A. REPORTER'S TRICK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 276, 22 November 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

A. REPORTER'S TRICK.

Fux at the Expense of an English Legislator.

There are some excellent storie3 of newspaper adventures and incidents in the book on 'English Reporting,' written by John Pendleton. Among the amusing pranks played by reporters, the practical joke played on his colleagues by Peter Finnerby, the old-time parliamentary reporter, remains one of the best on record, and, though often told, deserves to be told again. The special victim in this caao was a reporter named Morgan O'Sullivan, who, feeling too drowzy during a dull debate to keep his eyes open, asked Finnerfcy to supply him with any important speeches made during his nap, and then wont to sleep. When he awoke Finnerty gravely informed'him that during his nap there had been an important speech delivered by Mr Wilborforce on the virtue o£ the Irish potato. Morgan, never pausing to think that the subject had a suggestion of the ludicrous, vrould not be pacified until the speech had been dictated to him by Finnerty. This speech, entirely Finnerfcy's concoction, made Wilberforee say : ' Had it been my lot to be born and reared in Ireland, where my food would have principally consisted of potato—the most nutritiousand salubrious root —instead of being the poor, infirm, stunted creature you, sir, and honourable gentleman, now behold me, I should have been a tall, stout, athletic man and ablo to carry an enormoua weight. I hold that root to be invaluable, j and the man who first cultivated ifa in Ireiand I regard as a benefactor of the firso magnitude to his country.' Morgan took a!l this in, and so delighted was he with the speech that ha gave it to his colleagues, with the result that noxb morning every paper of note (except Finnerty's paper, the ' Morning Chroniple , ) had this amazing re- ! port of Wilbsrforcs's great speech on the potato. Naturally, Wilberforee himself failed to perceive the fun of the ching at first, for all the clubs were laughing at him, and those who did not laugh shook their heads and thought he had gone oub of his mind. By the time the House met, however, hie anger had cooled, and though he thought it necessary to repudiate the speech, he did nob demand vengeance upon the irreverent reporter who had contributed his mite toward the gaiety of the nation at the expense of the dignity of the House of Commons.