The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-31
CHAPTER XII,


more gratifying on arising in the
morning and sitting down to partake
OF daintily served breakfast than to
glance hurriedly over the front page
OF ones favorite newspaper and see It
covered with startling headlines. It
matters little what has happened dur
Ing the night to shock the community.
SO long as 1t satisfies ones appetite
Tor sensational news. It can be a
fatal confagration. fearful railroad
wreck, gigantic bank robbery, a hor.
rtble murder, or even a scandalous
divorce case. All one asks is that It
be something big, with column after
column of narrowing details. The
newspapers are fully alive to what is
expected of them. but II is not always
easy to supply the demand. There
are times when the metropolis Ian.
guishes for news of any description.
There are no disastrous fires. trains
run without mishap. burglars 60 on a
vacation. society leaders act with de
corum-in word the city is deadly
dull. Further consideration of the
tarih remains the most thrilling topic
the newspapers can find to write
about
The murder at the aristocratic AS
trurfa. therefore, was hailed by the
editors as an unmixed journalistic
blessing, and they proceeded to play
1t up for all 1t was worth All the
features Of first-class sensation were
present. The victim. Robert Under.
wood. was we'll known in society and
a prominent art connoisseur. The
place where the crime was committed
was one Of the most fashionable of
New York's hostelries. The presumed
assassin was college man and the
son OF one of the most wealthy and
influential Of New York's citizens.
True. this Howard Jeffries, the son,
was a black sheep. He had been
mixed UP In all kinds of scandals be.
fore. His own father had turned him
out of doors. and he was married to
woman whose father died in prison
Could a better combination of cir.
cumstances for a newspaper be con.
ceived? The crime was discovered
too late for the morning papers to
Takc mention Of 1t. but the afternoon
papers fired broadside that shook
the town. All the evening papers had
Zig scare heads stretching across the
entire front rcga 18th pictures % the
PRINCIPALS involved ana long inter
views wi L the coroner and Cant
CintoN h"'C seen ed TO lie no doubt
that the Lolice hao arrested the right
man, and In all quarters of the city
there was universal sympathy for Mr..
Howard Jeffries, Sr. 1t was terrible
10 think that this splendid, upright
man, whose whole career was without
single stain, who had served his
country sallantly through the civil
war, should have such disgrace
brought upon him in his Old age
Everything pointed to speedy trial
and quick conviction. Public indigna-
tion was aroused almost to a frenzy,
and loud clamor went up against
the laws delay Too many crimes
OF this nature, screamed the yellow
press, had been allowed to sully the
sood name of the city. A fearful ex-
ample must be made. no matter what
the standing and influence of the pris-
oner's family. Thus goaded on. the
courts acted with promptness. Taken
before a magistrate, Howard was at
once committed to the Tombs to await
trial, and the district attorney set to
work impaneling jury. Justice. he
promised. would be swiftly done. One
newspaper stated positively that the
family would not interfere. but would
abandon the scapegrace son to his
richly deserved fate. Judge Brewster,
the famous lawyer II was said, had al.
ready been approached by the prison.
er's wife. but had declined TO take
the case. Banker Jeffries also was
quoted as saying that the man under
arrest was no longer a son of his.
AS one paper pointed out. 1t seemed
| f0rcc and waste of money TO have
trial at all. The assassin had not
phly been caught red-handed, but had
[?'ually confessed. Why waste time
over trial? True. one paper timidly
'uSeested that It night have been a
case OF suicide. Robert Underwood a
financial affairs, Il went on to say.
we're I'm n critical condition, and the
theory OF suicide was borne ont 70
or" extent by an interview with Or.
'erS 'oir, professor of psychology at
on" oi the universities. who stated
mat he was by no means convinced OF
the prisoners guilt, and limited that
the alleged confession might have
been forced from him by the police,
while In hypnotic state This the
ory. belittling as It did their pet sen.
sation, did not sub the policy Of the
yellow press, so the learned proGes.
sor at once became the target for edi-
tOrial attack
The sensation grew I'm Importance
as the day for the trial approached.