Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-06

| dynamite, which, if l drop 1t, will de-
stroy this building and all who are in
| it. demand s1,25O,OO0 at once. If you
refuse l will drop the bag.
Mr.. Sage refused and the stranger
dropped the bag. The explosion that
followed left Mr.. Sage unhurt, but his
| caller was blown to atoms. Only his
head was left intact, with fragments of
his hat and shoes.
/ The police believed it was an an
| archist plot and went to work on that
theory. The hat and shoes were trac-
ed to their makers in Boston without
result. The head, preserved in alco-
hol in the morgue, was identified a
dozen times, but each time the identi-
fcation proved wrong.
| White was put on the case, and
searched the room after the police had
left it.
He found a fragment of the gray
| diagonal trousers to which a suspen-
der button was attached. On the but
ton were stamped the words, Brooks,
Boston," He hastened to Boston, where
after visiting several tailors named
Brooks he found one who identified the
button and also the cloth. Only one
pair of trousers had been sold from
that roll-to Henry L. Norcross, note
broker, living in Somerville.
The Sage Bomb Thrower Identified.
Norcross was missing. His parents
were induced to come to New York and
at once identified the head as that OF
their son, whose mind had become
turned by his desire to be rich. Thus
Whites paper was enabled to announce
the positive Identification Of the bomb
thrower before the police or any other
| newspaper was aware of it.
But often what looks like big op-
portunity for beat fails to bring re-
sults-in the words Of the reporter, 1t
doesn't pan out. A young reporter was
once called to the editors desk, where
he received whispered instructions i'm
parted with an air of great secrecy.
"I have an exclusive tip" said the
editor, that the great Croton dam is
giving away. want you to go up there
at once and get the story. Not anoth-
er paper has a line about it. Don't tell
any one where you are going. 1t looks
like a great chance for a clean beat"
Overjoyed at the prospect of having
| a chance to distinguish himself at last'
already framing up in his mind the
graphic description he would write OF
the bursting dam, the peril of the VIII
layers in the path Of the flood, the
flights for life, the giant trees tossed
about like chips, and the terror OF the
metropolis as its water supply was cut
he hastened to catch a train for Gro
tona.
A Scoop Which Proved a Fizzle.
He eyed suspiciously all his fellow
passengers and was rejoiced to see that
none of them looked like rival report
ers. He recalled that the conductor
must have passed by the great dam not
long before and entered into conversa-
ton with him, not daring to ask, yer
hoping he would say something about
the dam, but learned nothing.
It was dark when he reached the lit
tie station-dark and cold. He inquir-
ed the way to the dam and hurried
along the black, lonely road. 1t was
zero weather and the sharp report OF
the cracking ice sounded in his ears
like alarms. He began to run for fear
the dam might burst before he got
there.
At last the great wall Of the dam
doomed up before him. A tiny window
shed just enough light to lead him to
the watchman's hut. Excitedly ne
burst in on the old watchman, smoking
his pipe by the stove.
rs the dam bursting?" he asked.
Another one?" said the watchman
calmly. You're the third"
What do you mean," gasped the re-
porter with sinking heart.
There was a fellow here from some
paper last night asking that question
and another one the night before, but
there amt nothing the matter with the
DAM"
Much crestfallen, the reporter return
ed to the city, and to this day he never
has discovered how the rumor origi-
mated that the dam was bursting.
Even though he suspects the tip
Is false, it is a conscientious reporters
duty to investigate it thoroughly no
matter where it leads him, but doing
his duty as he sees it doesn't always
bring satisfaction to reporter. There
was a young chap who had made good
in a small city and had ventured to
one of the large cities where he was
fortunate enough to obtain a place on
the staff of a newspaper that prlded
itself on it's reputation for veracity
and accuracy. The first assignment he
had was to cover an affair arranged by
the press agent of an amusement park
"a battle between a mongoose and a
snake.
Honesty as journalistic Policy.
Now, mind you" said the city edi-
tor in giving him the assignment, I'VE
stand for no press-agent fakes on this
paper. 1 want you to go down there
and report just what happens. If the
mongoose kills the snake want COL
umn about it. If it doesn't l don't
n 1;pa
The young man went to the amuse-
ment park. The mongoose was turned
into a cage with a snake. The snake
stayed in one corner of the cage and
the mongoose in the other.
Every time the press-agent tried to
push the little animal near the snake
it retreated as fast and as far as it
could. Finally in despair the press
agent gave it up and contented himself
by describing a terrific battle lie said
the mongoose had had that very morn
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