Word: editor
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...situation was worth conversation. As rotten as San Francisco's politics were San Francisco's turn-of-the-century newspapers. To gain an end editors stopped at nothing. A typical incident: at 1 p. m. one day the city editor of William Randolph Hearst's morning Examiner told one of his newssnatchers that R. A. Crothers, owner of the Bulletin, had been attacked as he was emerging from a restaurant. Rushing to the Bulletin, the Examiner reporter learned that Owner Crothers was still in the restaurant, enjoying a good meal, good health. The newsgatherer departed. A few minutes later...
...Editor Older soon discovered that his newspaper was not on the pure list. It was receiving "pay" from railroads. It was receiving money from political parties for candidacy support. But this bothered Editor Older not at all. Graft was running the railroads, governing Labor, electing city officials. Fearless, ambitious, fight-loving, Editor Older set out to purify San Francisco. His great and good friend Rudolph Spreckels, sugar tycoon, agreed to help him. They found lined up against them potent local powers. Patrick Calhoun, hardheaded, two-fisted president of United Railroads; Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz, tall, handsome, the people's idol...
Thus armed, Editor Older opened fire. In every Bulletin appeared blaring headlines, sensational stories on Graft. In every editorial Editor Older flayed Grafters Schmitz and Ruef...
...pains, Editor Older became an unpopular figure. San Franciscans admired Patrick Calhoun, respected Mayor Schmitz. Editor Older was dropped from his clubs. His friends ostracized him. He lived in seclusion with his wife, ate his meals at a seaside "dog wagon," for exercise swam off a lonely beach. Once he was saved from gunmen only through the diligence of private detectives. Another time his home was almost bombed. Once he was kidnaped, taken by train to another city, saved by an unknown friend who wired ahead to authorities. "That story," boasts Editor Older, "went around the world...
...entirely satisfying was victory to Editor Older. The jury disagreed on Grafter Calhouri and his case was dismissed. Mayor Schmitz was never brought to trial. Only Abraham Ruef was convicted, sent to San Quentin for 14 years. Peculiarly enough, the sentence of Ruef was more sorrowful to Editor Older than his failure to convict the others. Always an intense reader, he became at about this time a Tolstoyan humanist. He started writing fiercely uplifting editorials asking for-and obtaining-Ruef's parole. Explaining it, he says...