The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-19
Mobile Item Story Brings
Out Evidence Which Wit
ness Offered Month Ago
FINAL CHAPTER OF
FAMOUS INCIDENT
In Hope of Settling Controversy,
Commissioner Spoke--He Thought
Publication Was Accurate.
Review of the Case
by HUGH w. ROBERTS

by HUGH w. ROBERTS
Some weeks ago I wrote for The Age
Herald an interview with Harry T. Hart
well of Mobile, one of the prominent cit
izens of that city A paragraph in that
interview read as follows
Mr.. Conner" Mr. Hartwell said,
"has given assurance that while he
is always for temperance he will not
involve the railroad rate situation by
injecting prohibition-unless the fight
is thrust upon him. He has written
Mr.. Thompson that he is willing for
the present situation to continue un-
changed"
Following the publication of the inter-
view, there went up from certain state
papers a cry that Mr.. Thompson, edi-
tor of the Mobile Register, publish the
letter which Mr.. Hartwell was quoted
as having said that Mr. Conner had
written.
The correction" Published
Seven days after the publication Of the
interview Mr.. Hartwell writing the edi-
tor of The Age-Herald from French Lick
Springs, complained that he had been
misquoted He requested that a state
ment from him be pubished-whch was
done on the date following that of its
reception. In that statement he declared
that in answer to the reporters question
he had replied:
We consider the prohibition ques-
tion settled. Besides Mr. Conner. in
one of his public speeches in the OPEN
ing OF his campaign. has said that
prohibition was not an issue in this
campaign and he would not make it
one. But IL the whisky interests did.
they would find him on the side of
temperance. which statement he had
confirmed in a letter to Mr. Thomp-
son."
No sooner had. Mr.. Hartwel entered
his complaint than, as stated, The Age
Herald published what he desired to be
considered a correction, and I wrote a
letter to him In which | said that my
Intention in printing the interview had
been good, and that If through .unfor-
tunate error, an injustice had been done
him, 1 was sorry. 1 also wrote letter
to James Weathefly. who had heard the
discussion between Mr. Hartwell and me,
urging him to make concise state
ment of what had actually occurred In
order that In the event had done Mr.
Hartwel an Injustice, 1 might hasten
| With fits correction.
Reply Came Immediately
| l received the commissioner reply inn
| mediately, but because 1 was satisfied in
the knowledge that the people of Alabama
We're already aware that the interview in
| the main was correct and that If any err
| ror had been committed it was not the
| result OF Intentions and because | did not
feel justified in unnecessarily involving in
the controversy a public official, and a
gentleman who is an exceedingly warm
| friend of both of the principals, / re-
! Trained from publishing what would have
| instantly placed me before the readers of
| the state in the proper light and other
| than that light in which certain inspired
influences would have had me placed
| On the Tuesday following the publica-
| tion in The ge-Herald-and other papers
| of the state-of the correction" which
| MIR. Hartwell desired published it be-
came necessary for me. in answer to an
| unwarranted and entirely on-ethcal at
| tack through crude insinuaton on the
| part of the Birmingham Ledger to print
| In The Age Herald an explanation of the
whole affair. Some days ago [ received
| from Mr.. Hartwell a personal letter in
| which he declared. that my publication
was entirely satisfactory to him, and
that he considered It as having been
characterized by a spirit of fairness.
Hartwell Quoted Again
| NOn the reception of the letter. 1t was
my natural conclusion-and hope-that
the incident had been forever closed. But
in the Mobile Item of recent date. ap-
peared a news item in which Mr. Hart
well was quoted as having said in re-
gard to the interview
II told Mr.. Roberts that if it was
for publication l didn't care to talk
to him. | understand all about that,
Mr. Hartwell.' Mr.. Roberts said. l
told Mr.. Roberts what thought just
simply as a private citizen, Of CO.
mer's race for governor in Mobile
county.
''rhe next morning." Mr.. Hartwell
continued, "the thing was spread all
| over the front page of The Age-Her-
aid and | was never more surprised
in my life. But it taught me a les
son, that it is never good idea to
talk before a newspaper man."
In regard to the Items statement, Mr..
l1artwell wrote me as follows:
II can only say to you that the state
ment they published was not in accord
| ance with what l said"
In the same letter is contained the fol-
lowing:
IAN effort on my part now to ask
a correction would only tend to make
matters worse
What Weatherly Says
Therefore, I feel that in justice to my
self should make public the Weatherly
letter.
1t will be noticed that Mr. Weatherly
says that he introduced me to Mr. Hart
well as a representative of The Age
Herald He says also that Mr. Hart
we'll made a statement which he thought
was intended for publication, or at least
that he CHartwelD was not unwilling
that it should be published. The com
missioner adds that when he read the
interview the following morning, he
thought that it was accurate. He fur
ther adds that after reading the "cor-
rection' published at the request of Mr.
Hartwell, he could see no substantial
difference between that correction and the
original publication. A significant state
ment included in the Weatherly letter is:
'The impression / gathered from his
QIartwells) statement. is very similar to
the impression gathered by Mr.. Roberts"
The letter, addressed to me under date