The San Francisco call., 1908-10-20
Golfers Exposes Inside History
of Standard Oil MisSives
Used by Journalist
Files From ArchbOId'S Office
Stolen BY Negro Clerk Nearly
Three Years. Ago
Originals Photographed and Re-
turned TO Cases at 70
Broadway
sPEcnL prsrArcH 70 THE CALL

NEW YORK. Oct 1e.-Under the
headline Mr.. Hezrst's Thieves" there
VIII be published in Golfers Weekly,
out tomorrow. what purports 70 be
the true story OF the manner IN which
the founder OF the independence
league obtained the John D. Archbold
Standard oil letters which have fig
ured 50 prominently ip the presiden-
nal campaign The editor Of Golfers
describes the article as -the story OF
Z white nan who crossed the color
line and his negro friend. the stepson
of John .. Archbol6's aged butler. how
they sold the Standard oil ofhce files 10
the Hearst newspapers for . trife over
$1,000"
1t was While Winfield and Charles
Stump" says Golfers. who sold the
letters" Winfield. 8 negro. was ale
clerk. z messenger and door tender Of
Archbold until 1898 He Is the slepson
OF Archbol6's trusted and now aged
negro butler
Seen after the presidential election
of 1904 Stump became q familiar figure
e. nights IN the editorial rooms OF
Hesrsts New York newspapers.
NOTICED REMARKABLE PALLOR
Some OF those who observed him
thought him consumptive because OF
his remarkable psllor- he wore frieze
overcost and an air of the utmost self
ass urance- he had many whispered con-
terelceE calling Two or three times
D week fol many weeks II Is h2ra 70
rsuen Der hack three years u e Hearst
oeice $50 much Is IN the air there al
rhe ttne-fron ideas 70 tissue mani
folding PAPER but 70 those who es-
capped from The masistrpm with their
brains least impaired i seems now
cutie certain that these visits lasted
from early December Until the middle
of February Along toward the end OF
his visits Stump became generally
known 70 managing editors and other
authorities Of the ofHcs. including, OF
course. the ofice boys. whom he
Fcorred. as the nan with the Standard
oil letters Il was known that the two
high officials n the Hearst once
Stump and e photographer. met IN the
uhotoErsph rooms OF the newspaper A
safe 81 the Office became known as the
safe with the negatives Of Standard oil
letters IN f. When news was duh and
the editorial council was dolefuily be
-vstIing the fact Il was commonplace
tor one editor OF another 70 sigh. Wish
the boss would let rs into those stand
ard oil negatives IN the safe
Early IN 1905 M Archbold discov-
cred the theft and Willie and Stump
we're discharged They had cleaned up
q Istrle over s12.0 600 by the series OF
transactions in Park Row. and small
us-t of this they invested IN the saloon
~ the southeast corner OF one Hun
dred and Thirty-fOurth street and Sey-
euth avenue. The rest they dropped
IN poolroouls, etc
STUMP TELLS STORY
Concerning the letters. Stump says.
We've stirred up the campaign for fair
I wrote a letter 20 NJ Hearst when he
began reading the ArchboId letters
saying that considering the sensation
they we're making. he ought 20 send ne
2 Ifrtle money There's no use trying
10 see him You can't get through the
ofhce force. but no money has come
from that letter
And yer. do you know, Mr- Hearst
hasn't begun te read the best OF the
letters Hes beginning easy Wait TIL
you hear him read the Senator Penrose
and the Senator AIdricn letters Then
. therein be q sensation What's hsppen-
fnz now is nothing He hasn't tie
originals you know They were re-
turned 70 the Standard Oh files Pho
foxrzphfc copies were made. and those
are the ones Hearst IS using he
hasn't the originals. except z few
Hanna letters. which may not come out
a. all After the photographed copies
OF the letters were sold 70 the Hearst
PEOPLE some OF the letters were re-
turned 10 M. Archboid by q friend OF
nine (Stump gave his name. which is
here suppressed because he is living
honestly Mr- Archboid had offered Us
$1,000. but he didn't pay il after he got
his hands on the letters.
We knew II was too much risk TO
steal the originals and then keep them.
Archbold would be sure 70 ask some day
Tor some one of them. so we had 70
Photograph them and then return them.
Willie fetched the stuff 10 me, but
lie never showed up Al the Hearst Office
AZ all They've never laid eyes on him.
It's me that stands % lose on any pub
lfcftv Willie has nothing 70 lose He's
got his Tarrytown home Hes fixed
living there with his stepfather, who
has the sob with ArchbOid