Dear Boss

[Simon Wood]

Hi All,

The Times, 8th, 9th and 13th November 1883, ran long articles about Central News manufacturing news and its libel action against the serio-comic journal Judy.

The libel action ended up at the Old Bailey on 10th December 1883.

Central News lost the case.

Regards,

Simon

[lynn cates]

antecedents

Hello Trade. Do we know when this first began?

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

The Times complained of overly-expanded telegrams from the Central News in 1894-5.

The Times Law Reports, Volume 12 (1895-96), Pages 353-358
by William Frederick Barry

Walter v. The Central News (Limited) March 30, 1896

[lynn cates]

routine

Hello Trade. Thanks for this. It seems that the CNA maintained a culture of padding the news. I wonder if such would have been nearly routine at the time of the "Dear Boss"?

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

More about "Judy" libel case

This article has the original telegrams and the dispatch created from them by the Central News. The dispatch is from the Daily Telegraph of October 23rd.

Montreal Daily Witness, November 13, 1883, Page 3

The Landsdowne Dynamite "Plot"

How Bogus Cable Despatches are Manufactured--Some Examples of Padding




--

A view from Canada:

The Dominion Annual Register and Review (Toronto: Hunter, Rose, 1884), Pages 87-89

Political History--1883

The terrible explosions which had occurred in Great Britain, coupled with the openly uttered threats of the murderous gang of American Fenians in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, necessarily led the Canadian authorities to take precautionary measures. It has been already mentioned that special steps were taken to ensure the safety of the Princess Louise on her return to Ottawa in April, and in May a warning was conveyed to the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia by the Dominion Government that there was reason to believe that suspected persons had left New York for Halifax, and that attempts to injure the public buildings there might be expected. Nothing occurred at that time, however, to justify the alarm which was excited, but in September the warning was renewed. On the 12th October, two men giving their names as William Bracken and James Holmes arrived in Halifax and put up at a second-class hotel known as the Parker House. Acting upon information, detectives visited their rooms on the 15th, during their absence, and found two valises, in one of which was a quantity of dynamite cartridges. On the 17th, both men were separately arrested, and each denied all knowledge of the other and that he had any dynamite in his possession. As this was less than a week before the arrival of the new Governor-General, and the Fenians had uttered the most bloodthirsty threats in his regard, these circumstances were sufficient to awaken alarm, and additional precautions were accordingly taken. Skilled detectives were employed in Quebec, and special care was exercised in guarding from harm the British men of war belonging to the North American Squadron which were at the time in Halifax Harbour. The sensation-hunting "special correspondents," however, not content with supplying their newspapers with the facts, sent abroad some startling stories, the products of their fertile imaginations, which aroused a considerable amount of excitement in England. The way in which "news " is manufactured for the public was developed in an interesting manner in a suit which occupied the attention of the English courts shortly afterwards. A "special " correspondent invented and cabled to the "Central News Agency" in London the following despatches from Montreal:—" Special Cabinet meeting Quebec. Dynamite plot Lansdowne discovered. Arrests probable. Intense excitement." "Plot to explode Circassian Rimouski thwarted. Lansdowne movements circuitous. Halifax dynamiters sent trial." Upon this information, the agency sent out a column despatch, half of which they dated from Montreal and half from Quebec, entering into the most minute detail of the plans of the supposed conspirators "to row out to the Circassian, as she lay off Bimouski, in an ordinary boat," and to discharge " two or three powerful dynamite machines" against her below the water line. "In the event of Lord Lansdowne landing at Bimouski, arrangements were to have been made to attempt his life on the railway journey by blowing up one of the bridges." The agency further informed the unsuspecting British public of what took place at "a special meeting of the Cabinet," at which three of the assisting Ministers were, they said, Sir Charles Tupper, who happened to be in England at the time; "the Hon. Mr. J. Pope," who was not in Quebec at all; and Sir Alexander Campbell (Minister of Justice), "who superintends the Department of the Military of the Dominion." The whole of the article was as true as these specimens, but the manager of the agency declared in Court that he considered this imaginative account "only a fair expansion." It will be observed that the despatch said not a word as to who the "plotters" were, but the Central News did not hesitate to fix the conspiracy upon the Irish, and to announce that it had caused " a bitter anti-Irish movement" in Canada. The men arrested in Halifax were remanded from day to day and from week to week without the Crown succeeding in making out a case. A new warrant was taken out against them for smuggling explosives, but at length Judge Thompson, of the Nova Scotia Supreme ' Court, discharged them from custody on the committal warrant, but held them for bail in $8,000 for a common law offence. They remained in gaol at the end of the year. Lord Lansdowne, far from concealing his movements, or travelling by "circuitous routes," went to Ottawa by the most direct road, and there freely mingled with the people, both at Rideau Hall, whither many of them were invited, and on public occasions.

