The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-01

HoS passed Stnce tne knell OF ISL.
was tolled, that the newspapers Of
New York city have not been com.
PEELED to give unusual display. in bis
mead lines and numerous columns, &c
some important piece Of news the In.
Iterest Of which was not only local
but nationwide.
h proverhial mine days Won.
die down before something else, NOR
startling. more compelling In its de-
mands upon the attention of the aver.
age reader. the man In the street.
to use n familiar phrase. would have
occurred.
Many and many a time in the twelve
months of 1912 managing editors and
most at their wits ends to devise
ways and means not only Of procuring
but Of publishing AL the news" with
due regard for tho supreme import
ance of the big story" Of the moment
And equally often the re%portorial
staff has found itself wrapped up in
a tumble OF crimes. disasters and poll
even the remains OF q sane mind
seemed doubtful.
Most Fascinating of Professions.
Big news" is a visitor always well
come vet always dreaded in the edi-
torial department Of a metropolitan
liz SuOucIl OeIIldllOS upon
a STAN which may not be at the very
highest point OF efficiency (rarely Is.
in fact. at the critical moment. with
the usual perversity OF human cvents)
the fear lest all the ENDS" Of an i'm
portant news matter will not be pro-
perlN attended to and the intense
pressure a which an enormous
the last late hours before edition
time. all combine to make newspaper
work what 1t Is, the most fascinating
OF all the professions, a Jealous mis-
tress whose caprices keep her follow
ers In a constant state Of mingled
amazement and perpleXity.
with tine = 'nS anlh, @. tha u started ,s on
for n weary scribbler. Early on the
morning Of the ninth Park Row and
Wall street suffered a simultaneous
shock in h destruction OF the Equita-
Bile Life Assurance society's huge
building at Broadway and Cedar
street. The fire began just before
dawn In the kitchens Of the famous
Cafe Savarin. where a thousand brok-
|ers expected to eat that day.
h city was in the grip OF a cold
snap that had already caused the
deaths Of several unfortunates, and
when Wall street rubbed its eyes and
peered through the pail Of fire engine
smoke that hung over the district it
was to see an enormous mass Of ice
and snow rising to a glittering height
and lighted here and there by bursts
of flame. as though a diminutive. snow
lcrusted Fesuvius had been transported
to Broadway.
Billion in Its Vaults.
Five lives, including that Of Bat
ment. were sacrificed in the fire. The
frozen. broken hands Of a Waterman
in the Mercantile Safe Deposit conn
pany's vaults hung for three days to
the huge bars that formed the i'm
pressive advertisement Of the COM
pany's security. It was impossible
during that time to effect an entrance
mantle Of ice and snow.
Buried in the ruins were a billion
Of securities. and for several days
there was great anxiety regarding
their fate. Business in Wall street
was practically at a %standstill. There
was talk Of closing the stock ex-
change. However. the emergency was
sion Of delivery Of any Of the i'm
prisoned securities. while permitting
dealing in them to go on.
Presently a new skyscraper will
stand where the great granite struc-
ture was. and only those interested
in the fire will recall it as a passing
episode Of one Of New York's most
tumultuous years.
Meanwhile things were mighty busy
elsewhere. China was selecting the
first president for it's new republican
form Of government; New Mexico and
Arizona were being welcomed into the
sisterhood Of states; the Duke and
duchess of Connaught were passing
through New York on a trip to Wash
S--%~~ - r4e DN4ct1a~< Ta$t orH
Charles w. Morse was being brought.
presumably a wrecked and dying man.
home from the prison at Atlanta. the
doors of which had been opened by
the presidential pardon extended to
the convicted banker. Morse made a
speedy recovery as soon as he had got
once more within sound Of Broad
street and Wall.
Thrilling Taxicab Robbery.
New York's budget Of excitement
bulked big again when the famous
taxicab robbery was carried out or
February IS. Two messengers Of the
East River National bank. intrusted
with a bag containing $4,000 in small
bills. were b~lackjacked in broad day
light at Rector street and Trinity place
as they rode In q taxieab to the bank.
The bag was taken and the driver Of
the taxicab, who had often carried the
messengers on the same mission. rush.
ed seemingly panic-stricken to a po-
liceman to tell him how a man had
pressed a revolver against the drivers
ribs and compelled him to drive blind
ly on while the robbers were using
their blackjacks inside the cab.
Just at. this time two or three sim
liar robberies were perpetrated on the
Bowery and elsewhere. though non
with such profit of booty to the taxi
cab bandits, as they came to be known.
The apparent helplessness Of the po-
lice. department shook public conf
dence a good deal. and 1t was with
pers were able to chronicle. within q
couple Of weeks. the romance Of the
trailing and capture by the police OF
the entire outfit Of taxicab thieves.
the prime leader Of whom was. the
driver himself.
A woman detective was in large
measure responsible for the success Of
the police. and at the subsequent trial
Of the thieves. when all were convict
ed and sentenced to varying terms. II
developed that q most elaborate
scheme had been Matched to bring
about the capture Of the $4,000. A
large part of the money was ecover-
But while these criminals were be-
ing apprehended and convicted, a very
different drama was being enacted on
the newspaper stage. Foulke r.
Brandt, a convict in Dannemora pri-
son. sentenced to thirty years for eff
fectins 9 %burglarious entry into the
house Of Mortimer L. 6chtH. son of
pealed to Gov. Dix for q pardon. plead.
ling that his c0nvictiOn and lnn0 aon.