| Show BYRNES AND THE REPORTERS That was a strange spectacle as well asa as-a new departure in the secret service of New York vhichInspectorBTHNEs treated the representatives of the press to the other day in his office Ever since the horrible murder in New York a few days ago by Jack the Ripper or what is more likely by some ambitious imitator of the London fiend there has been great activity among detective agencies and it would appear that tho newspaper reporters have been as active in shadowing the detectives as the latter have been in watching the suspected murderers Suddenly it appears that Inspector In-spector BYRNES concluded t take the gentlemen gen-tlemen of the press into his confidence and sent for representatives from a the papers to meet with him in his private rooms whereat where-at a signal from him a police officer stepped into the middle of the room and from a handful of manuscript read in true oratorical oratori-cal style the entire story of the case to the extent that the police authorities have been able t develop it Nor did the great New York chief of police stop here He had the story of the crime elaborated with incidental in-cidental excursions into the clews which he had in hand and the names of parties suspected but not arrested yet together with a statement of his plans suspicions and purposes Two explanations only can be given of this more than strange proceeding Either Inspector BYRNES did it for the purpose of I throwing the pencilpushers off the track I of his real proceedings that he might not be hampered by the news gatherers impertinence leading them along a false trail while his agents are working in an entirely en-tirely different direction or else the inspector in-spector has become indignant at the curiosity curios-ity and persistence of the ubiquitous reporters re-porters who must considerably hamper his movements and render it impossible for him t accomplish anything with such a gang at his own and his agents heels I the latter be the explanation of his unusual conduct it reminds one in some of its features fea-tures of a good story of Dr BENJAMIN FRANKLIN The philosopher having to make a journey on horseback through some parts of New England was much annoyed I an-noyed by the proverbial impudent curiosity of the down east Yankees Finally he hit upon the happy idea on arriving at an inn or calling the landlord his lady their children if they had any the cook the chambermaid the guests and even the hostler hos-tler and when all were assembled in the spacious reception room he would rise with great dignity as if to address the Continental Con-tinental Congress and inform them that his name was BENJAMIN FRANKLIN that he lived in Philadelphia followed the business busi-ness of a printer that he was on his way to I visit a relative at such a place that his fathers name was so and so his mothers ditto that he hid so many brothers so many uncles and aunts that printing was a wonderful art but that he would tell them nothing about it that it paid well if strictly attended to et etc covering in his statements every question that he thought could possibly be asked and then dismissed the astonished household house-hold to care for his horso and provide supper for himself while he enjoyed sweet sweet rest from the prying queries of the overcurious Now Englanders Does Inspector BYRNES hope to cure the perpetual inquisitiveness of the modern reporter in like manner |
