On the May side there was a trifling gain for the interviewers, but not
much. Dr. May, senior, seems to have been condemned to a copious
acquaintance with journalists; for, though in knowing Mr. Bennett he had
already perhaps known one too many of them, his house appears to have
been overrun, after the Fifth avenue assault, with the fraternity, who,
in the "strict discharge of professional duty," swarmed multitudinously
upon him. At least, one morning the "Tribune" said:
The May mansion in West Nineteenth street was a sealed book
to reporters yesterday, and the door was promptly shut in
the face of those who were recognized as newspaper inquirers
by the negro in charge. Dr. May has made no secret of his
anger at the reports, too accurately drawn, of his
appearance of anxiety and alarm when expecting bad news from
his son, and will have nothing to say to representatives of
the press.
Here, it will be observed, is a claim to something professional in the
very aspect of the "newspaper inquirer" whereby the sable guardian of
the portal may know him well enough to take the responsibility of
slamming the door in his face. Again, we observe here a tribute to the
interviewer's skill; for, prior to the duel, Dr. May, though politely
presenting himself, could give no news; but his lynx-eyed visitors had
gathered from the very attitude, tone, and look of their host the
material for an item as picturesque as any tidings. So the besieged
householder, as we have seen, took refuge in total eclipse, leaving only
a "negro in charge" to determine the status of his callers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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