Document text
STATE
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
Now York
NAME OF voRKER
ADDRESS
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
Levi Hubert
365 W. 116 St. Now York
DATE Deoember 10, 138
SUEJECT FOLKLORE OF NEWSPAPERDOM
1. Date and time c' interview
2. Place of intenview
3. Name and address of informant
4. Name and address of person, if any, wno put you in
touch with informnt.
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
FOLKLORE
NEV.' YORK
Collected over a period of time by the staff/oar/ter
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms, each
bearing the proper heading and the number to which the material refers.)
STATE
X7W Y)Fii
FORNI C
Text of Interviw
VAE OF WOIXE LEVI iTITCIT
ADDRESS
353 N. 118th St. New York
DATE 1)e -comber 10, 1938
SIIIJECT NEWEPAYERDOU
(Unedited)
FOLKLOBE
NE" YORR
The City Editor gave an aswIgnment to a green reporter who had been
boastin of his college training the few days that he had been a member or
the nows staff.
The assignment was eovem-4e of a scheduled excursion for several
hundred children on one of the river boats, mod the editor expeeted a routtne
story with heart interest so it vas the scrt of story usually fl.daci out
to cub reporters.
About 11 o'clock the cub reporter called the editor and said that he
was at the waterfront but that there was no sory to hand in because the
excursion had been postponed. Asked the reason why, tht reporter answered
that because of an explosion in the ship's boilers which had ille: and injured
over a hundred of the children, the postponement as necessary and so no story.
Obviously the same story but with a different setting, is the one Going
the rounds of the newspaper city rooms which substitutes a society wedding at
which the bridegroom fails to show up and although the weddine; was at high noon,
the reporter nonchalantly phones in around six o'clock that there was no story,
the missing bridegroom not turning up --spoiling at would have been a swell story.
-2
Than there is that old tear jerker related to cub reporters while
attempting to instill a:aspect for newspaper tradition in beginners.
Over the ticker comes a story from City News Association about a
traffic accident. The city editor called to one of the desk men; "Hey,
Murphy, do a re -write on this yarn about a little girl killed by a hit-and-run
driver up in the Bronx."
Murphy took down the details. A young girl, on her way home from school,
while crossing the street, hit and run over by a speeding driver who didn't
stop to ascertain the damage done. Name and address, only daughter of Mr. and
Mrs40.."'"'s
student at P. S. 68.
Murphy finished the story, walked to the editor's desk, laid the copy
in the basket, and said, "Chief, May I go home now? You see, that was my
little girl who was killed."
Again, there is the one about a fellow named Chapin, city editor of
The World, who had suspected his wife of unfaithfulness. One day he broke
into a hotel room and found his wife and another man in what is called a
"compromising position."
Chapin shot and killed them both, then walked back to the Pulitzer
Building and telephoned the liomicide Squad. While wanting for the police
to arrive, he told the press room to tear out the front page and prepare
to replate. Then he sat down at his typewriter and wrote a scare heads
CITY ErITOR SLAYS UNFAITHFUL WIFE, OTHER MAN
and under it instructions to the printers --48 point type, eight column spread.
then he began:
Shortly after noon today, Charles Chapin, city editor of The World,
shot and killed his wife and another man in a hotel bedroom when he found them
in a compromising position.
Then he went back to his office and wrote the story of the murder 'exile
waitin,2, for the police to arrest him.