and his brother and others who were gathered about the surface open ing became uneasy and began to shout to him. The we'll rope was shaken and the bucket par tially raised in an effort to have him return to the surface.
 The assembled group then be- gan to detect the gas, as it rose from the cavity, and William Oldham announced that he would descend to bring his bro ther to the surface, dead or alive. Ef- forts were made to dissuade him, but friends finally listened to his pleadings and allowed him to descend.
 He was never again seen alive. As the bucket neared the bottom, the rope relaxed, and it was seen that he had fallen to the ground beneath. Those at the surface realized that it meant death to de- scend in an effort to save him, and the boldest skrank from the task. It was several hours later when it was deemed the descent could safely be made. Then the bodies of the brothers were found lying side by side. Both had been asphyxiated. Members of the rescue party them selves wer c almost overcome and suffered greatly from the effects of the escaping gas.
 Auber Oldham was 30 years of age and his brother 26. They were sons of G. A. Oldham, a prominent farmer of this vicin ity."
 The telegraphic editor of the paper in question doubtless felt that the unusual accident merited a moro extended mention than was contained in the brief dis patch sent in and in order to accommodate the desire of his readers who would like to read more of the "facts,' he drew upon his imagination for the particulars and the probability is that he guessed pretty we'll about some things. while in others he