The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-06
GOOD NEWSPAPER WORK.


This paper Is entitled to little self
praise. The story of the disclosures
of Mrs. Preston and the confession OF
James Preston In Salt :4aHe, for the
first time fixing responsibility for the
murder of Deputy Sheriff Seymour
Clark. and explaining how the mur'
derers worked. what sney AIMED to do
and how they escaped, IS one of tho
biggest scoops scored In THIS state
since tho Salt Lake Herald. severai
years ago, published the rlrst account
OF the unearthinS OF number of
murders committed by preacher In
the basement of one of rne churches
In that city, or since the Srandard IT.
self startlcd tho high officials of Utah
by printing fac SMILES or teieerams
exchanged between Federal Judges
Merritt and Smith, during the Coxey
army stay In Ogden In 1893. which
proved a conspiracy between those
Judges to railroad the leaders OF the
army" to prison,
The scoop" in the case or Clark's
murdercrs extended to Salt Lake, as
the papers Of that city should have
been aware of Preston's arrest and
they should have had ms concession,
but even after the publication of the
story they were unable to obtain con-
frmation and allowed themselves TO DO
put oil by an officers deliberate lie.
The sheriff ard police forces had
been warned not to take the news
paper men into their confidence. The
information had been carefully guard
ed. and this is true Notwithstanding
a certain paper tries to pace Sheriff
Wilson In the unfayoraDIe light OF
disclosing his secrets to member Of
its staff and of discriminating against
other newspaper men, including rep
resentatives of Salt Lake papers. all
of whom deny they were made prIvy
to the developments.
The Scoop was Legitimate IN every
way. Sheriff Wilson or any officer
on the case had not spoken one worG,
TO any person connected with this
paper. disclosing anything In relation
TO Preston and his arrest and COMES
sion. No one on this paper was m
any way obligated to refrain from pub
fishing the news. This statement
Sheriff Wilson will confirm. no prom
ises of any kind were made by any
one on this paper or the Examiner to
any one engaged in ferreting out the
murderers.
A clue was obtained anc the story
was traced TO Salt Lake where the de-
sired information was secured, The
particulars of the cryme were pub
lished and the names or the partici~
pants given because in publicity tnero
is a greater prospect of capturing the
criminals now at large. Where a rev
officers were quietly working now
whole communities are aroused and
are watching for the men who are still
beyond prison bars. o. course, II
Burns does not know Preston, his con-
federate, is under arrest and II Burns
is still In Salt Lake or Ogden. all un.
conscious that the officers are walt
Ing to pounce down upon him at his
first appearance, then In tnat case
publicity may have the effect OF driv-
ing Burns from his pace or concear-
ment into the arms OF the oMcers or
beyond their reach. but VINO believes
that the ex-convict is thus insisting on
placing his neck In the moose or
rope dangling from a gallows?
This question of publicity In GRIM
lnal cases Is a mooted one Many or
the best detectives In the United
States advocate tho publication OF all
details Of great crimes, ho;GIng TO the
conviction that by so doing Iney bring
10 their aid the searching eyes ana the
recording cars of the multitude. In
this very case Mrs. Preston was
prompted 10 ask her husband II he
killed Clark by reason OF having read
III the papers that the murcer was
committed by box car thieves ana enc
knew her husband to have engaged In
box car robberies.