The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-06

/ Mr.. Aleck e. Labar, my good and
| helpful friend. asked II recent trouble
with the Cincinnati Southern railroad
bridge had not called to pmy mind
| somsthing connected with its history.
Yes, come to think the question over.
| 1t does A few years since a span
dropped out and let some freight cars
down into the river. kergplash, and one
OF them was loaded chiefly with case
goods'' whisky, Boxes OF bottles went
| floating down stream. and had no
bateau. canoe, skiff or other craft with
which to pursue them: in fact was not
there, 30 i do recall what seems to me
quite an important event In the history
Of that bridge. But a much earlier
one comes to my mind, and It is a very
personal reminiscence. That. however,
shall neither SUPPRESS nor spoil the
story. / was editing the old Daily
Commercial while the regular editor
was away somewhere, running for con-
yress or something of the sort. He
was Hon. George M. Drake, and all who
lived here then will recall that he was
nominated by the republicans to run
against DibrelI. in 1875. Warren d.
Crosby was what they called local edi-
tor, in those DAVIS, While not a trained
writer, he was a capable news cleaner
and his office duties did not prevent
his going out and gIea ming, in his
own proper person.
NeQrO Convict EIOQ0ed TO D0dtn,
He brought in A story of horror con-
nected with bridge construction. The
gist OF 1t was that a negro convict had
been hogged to death under circum-
stances OF even greater brutality than
the mere statement OF fact essentially
implies. He also brought a witness OF
intelligence and repute, whose name
was Patrick Fitzgfbbons.
write denunciatory editorial
which took in all and singular the
parties responsible or in any way con-
cerned from contractors to the brutes
who did the fiogging. Crosby was a
considerable number of years my
senior, and as 1t was made to appear.
had rather more sense. on some occa-
sions At least Soon after the editorial
appeared, went to the Office somewhat
late one night to read proof, and on
opening the door discovered Crosby
sitting with a paper file in front of him
and a number OF pretty tough looking
customers around about and some of
them we'll nigh on him.
Curslnq Out Some One.
They were making a good deal of
noise, "cussin' out" somebody, and he
was explaining that the man who wrote
something wasn't there, but would he
in after a while, perhaps. But he was
making everything all right by erasins
offensive words, lines and paragraphs,
them were drunk, and he was making
them believe that scratching out the
bad words from that file copy fixed the
whole thing, all right and satisfactorily.
l watched the performance a little
WHILE unseen. and discovered they weer
holding a coroners inquest on my
KILLED by Brutes" editorial.
Performances Amusing.
The performance was amusing. and
the Sphinx would have been forced to
smile a little, it seems to me, had he,
she or 1t heard and seen, as / did;
but It was not so awfully funny for
Crosby The men half suspected that
he was living, and was him self the
writer. Then, they became more and
more impatient for the return OF the
fellow who did write It, and that was
lust what Crosby was hoping would not
occur until they rad gone. Finally one
of them declared that he was satisfied
so far as Crosby was concerned hut
expressed his intention of seeing the
something pretty serious would happen
to him, and he used a lot of uncompl-
mentary words about the supposed ab-
sent one. Then / got mad as a March
hare" and took my turn at bad lam
guage. l divulged my identity and told
them all to get right out Of there at
once. Immediately, right away. "tout
suite" and all that. In Informed them
that they were profaning with whisky
polluted breaths and bad language, the
sanctum sanctorum, the temple Of IN
tense thought, the editors office and
was him. ready to annihilate the
whole gang in two minutes If they
didn't vacate with suddenness. The
chances are they would have eaten
me if several big compositors had not
heard the racket and come across the
hall to see what all the fuss was about.
They seconded my motion, and In due