History New York Daily News (19th century)

benjamin wood portrayed in august 31, 1861 issue of harper s weekly, refusing fly american flag @ paper , stomping on it, instead flying confederate flag 4-11-44 on it, slang lottery; wood owned southern lottery.

the paper founded gideon j. tucker in 1855, edited until 1857. between 1857 , 1860, owned w. drake parsons, 102 nassau street. fernando wood bought paper , put in brother editor; benjamin after bought majority interest. paper reportedly became country s highest-circulation daily paper.

under wood paper pro-southern/confederate , defended slavery , right secede. supported stephen a. douglas in 1860 presidential election, decrying if lincoln won shall find negroes among thicker blackberries swarming everywhere, in accord plainly racist viewpoint.

after confederates fired @ fort sumter, wood refused mob s demand fly american flag @ paper s building.

in august 1861, u.s. government shut down paper (by suspending delivery via postal service) being sympathetic enemy of united states (in case, confederacy during american civil war). wood able re-open paper 18 months later, in may 1863.

in 1870s, 3 newspapers in united states had circulation of on 100,000 -- in new york: sun, new york herald, , new york daily news.

wood continued editor of paper until death in february 1900. gambling problems caused wood declare bankruptcy in 1879, , sold 43% of ownership publisher william l. brown, worked wood until wood s death.

wood s widow ida, later became famous recluse, briefly ran paper. sold in 1901 frank munsey $340,000. munsey changed paper afternoon morning publication , tried broaden appeal, sold in 1904 circulation dropped. managing editor thomas c. quinn took on reins, unable stop paper s decline, , publication ceased on december 13, 1906.