The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-28
INTERESTING STORY
 BY WILLIAM VILE
Sc0oped Other Reporters in Chicago by Impersonat-
 ing Footman at Ball

London, August 15. = tSpeciaL) Frederic William Vile. who wrote The Men Around the Kaiser" and who, up to the outbreak of the war, was Berlin correspondent of the Lon don Daily Mail. has collected a recent series of articles written for his news paper in the United States and make book of them which has just been published here under the title of "The German American Plot"
 Vile is a Chicago man who original ly came abroad fois the Chicago Daily News. He started as bank clerk In the Windy City and finally jumped into newspaper work on the staff of the old Record Herald. It was while scouting for that newspaper that he brought off a little scoop" that gave him more private satisfaction than anything he has done since, although, as the Ber- lin representative, first of the Chicago Daily News, and, later, of the power full Daily Mail, he has had talks with practically every prominent man and woman in Germany as we'll as with a lot In England and the United States.
 Vile WnO, lHlCA-Stl dHO hdS always reminded of an enthusiastic elephant went over the story of that early scoop with infinite gusto at a small Swiss restaurant in the Strand tie other day.
 ''rhe biggest local story that had hypnotized Chicago city editors for many moons" said Vile, was the mystery in connection with a big fancy dress party that was to be given by one of the swellest hostesses in the Windy City smart set. This was not long after the Spanish American war. What made the story especially riquant was the fact that all the guests were to be society girls, most Of whom, 1t was rumored, were to wear masculine dress. As to the details ab- solute secrecy was maintained, the chief ambition of the giver of the party be- ing that no description of it whatever, not even a list of the guests, should get into the newspapers. Of course these two things made the story just pure gold In the estmaation of Chi cdgo city editors, and heaven and earth were moved to induce somebody to give up,' but all without avail.
 "No one even knew what time the affair was going to start" Vile went on, "and though every Chicago news raper sent a man round to the house that night there appeared to be ab- solutely nothing doing, the hostess re- fusing flat-footed to see anybody. was turned down like the rest and. ir company with another man from the Record Herald. was about to go back to the office with my tail be- tween my legs when my chum made a remark which gave me an inspira- ton. That winter I happened to be wearing a long fawn -colored overcoat with big buttons and that particular evening, in honor Of the occasion, l had put on a silk hat Suddenly, as we stood there, my fellow reporter re- marked. In that get up. Vile. you look for all the world like "Jeames, the footman."' and 1t was that ob- seivation that gave me my idea
 "So far as I could see there was no one at all on hand to open the car riage doors. and l promptly made up my mind that this should be my job. It was pretty dark by now and I hung around and pretty soon. Just as I had expected, the first carriage drove up. I stepped forward at once, touched my hat, and opened the door. and a couple of girls got out all muffled up in opera cloaks and ran up the steps. "'Who are those? said I to the coachman, and he mentioned the name CA tWo ol 'hiOo6V brSt NiiONii VSod- tantes.
 And who have they come as? ventured.
 Ones Captain iIobson and the others General Gomez, he grinned, and whipped up his horses.
 Soon another carriage drew up and I repeated the operation and so I went on, handing out every batch of guests and almost without exception. learn ing their names and their characters from their charioteers. There were no end of Hobsons, I remember several Deweys and many Schleys. Only in a very few cases did l fail to connect Once a negro servant from inside the house threatened to block my little game by injudicious inquiries as to my Identity, but retired when l had slipped a lavish bribe into his hand
 'To make long story short" con cluded Vile, 'I got practically com plete list of the guests and of the characters they assumed which made l beat for the Record Herald next day. So flabbergasted was the smart and secretive hostess that she came round to the office m the afternoon and asked as a favor to know how We got our information, but this re- n 1nct of loe t,,.to -J, T