[lynn cates]

William Morris

Hello Trade.

"And yet Mr. Burleigh dabbled in capitalism"

Not an uncommon occurrence. In reading through the collected letters of William Morris, I found several pertaining to his business affairs. And, although quite liberal with other people's money, he was quite sharp when it came to his own.

Consistency, thou art a jewel!

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

Frederich Engels, of Marx and Engels, in a letter of October 28, 1880 to Harry Kaulitz mentions "Mr. Burleigh," Most, and "tittle-tattle in the Central News." From page 38 of the collection Karl Marx, Frederick Engels: Collected Works, vol. 46, Marx and Engels: 1880-1883 (New York: International Publishers, 1992). The index of this book in Google books identifies Burleigh as Bennet Burleigh.

And yet Mr. Burleigh dabbled in capitalism:

The Printing times and Lithogapher: An Illustrated Monthly, Volume 7, April 15, 1881, Page 103

The Automatic Telegraph Company (limited) has been formed to carry out an agreement between the Central News (Limited), and Mr. F. Farrar, of 2, Buchey Hill-terrace, Camberwell, on behalf of the company, for the purchase by the latter of certain letters patent connected with " improvements in the transmitting and receiving apparatus of printing telegraphs," together with all wires, instruments, and plant used in the working of the same, for the sum of £10,000, to be paid by the allotment of 2,000 fully paid-up shares in the company. By the agreement, the Central News is to supply the company at their registered offices with all general news collected by them of a description similar to that hitherto supplied to their club subscribers, at the rate of 10 per cent, of the amount paid to the company by subscribers receiving news. '' So long as the company shall duly and diligently prosecute and carry on business of a news collecting and automatic transmitting agency, the Central News (Limited) shall not, except at the request of the company, supply any person or body (other than the company and Her Majesty's Postmaster-General for the time being) with any intelligence or news for distribution by the means of automatic telegraphic instruments for the purposes of a news agency." The capital is £100,000, in £5 shares. The promoters, who have taken one share each, are W. Saunders, Ludgate-circus; F. Duff, Ludgate-circus; S. M. Richards, 141, Fenchurch street; J. Moore, 14, Philbrick-terrace, Peckham-rye; W. P. Forbes, Evergreen Lodge, Wanstead; B. G. Burleigh, 4, Heron-road; and R. J. Burnside, Monkstown, Dublin. Directors are not yet appointed; their qualification is the holding of 100 shares. The offices of the company are at 4, Ludgate-circus.

--end

A later mention of the promotion activities of the Central News:

The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 80, August 31, 1895, Page 269

The Whitehead And Sultan Gold Mines, Limited.

A favourite device of the "smart" promoter is to float an "exploring" company with a high sounding title, and then, a few months after, to bring out, under its aegis, and with a great flourish of trumpets, other promotions, if possible even more indifferent. This is what has happened with regard to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. On 6 July, not two months ago, a company called the Gresham Gold Exploring Syndicate, Limited, was floated, and it is this old-established concern, whose name is printed in heavy type at the head of the prospectus, which now appeals to the public for subscriptions to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. Investors, of course, are unaware that the Gresham Syndicate is an organization of mere mushroom growth, and doubtless they imagine it to be a fine old city corporation; it is none the less a fact, however, that it is not only a very young company, but a company which does not appear to be on too sound a footing. Much the same can be said of its offspring, the Whitehead and Sultan concern, which is capitalized at no less than 150,000, and is formed to acquire two of the "valuable gold mining properties" with which Coolgardie, in West Australia, abounds, according to the company-promoter. There is nothing in the prospectus but the usual stereotyped references to "free" gold, and "visible" gold, which references experience proves to be utterly unreliable. It is said that since the formation of the company a cablegram has been received which states that "there is (sic) over 7000 tons of ore in sight" which will yield 4 oz. to the ton; but we know that cablegram—it comes from Coolgardie. The directorate of this company does not inspire us with any confidence; with one exception, the gentlemen are all what we may call West Australian company hacks. The exception is Mr. W. P. Forbes, who has only two of these West Australian ventures to his credit. But Mr. Forbes assists in the direction of several other concerns which exist outside the charmed circle of Coolgardie—notably the Cheque Bank, Limited, the affairs of which do not seem to be in an over-flourishing condition. The Chemists' Co-operative Society, to which we have on several occasions referred, is another. Mr. Forbes is also connected with the Central News, Limited, which we believe we are correct in stating is to some extent responsible for the promotion of this Whitehead and Sultan company. The Central News, Limited, has had some unhappy experiences in regard to the promotion of public companies. The Whitehead Company, the Column Printing Company, the General Phosphate Corporation, and the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, do not exactly add to "the pleasures of memory," but then news agencies have never been successful in dealing with limited liability finance. It is an old saying and a true one, that the cobbler should stick to his last.

