The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-17

a man may be lucky as well as unlucky.
Oswald F. Schuette. Washington rep
resentative of the Chicago Inter Ocean,
used to be marine editor OF one Of the
Milwaukee papers.
Late one summer night word reached
wrecked not far from shore a few miles
north of town. None OF the vessel Offices
had yet received any definite word about
II, and il was too late for any one TO
be sent there before the paper went to
press. Yet IL was up TO poor Schuette
to do something. The fact that there was
no way TO get the story did not matter.
He must get IL anyhow. For few
seconds he stared into the cold, still
features OF the telephone on his desk.
Then it occurred to him that the wrecked
vessel might not be far from the sum-
mer home of young SHERRY Becker.
then the so-called boy Mayor of NIL
, waukee.
schuette called up Becker and he was
obliged to ring several times before the
boy Mayor came to the phone. for he
had been tucked into bed for the night.
No, said Becker, he hadn't heard of
any vessel being wrecked out that way.
But he would inquire and il he heard
anything of it he would let Schuette
know.
So Schuette hung up the receiver in dis
gust. Nevertheless Becker's promise to
inquire half amused him. Becker
doubtless would yell to somebody in the
next room. ask IL they had heard any,
thing about a wreck. and then turn over
and proceed 10 sleep again.
1t was indeed a hopeless situation from
Schuette's viewpoint.
But bark, Again the telephone rang.
An hour or more had elapsed after
Schuette's talk with Becker. and now it
was Becker on the phone again. And, 10,
he had all the particulars OF that wreck.
Not a detail had escaped him. Eagerly
Schuette jotted down the notes. BY
hustling he still had a chance to get the
stun into the paper. In his hurry he
neglected to ask Becker of whom he had
inquired about the wreck. He didn't
get a chance to ask about that until a
week later when they met on the street.
''oh. 1 tried to go to sleep again after
you called" said Becker. but 1 didn't
have any luck, and II occurred TO me that
1t would be fun to find out about that
wreck. So ] had the boys get out the
launch and We cruieed around until We
got sight Of what appeared to be It. We
got as close as we could and then went
the rest Of the way In rowboat. 1t
was a real lark. But We didn't get .
chance to save anybody's life"
You did. too" contradicted schuette;
''you saved NINE"
Schuette had a distracting experience
a night or two after he first went to work
on a newspaper. His initial job was that
of cub reporter on a Chicago paper that
made a speciality of the odd and the un-
usual
The city editor beckoned to Schuette
along about o'clock on the night in
question, handed him a clipping, and
talked to him while going right ahead
making some memoranda in a large
ledger-like book.
Here's an account OF a murder that
happened two or three days ago." the
city editor went on to say. AS you will
note from that clipping. the fellow muir
dered the girl in a field near cemetery
away out some place beyond the south
Side The clipping will give you the ex-
act location. Go out and hang around
there and when he comes to have a look
at the scene of his crime. along about
midnight you probably can get to talk
ing with him and find out something as
to his identity. We are anxious to Deal
the police on the story"
Schuette went his way, marveling al
the city editors sources Of Information
Here was an unsolved murder mystery
and the city editor, sitting there quietly al
his desk. knew somehow or other that
the murderer would be at certain lonely
spot about midnight. 1t was too deep
for Schuette. but he was game, and went
| The spot was indeed Just as lonely as II
had been described In the papers Not
only was II close by cemetery and
nearly a mile from the nearest car line
but il was within a stones throw OF a
new real estate allotment with a fancy
name. Not q house was In sight any
where. Schuette was sure he had nevei
seen any place quite SO forlorn and 90
well adapted to the purposes Of those who
went in for murder.
II was not a pleasant task sticking
around there until midnight waiting fol
murderer. but Schuette stuck. He re,
NAMED until an hour after midnight. and
then decided that the murderer was moi
! going To keep the tryut. He walked bach