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After his off-the-record chat with State Representative Steve Dolley one day last week, Reporter Paul Crooke of North Carolina's daily Gastonia Gazette (circ. 20,491) tossed a memo on the crowded desk of Managing Editor Bob Hallman. Gist of the memo: Dolley, a onetime Gazette staffer, was only pleasing officials of nearby Bessemer City when he introduced a bill to reorganize their courts, had "no desire that the bill pass," was convinced that "it has no chance whatever"--and wanted the Gazette to kill any stories about it. Somehow, in the deadline shuffle, the memo got mixed up with the copy, acquired a straight-faced head (BILL

WOULD EXTEND COURT AT BESSEMER), and was printed verbatim on page 2 of the Gazette. "It was a note that came up at press time, when there was no one around." moaned beet-red Editor Hallman, "and . . . and ... it was just one of those things."

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