The Press: Hot Tip

Hearst newspapers know that the way to get the best pickings of crashes, crimes and calamities is to get there first. A year ago, Hearst’s Los Angeles Examiner decided to draft every Angeleno as a news tipster. For the best “outside” news tip sent in each week, the Examiner offered to pay $50.

Last week the offer paid off handsomely. To the city desk came an excited phone call: “A plane is about to crash at 48th Street and Eighth Avenue.”

“How do you know?” asked the city editor.

“Listen, brother,” replied Lucien G. Mather, “I used to be an Army pilot. This baby is flying at less than 700 feet and he just did a wingover. You can take my word for it you can’t do a wingover at 700 feet for very long.”

Ten minutes later, Mather called back. “Well, it crashed: there are two dead. Crashed right into my father-in-law’s filling station.”

Citizen Mather got the $50.