--end

The Statist: A Journal of Practical Finance and Trade, Volume 32, October 21, 1893, Page 470

Attributing his failure to loss on promoting the General Phosphate Corporation (Limited) and injury to his business through having to go to Canada in 1892 to assist the Company, Mr. Sando, commission agent, a Norwegian by birth, submitted accounts (which it was stated required amendment) showing liabilities £23,832 and assets £23,916. The petitioning creditors were the Central News (Limited), claiming £636.

--end

Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 81, February 22, 1896, Page 200

Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, Capital ^250,000; Kurnalpi Gold Exploration And Development Company (W.A.), Limited, Capital ^275,000.

It is difficult to find anything new to say about Companies which give one little or no material to work upon, and we should have been grateful to the promoters of these concerns if they had condescended to tell us a little more about their offspring. Mr. Herbert Moir, of the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, Limited, and Mr. W. P. Forbes, of the Central News, are, we understand, interested in the Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited. Messrs. Steadman, Van Praagh & Co. are described as the solicitors to the Kurnalpi Gold Exploration project. We strongly advise our readers to have nothing whatever to do with either of these Companies, or with any company which is promoted secretly and does not issue a prospectus.

[Tom_Wescott]

Do you, perchance, have Butterworth?

Would Grey Poupon suffice?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[lynn cates]

Johann Most

Hello Trade. Thanks.

Johann Most was connected to the London Club Autonomie.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

thanks

Hello Maria. Thanks. I look forward to it.

Cheers.
LC

[TradeName]

A sketch of Bennet Burleigh from 1900 describes him as an ardent Socialist:

Harper's Magazine, Volume 101, July, 1900, Pages 209-216

ENGLISH WAR-CORRESPONDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

BY FRED A. McKENZIE

Pages 213-214

No correspondent has done better service than Mr. Bennet Burleigh, the famous Telegraph special. He is now a veteran, but a veteran who can leave the younger men hopelessly behind. Beginning as a soldier, he fought for the Confederates in the civil war, and passed through adventures that would fill many a volume. Three times a prisoner, he obtained his liberty by feats that make the stories of Dumas seem tame. War over, he took to journalism in Texas, and afterwards drifted to London. He simply does not understand what fear is, and his physical powers are enormous. To spend a day in battle and then ride sixty miles afterwards, write a long and brilliant despatch and get it first through, is to him a trifle. He docs not know fatigue; and the harder a campaign, the more he flourishes. He thrives on hardships as other men do on luxury. Yet, withal, he has sides to his character that men do not see in campaigns. He is so ardent a socialist that he actually fought as a Labor candidate at Glasgow in several elections. To understand the meaning of this, it must be remembered that in England the "Labor candidate" is almost universally regarded as a hopeless crank. His favorite drink is soda-
water, and he abjures tobacco. He began the present campaign by taking a venturesome journey through the Boer army. He actually, at a time when every outlet from the Transvaal was closed, boarded the train of the Boer General Joubert and travelled with him, securing a long interview from him and full details of the Boer intentions. He so won Joubert that the old general lent him a conveyance to go over into British territory. Once at least during this campaign Mr. Burleigh, in spite of the censor, got in front of even the military authorities. The authorities paid him the undesirable compliment of appropriating his despatch and issuing it as official intelligence.

[TradeName]

The Birley or Burley who collaborated with "Mr. Moore" on the Euston Square Mystery pamphlet might be Bennet Burleigh, AKA Bennet G. Burley, who went on to gain fame as a war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.

The Printing Times and Lithographer, Volume 6, September 15, 1880, Page 231

PRINTING AND OTHER COMPANIES

[...] The Central News Agency is also being metamorphosed into a joint-stock concern, Mr. W. Saunders, the present manager, being one of the promoters.

[...]


