Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-12
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR. 10

Fifty years ago. and indeed up q q
comparatively recent date, It weA ~
custom Of the washintto6
Message newspapers to print extra
editions carrying the Presi-
s' dents annual message to
Congress, regardless Of tho tmpef-
lance Of their statements and recon-
mendationa Tho Star printed such
an edition on the 6th Of Decepber.
1870. and in tho regular edition later
In the day. It gave the following ID
count Of its enterprise. which IL pay
tioularly Of interest In the disclesuP
of the pony express' method OF
transmitting COPY: Sjs'tr7
There was . lively competition TO-
day between the different newspaper
omces In the matter Of getting Up
tho message. ana The Star. We hardly
need say. came out ahead. suc7s
I'VE ran . pony express from tho
White House with tho messaSs,. and
In just nfty-two minutes from fhs'
time the COPY was in the hands OF
our printers 1t was In type This
was pretty quick work Tor docNu
ment Of s.os5 words. written on msni-
after The Extra Star. with the nes--
sage, was on the street. the Patriot
and Republican made their appear
ance. The Chronicle did not publish
an extra
complished without hard labor and
heavy outlay. but we do not oegrudge
pains or expense In serving our
readers"
Half . century ago clever counter
feiters caused the government great
trouble and the people
CouRteyfeiter heavy losses. In Tho
Star Of December ..
SePsu1Su' 1870, IL an item tell
ing Of the career OF one OF the most
successful OF these men, DR.. John r.
Mccartney. also known rs Joe Woods.
who had Just been arrested:
Mccartney has been fugitive
from justice for several years. and the
government has expended over $4,000
in trying to capture him. He has
been associated with various noted
'covey' men, and has produced the
best counterfeit Of scrip and bank
notes ever issued in this country:
Last May he bought aeoe sheets q
went with his family to Minneapolis.
whsre he spent the summer in manu-.
featuring coupterfeits, with which, but
for his arrest. he would have poodeo
the country.
. pnrf1an XIV and sAuD~
picion being aroused. the Louisville
police made q descent and captured
some Of his tools, with his wife ana
Q man known as Alexander BiN' soon
after Mccartney and an accompiice
named johnson were asrss ssc. IN GIN n
some mysterious manner. At last the
detectives learned that he was In
Venice. Ill. about ave miles up the
river from st. Louis, and there er.
rested him- He offered thsm . full
set Of patss fEo x. sso So az o so I ~
queer meney. and afterward $ss.o0o
In good notes. for his release, but
was refused. Mccartney Is about
forty-nve years Of age. tall: gentle
manly aud Intelligent He - 9 ane
snTavsf :aH printer; G n9naf a az h his
smartness. he made a tour. through
Missouri lecturing on the best way
to detect counterfeit money, and then
passing . great quantity Of his convey
in the towns where he featured"
John H surratt delivered . lee
ture on the evening Of December 8.
1870. in the courthouse
Su7yntt's at Rockville. concerning
49, his alleged connsction
AecsaSs' with tbs conspiracy OF
1855, his escape. capture ana ssose'
ausnt trial and discharge In this city
moro then . year previous. In Ihes
Sta, Of December z, 1870. 10 pristsd
an account Of the lecture caveS'ns
nearly four and a half columns, nsk'
inr = feature Of news Of such IN
t.r.at to the readers Of that day that
n was reproduced in many newspA
nsrs The Stars account describes
fhe scene OF the courthouse On tnS
occasion of the lecture. TOR WHOM
an adnaission fee Of so cents WAS
charged, children half prise:
a curious spectacle was presented
vithfn. The bar was occupied ~
ths ladies in large numberA while
Without and high up arouno the
x va. h III every avaiIabis spot At
o'cleek Surratt entereo ana pss.eu
I'M to the side platform 70 enSes sE