The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
Directly the browning Heights of the Great Fort

tion about the Merrimac, but also Hob
transport. This is how he got it, When
Cervera notified the American authori-
ties that he would release IIobson, Hud-
gins got instructions from his paper to
offer a dollar word to Hobson for
his story, and to tell the lieutenant
that offer went for 10000 words. Hud-
gins was sitting in the office of DR.. lie
Gard of the medical division of the
army at Siboney when the doctor was
called to the military telephone that
connected Simoney with Skaters head
quarters. 20 miles inland. Shafter in
formed the doctor that Iobson would
be released at noon and would be led
up to the American line blindfolded.
Shafter directed the doctor to send a
courier with an extra horse to conduct
Hobson to Sboney and make the nee
essary arrangements to put him on the
cruiser New York.
Hudgins saw to 1t that the courier
who SO conducted Hobson, was for the
time being, a Herald correspondent.
This courier obtained the fun story of
hand in the leisurly ride to siboney
and without Hobson having a suspicion
that he was talking to a newspaper
man. Hobson made very heroic figure
on horseback. and fully realized his i'm
portance when he rode into Siboney and
was met by a horde of correspondents
who came tumbling out of the shacks
they had christened Park Row." To
all questions Hobson made substantially
the same reply that he was not at lib
erty to talk until he had reported to
Admiral Sampson. Hobson's answer
was the same when Hudgins told him
, of the Herald's offer of $4,000.
Hudgins put in two hours pumping
that courier and then was on his way
to the beach, returning to the Golden
Rod, lantern in hand, when he heard
some shouts The shouts were from
members of Hobson's crew who had
been released at the same time as Hob
son, but had been compelled to walk
along the shore to slboney. Hudglns took
them aboard the Golden Rod, got their
stories, got signed statements from them,
and when they didn't have anything more
to tell put them aboard the New York.
That done, the Golden Rod scooted for
Jamaica. But for Houlder Hudgins the
story of Hobson would have been days.
IL not weeks, in getting to the world.
Sampson never forgaye him. Neither did
Hobson
While in Cuba, Hudgins as a news
paper man was a good deal interested
i'm he hal ,ol dol m
ally, he brought out and mailed a copy
of Roosevelt's round robin complaining
of unfit food. 7Hudgns had always been
interested in commissary matters. He
came by that naturally. His grandfather
was the secret commssary agent of the
confederate government. Hudgins made
study of the commssary of the United
States army in the Spanish h-American
war and attracted a great deal of atten-
tion by his writings on the subject. In
1900, he went on the New York Herald as
regular reporter There had been a
great deal of dissatisfaction and criticism
over the alleged abuses at Ellis island
in the feeding of the immigrants. Ellis
island is the landing place for all the
immigrants who enter America through
the gate of New York. Because of Hud-
gins general knowledge OF commissary
matters and his reputation as an investi-
gator the Herald assigned him to look
into some of these matters. The abuses
were real. They had developed through
years of carelessness.
Hudgins knew that If he could have
his way he could straighten things out
on Ellis island in very short order. He
would like TO do it for the good of the
public. Thinking this way, an idea sud-
oenly came to him of how he could COM
bine good to the immigrant and business
for Hudgins. lie determined to bid for
the contract for feeding the immigrants.