Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
JAWTOR WILLIAM REED DEAD
KNOWN AS HARD-HEADED
STRONG MAN.
Newspaper Building Employe Had
Nose for News and Helped
to- Many Scoops

Widely known in Washington was
Robert William Reed. the negro janitor
OF the Hutchins building. whose funeral
was held yesterday afternoon.
Reed as he was Familiarity termed.
was we'll versed in matters connected
with the publication of a modern news
paper, from the pressroom to the edi-
torial department During the many
years he was janitor Of the building
several newspapers were published there.
and he became acquainted with a host
of journalists as we'll as plain newspaper
men.
Because of his affability and politeness
he gained many a fat tip" from the
writer's and other attaches of the news
papers. He had keen scent for real
news, too. and was the first to convey
to the city editor of morning newspaper
then published in the Hutchins building
at the outbreak of the war with
Spain the information that some
thing was DOING on E street between
9th and 10th streets.
It was about o'clock in the morning.
A reporter. following Reeds tip, made
Tor the scene at racehorse speed. There
he found secret service officers, metro
pol1tan detectives and file of regular
soldiers from Washington barracks.
Investigation developed that the secret
service men had run down a Spanish spy
and located him in the E street house.
His arrest followed. and the prisoner was
manacled and taken to the barracks,
where he was confined under close guard
In the watchhouse. The man proved to
be an Englishman, who had served in the
United States Navy. and who was
furnishing defensive plans and other valu-
ha Cno niSh 10
Canada.
The detectives found much incriminat-
ing evidence in the fellows room. The
Englishman. feeling his case was hope
less and that he would be shot as spy,
committed suicide few days later in his
cell.
The story proved to be SCOOP" The
city editor gave Reed the price of a big
dinner. On other occasions he furnished
valuable information to the reporters, all
of whom held Reed in high regard.
Reed also enjoyed a reputation as a
strong man." On one occasion he made
a straight lift up of metal weighing
1000 pounds. On another he performed
a remarkable feat on a wager.
Reed carried a press steel turtle with
type metal piled upon 1t weighing in all
500 pounds. from the composing room on
the second floor to the sidewalk on D
street and returned with it to the COM
posing room without resting his burden.
who won the bet.
Reeds strength was frequently brought
into play in ejecting objectionable per-
sons, including boisterous "drunks," who
had intruded upon the editorial depart
ment or other parts of the building. He
would catch a heavyweight fellow by the
nape of the neck, as a terrier catches
a rat. and holding the man aloft carry
him down the stairs and out of the build
ing.
He also had a record as q butter" and
would pick up heavy wooden bottomed
chair and ram his head against It with
great force, splitting the bottom in twain.
To illustrate to an editor once his but
ting proclivities, Reed ran full force
against the heavy wooden supports be-
side the elevator. The impact was so
great that it shook the building.
Robert William Reed was sixty-three
years of age. Services over his remains
were held yesterday afternoon at the
Nineteenth Street Baptist Church. The
interment was at Harmony cemetery.