CENTRAL NEWS (LIMITED).—This company was registered on the 26th ult., with a registered capital of £20,000, in 1,000 shares of £20 each. It has been organized to carry on the business of a news agency and of newspaper proprietors and publishers in the United Kingdom. The promoters are: W. Saunders, 107, Fleet-street; W. Hunt. Hull; S. Saunders, Lavington; F. Duff, 107, Fleet-street; J. Moore, Peckham Rye; A. Kinnear, 186, Kennington-road; and B. Burleigh, Herne-hill.

--end

Michael Davitt's account of how he learned of the Phoenix Park murders from Burleigh:

The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland: or, The Story of the Land League Revolution (London: Harper, 1904), Page 357
by Michael Davitt

We drove to the Westminster Palace Hotel accompanied by a score of the more intimate friends among the members of the throng, where a couple of hours were spent in general talk; "the Home-Rule Parliament of the immediate future" being toasted and drank to in the true spirit of Celtic buoyancy. Then the friends departed and the clouds came.

Scarcely had Mr. Dillon and the writer sat down alone than Mr. Bennet Burleigh, the since famous war correspondent, rushed into the room and spread before me without a word a telegram which read as follows:

"The Depot, Phoenix Park, Dublin, 8 P.m. "Lord Frederick Cavendish and Under-Secretary Burke were assassinated with knives by a band of men about halfpast six this evening opposite the Viceregal Lodge."

"Oh, come, Burleigh, this is a patent bogus outrage for tomorrow's Sunday papers. Surely you are not going to lend yourself to a monstrous scare of this kind?"

"I hope to God you are right, but see where the message comes from? It is from the constabulary headquarters to the Central News."

"Just where a thundering sensation can be so well manufactured," was the reply; but Burleigh shook his head and departed, leaving us disturbed in mind but absolutely incredulous that so dire a calamity had occurred or could thus cruelly dash the morning's cup of bright hope and promise to the ground.

--end

Obit:

New York Times, June 18, 1914, link

BENNET BURLEIGH DEAD

Veteran War Correspondent Served In Confederate Army in Civil War



Now sure what to make of this. William Mertens was arrested in 1882 for "unlawfully publishing, on 13th May, in a [Communist] newspaper called the Freiheit, a scandalous, wicked, malicious, and immoral libel" and "by such libel encouraging persons to murder certain subjects of the Queen." The arresting officer, Charles Hagen, testified that at the time of the arrest Mertens told his wife the following: "Go to the others and say to them I am arrested on the same charge as [Johann] Most was; also go to the Central News and see Mr. Burley, and tell him the same, and if you want any money he will give it you."

WILLIAM MERTENS, Breaking Peace > libel, 31st July 1882

737. WILLIAM MERTENS (30) was indicted for unlawfully publishing, on 13th May, in a newspaper called the Freiheit, a scandalous, wicked, malicious, and immoral libel. Second Count, by such libel encouraging persons to murder certain subjects of the Queen.

Related cases:

JOHANN MOST, Breaking Peace > libel, 23rd May 1881

541. JOHANN MOST (35) was indicted for unlawfully and maliciously publishing in a newspaper called the Freiheit a libel attempting to justify the crime of assassination and murder. Second Count, with intent to incite persons to conspire against the lives of the Sovereigns of Europe.

FREDERICK SCHWELM, Breaking Peace > libel, 26th June 1882

672. FREDERICK SCHWELM (28) was indicted for unlawfully publishing, on 27th May, in a newspaper called the Freiheit, a scandalous and malicious libel in the German language, tending to encourage persons to murder the subjects of the Queen.

[mariab]

Hi Lynn, I seem to remember that Philip Krantz of Berner Street fate was allegedly involved with the assassination of the Tsar.

Hello Tom. Hmm, new one on me. Wonder if he had ties to "The People's Will" (Narodnaya Volya)?

Tom is correct. Also about Narodnaya Volya. This is discussed by Eduardo Zinna in Ripperologist #39 (from February 2002), which is from when the mag was in printed form. I can send you a xerox copy at some point, Lynn, along with some anarchist-related documents from Paris. I'm still using your Rocker, and by the by, it was Tom who recommended the Zinna article to me.
As another by the by, the AF project is progressing rapidly, both from N.Y. and Whitechapel. I'll report about this soon, I'm still sorting it out.

I've thumbed through it at the bookstore.

Butterworth is also available to read at www.amazon.com for free.

[lynn cates]

Butterworth

Hello Trade. Butterworth is indispensible for "knowing your Anarcho-Socialist." Better even than an explanation by John Cleese. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

interesting

Hello Tom. Hmm, new one on me. Wonder if he had ties to "The People's Will" (Narodnaya Volya)?

Thanks.

Cheers.
LC