| Wearing a Salvation Army uniform, a |
|burglar was caught early yesterday in the|
|home of Walter Katte, a vice-president of|
|the New York Central railroad, at |
|Irvington-on-the-Hudson.--_New York |
|World._ |

=3. Murder.=--The reports of crimes of this sort can hardly be
classified, for there are so many things that may be worth featuring in
any murder case. The story itself is usually of such importance that the
mere fact that a murder has been committed gives it news value even if
there is nothing unusual in the crime--just as in the case of a
featureless fire story that begins with "Fire." The handling of a crime
depends upon the character and circumstances; the reporter must weigh
the facts in each case for himself. However, we usually find a feature
in the number of persons murdered, the manner in which the crime was
committed, the name of the victim, if he or she is well known, the
reason for the deed, or in some of the many attendant circumstances,
such as arrest, pursuit, etc. One rule must always be followed in the
reporting of a murder story: the reporter must confine himself to the
necessary facts and omit as many of the gruesome details as possible. He
must tell it in a cold, hard-hearted way without elaboration, for the
story in itself is gruesome enough. Just as soon as a murder story
begins to expand upon shocking details it becomes the worst sort of a
yellow story.

Examples of murder stories from the newspapers:

Manner:

| After crushing in the head of his |
|superior officer with an axe, James |
|Layton, boatswain of the Liverpool |
|sailing ship Colony, refused to submit to|
|arrest, and, still waving the bloody |
|weapon, committed suicide by jumping into|
|the sea.--_New York Mail._ |

Motive:

| In revenge for a beating he received |
|the day before, Gaetona Ambrifi yesterday|
|shot and instantly killed Frank |
|Ricciliano, a sub-section foreman on the |
|Pennsylvania Railroad, while they were |
|working on the roadbed near Peddle |
|street, Newark.--_New York Sun._ |

Prominent name:

| Mayor Willi