South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-15
STATESMEN, REAL
AND NEAR.
BY FRED @. KELLY.

ana all because or FREDERICK W.
Steckman.
Steckman was a Washington CORE
spondent for one Of the 81. Louis pa
pers at the time our tale had its be-
ginning three or four years ago. Lit
tie suspecting that he was about TO
be an instrument for the working out
Of dire consequences. Stecs1nan drop
ped into the department Of justice one
quiet afternoon in search OF a piece
for his paper. He had nothing special
ina mind 10 inquire about. and vet.
without just knowing why. he had his
heart set on digging up something
that afternoon from the department
Of justice. He talked to several Off
Gals without learning anything worth
writing. and was nearly convinced
that nothing whatever had happened
or was likely TO happen. Then by
some strange impulse, prompted sole
ly by sheer ''hunch." he bluffed:
Il understand that the attorney
general is going to bring suit TO dis
solve the steel trust. When will the
suit be filed ?"
The man he was talking TO denied
any knowledge of any such project
being under way, but he swallowed
and blinked in such startled fashion
and gave the inquirer such a funny
look, that Steckman knew he had
II. A
matter Of fact, Atty. Gen. Wicker
sham was working on the steel trust
suit even then, but knowledge of the
thing was being closely guarded and
Steckman's question was like a kick
in the stomach
The official whose startled look had
confirmed Steckman's guess. declined
to say anything more about the suit
because, he said, he didn't know
a hr1f he n oh
ject TO answering a number of hypo-
| thetical queStions-where would such
suit naturally be filed, if one ever
such be filed-what would be the pro-
cedure in such a case. an dso on.
When he got back TO his little type
writer desk, Steckman had enough
material for column and a half
about the government suit against
the steel trust. And when he wrote
he did not deal with rumors. but with
facts just as if the suit had been
formally announced. He was just
that sure his "hunch" was correct
for he regarded the look on his in
formant's face as fully as good as a
long, official statement
1t happened that as things had
been particularly dull in Washington
for few days, a number of newspa-
per correspondents had gone out of
town. Two OF these had asked Steck-
man to look after their work in their
absence, in case anything unexpected
should turn up. Thus Steckman
found himself with the responsibility
of deciding whether his steel trust
story should go into two other big
newspapers-one in Kansas City, and
the other in New York. He was re-
luctant to take. a chance on sending
under another mans name big story
that might not be true. He was so
sure 1t was true that he was willing
to stake his own reputation, but
whether to go any farther and take in
other mems regulations, was a ques-
ton. After considerable reflection he
decided to take the chance, for he
figured that if the story were true,
his friends might think he had sOr-
didly held out on them. So he wired
the story TO all three papers and then
rushed out of the office to walk the
streets and throw the whole risky
business off his mind.
The first man he saw was a the
atrical friend who came up smiling
and invited him to little dinner in
honor of a beautiful and talented
young actress who had been appear
ing at one OF the summer theaters
and who was about to retire from the
stage to marry a multi-millionaire
over in Philadelphia. Steckman was
one of several attractive bachelors
who had been polite to the charming
young woman during her stay in the
capital, and he was to be honored-
at her request--by a seat next to her
at the farewell dinner.
After thanking his theatrical friend
for the invitation and promising-nat-
urally enough-to be on hand. Steck-
IL L
not gone block before he met the
beautiful actress herself she was on
little shopping expedition, buying
things for her trousSeau, and was
bubbling with enthusiasm over the
approaching nuptial event. 1t SEEM
ed that she had really never cared
much for the stage, anyhow, and her
fiance had four llmousines. She
gurgled forth to Steckman that the
man had wonderful personal charm
and an option on a beautiful estate
near Newport Steckman judged that
he was fellow who got anything he
wanted just by pressing an electric
button, the way SO many men do, and
he congratulated the lovely girl on
her great good fortune.
Well the next morning Steckman
hustled out and bought the New York
evening papers and noted that his
of the one ne had represented the
night before. besides being exclusive.
A real newspaper man never ceases
to be thrilled by the sight of his own
stuff featured on the first page. and
Steckman fairly glowed with pride
Moreover, he soon learned 10 his
great JOY that there was no denial
of the story. 1t was accurate even to
the little details.
Altogether ii promised to be
great day for Steckman, and he re-
fiected that the world is a right pleas
ant place after all. What with being
congratulated all morning or his
cleverness in landing such an import
ant exclusive story. and then going
10 a sumptuous farewell dinner in the
evening 10 sit at the hisht hand of
a charming actress-well, he had no
complaint to offer II picked up his
favorite cane and set out TO stroll for
his health, softly whistling a popular
tune Of the period.
Again he met his theatrical friend
almost at the same corner where