Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-08-10
Starr'sGreat
Scoop
b. ERNEST LEVINE

~SbsAAs"ss Asse' WSstsa1 Ns"st~keE SAAsA
"Hold The wire For the love Of
Mike. hold the wirel"
Blodgett rushed like a craEed man
out Of the telephone booth IN the re-
porters' room Of the Daily News.
Its Starr on the WIRE" he yelled
at the city editor.
''That auditorium at Chancellor's on
fire. The place is packed and blaE-
ing. Starr says he's got a column to
telephone through"
go to It'll" yelled the city editor.
"Get all you can"
In a moment the telephones through
out the building were humming A
column was deleted from the front
page, orders were sent up to the proof
room to hold the edition. Outside the
booth one Of the men took up hia
position, ready to rush the slips on
which Blodgett was frantically scrib-
bling up to the compositorS
It vas one of the biggest state po-
litical meetings OF the year. The
auditorium was packed. Stanley, the
defeated candidate for governor, was
to declare his policy. Starr had been
sent specially to get the news. Starr
had knack Of getting things through
quickly. Starr never fell down.
The story now, Of course, would
deal exclusively with the burning Of
the. auditorium. The ex-governor's
speech had faded into inslgnificapcs,
go on, Starr! Speak ioudefl I
can't hear you, What's the matter
with the wire% Blodgett growled.
Get your mouth close up and shout
It."
All the while he spoke Blodgett'e
hand, trained to act almost mechan-
ically, took down this story:
'"The audience sat entranced by the
speakers words. Never had Mr.. Stan
ley so risen to the occasion. There
was an intense silence. Then
"a thin wisp Of smoke began to curl
up from the wings of the platform.
Perhaps dozen men noticed 1t sim
ultaneously. There was an uneasy
stirring among the assemblage. Their
minds, attuned to Mr.. Stanley's words,
were momentarily unable to take in
the significance Of that thickening
smoke coil.
Nor did anybody know that In the
basement were stored thousands Of
pounds Of disused play films, nor that
a man, passing out, had carelessly
thrown his cigarette away.
"But Of sudden a vast sheet Of
roaring fame swept simultaneously
from score Of points. The platform
was ablaze instantly. In an incred-
IDLY short time the auditorium was
filed with fire and smoke.
-+.s ElAle smoke atided TO tie universal
panic. The vast crowd was on its
feet in moment. pouring for the
exits only to find, them blocked with
roaring flames. Women were tram
pied underfoot, men fought each other
with the ferocity of trapped beasts"
~rhe scene must have resembled
that In the Paris Charity Bazaar fire
some years ago. All thought Of chlv-
airy was abandoned. The auditorium
Is at the top of the flight Of steps
leading down into Market street.
There are six exits. Every exit was
packed ten feet high with bodies.
They formed a solid wedge In tho
doorways. No one could pass. Men
with safety a few feet away from them
struggled in vain until they in turn
were trodden down by the seething
press behind them.
''Then in twinkling the exits were
! filed with fire. 1t reGred halfway
across Market street. II is believed
that hardly--hartlly-"
"Good stuff! Hope he's got plenty
more" commented the city editor, as
he read. wonder how Starr made
his getaway"
Il can't hear word you're saying,
Starr" Blodgett complained. "For
Gods sake give 1t little louder"
Hardly q dozen survived. Mr..
Stanley, fortunately, together with
three other gentlemen upon the stage
can't give their names now"
"Never mind, Starr. Go oni Go
on We're holding the edition."
Had time to leave the building.
II Is believed that they were ignorant
Of the extent Of the catastrophe. I
tried to see Mr.. Stanley, but he
wouldn't speak to me. Took no no
tice at all. Acted as II l wasn't there.
felt mighty sore about it.%
That's all right, Starr. Go orr
But the voice on the wire haA
ceased. Blodgett ratified frantlcaliy
ut the handle. He yelled in vain to
Central Starr he'd been cut OF. OF
gone. tes
The bell rang. Bledget snatched MP
the receiver again.
Here's the Press report just COM
Ing through" he said to the city ed
itor.
IAN right, take her, Biodsett.
Wen run II In the next edition.
Jehoshaphat, we've got a SCOOP"
Ten minutes later Bl0dgett came
out Of the booth, white and shaky.
Il can't make this Press report OUT
he said. TITS the bodies that they've