The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-06-30
MURDER STORIES

MURDER STORIES
The country 10 now following two
murder stories which are appearing by
installments in the newspapers. Peo-
ple who frovn on tales Of horror In
public print may have decided ideas
on this subject and call the purvey-
ing Of this sort Of news yellow
journalism. They condemn the inter-
ct Of the public in such news as NOR
bid and DEPRIVED.
We venture to put forward an idea
In regard to the two murder stories
the Sigel and the Woodill tragedy
which may mitigate the offense. It is
our opinion that the public does not
care mneh about the bare fact that
there were murders committed. It
does care on the other hand about the
mystery connected with both affairs.
In both cases there is a mystery to
Of the story is better than most Of
the horror stories which are to be
found ii the fiction Of that sort which
Il read extensively.
OF the two settings from story
tellsrs point OF view 1t IL hard to de-
eide which is the better. Both have
the elements OF horror which are akin
to some Of the Edgar Allan Poo stor-
ies. It may be pointed out that the
finding Of the body In the trunk in =
Chinese chop suey house has the ele-
ments Of story in Stevenson's New
Arabian Nights called the Adventure
OF the Saratoga Trunk
The Woodill affair-the scene laid
on the lonely sandy moors Of the East
ern shore OF Maryland--a place OF ad-
venture In itself-bears similarity to
the scene In THE Pavilion on the
Links" by the same Robert Louis
Stevenson.
And now a. to the men who write
these stories for the consumption OF
the pubiic-that is. your newspaper.
Most OF you will turn away ana say
sensational" Perhaps. Yet for the
bsnsfit Of those endowed with sensi-
tive nerves let It be said that 1t takes
q master Of his craft to do these stor.
ies, to embue them with the mystery
to call forth Ill the horror.
Il was none other than Lafcadia
HSsrn. who u familiar to the high
browed and effete circles a. writer
"a japanese subjects; the translator
Of ouatter'a delicate phrases. and Z
frtquent contributor to the staid At
laatic Monthly and to the conserva-
tive Harpers-who was the police re-
porter on : Cincinnati paper which
has some claim to sensationalism.
The same power Of words. the same
deiicacy In measured phrasing. the
subtlety of emotions and the poetic
instght into human nature which have
made his Japanese studies such ex-
quisite things were once employed to
write murder story which made all
the country exclaim at the Hoffman,
esQus horror Of the thing.
Whoever has been handling the MUIR
der Of Mrs. Woodill has an eye for 3
good story. He has told 1t well-this
anonymous writer Of the newspaper
world. Here Is IN extract which
proves that there Is some art to the
sensational newspaper story.
We quote: -
~ the casket rested above the
grave ready to be lowered there was
an awkward pause. The party about
the grave fidgeted nervonsly. At Z
mod the supporting boards were slip.
ped awav. and gradually the casket
cank into the grave. The two grave
dtKgers hesitated a moment and then
steri ID forward. Che Of the under.
takers looked around with certain
unAasieess at manner.
Gentlemen. he said, 1T seems to
mo that some one should say little
wcEd Of prayer. Won't one Of your"
His glance fell upon James Sutton,
merchant Of Boxsman.
You are = church member, Mr.. SUIT
tom said the undertaken. won't you
ray III"
There = al the horror told with .
effective art that can b found any
wtsre. Then the simple little incl
dent of Mrs. Eastman. the tired wom-
m q the theatrical world coming