“At the meeting of the Stonecutter’s Protective Union, held in Germania Hall last evening, the two factions in the society came to blows, and several persons were seriously injured, besides one man being shot. The Hon. George R. Heard, member of Assembly, made an address; and some of the members, taking exception to his remarks, attacked him with chairs and table legs, and he was so badly hurt that an ambulance had to be called to take him to Bellevue Hospital. The police rushed in with drawn clubs, and several shots were fired. One man was hit by a bullet, but his name could not be ascertained. The hall, which was crowded, was cleared by the police.” “There!” Dick said to himself after he had read the page a dozen times and made some changes each time; “I think that tells the story. If only I have not made it too long. Jack Randall would tell me if he were here, but he is out. I don’t think this will be too much about it.” He walked over to the night city editor’s desk and handed in his page of copy, as he saw the other reporters do. “A meeting of stonecutters, sir,” he said. “Very well,” the night city editor replied, scarcely looking up. But he took his blue pencil and checked Dick’s name in the assignment list and laid the page of copy on top of a heap of such pages. It must take its turn, and it might not come under his eye for an hour yet. Dick went to his seat and took up a newspaper, but he waited anxiously to learn the fate of his first day’s work as a reporter. It was nearly midnight when Dick’s copy was picked up by the editor, and he was looking at the moment in another direction. “Hello here!” he heard the editor exclaim. “What’s this? what’s this? Assemblyman Heard injured and taken to Bellevue Hospital; another man shot! Why, this was a riot; we must have a column of this! Who was such a-- Oh, this is Sumner, a new man. Here, Mr. Sumner, please.” Dick was dazed as he stepped up to the editor’s desk. It was plain that he had made a terrible blunder. “I am afraid you do not appreciate the value of news, Mr. Sumner,” the editor said. “A stonecutters’ meeting is worth only a few lines, but a riot at such a meeting is a very different thing. We must have a much better account of this. You sit down and tell all the facts you have to Mr. Herrick here. Mr. Herrick, you take Sumner’s facts and write the story. Mr. Black, call up Bellevue Hospital on the telephone, and inquire how badly Assemblyman Heard has been hurt. Get Police Headquarters, too, and ask for all particulars. We must know something about the man who was shot. Mr. Banks, you will find a biography of Assemblyman Heard in the library; write me a brief account of his life, please,--about two sticks. We must have this ready in half an hour, gentlemen, if possible.”