# Question on source of information **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331 "2012-09-20T23:14:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dirkmuncie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc79bd/32.png) [@dirkmuncie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirkmuncie)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/1 "2012-09-20T23:14:57Z")
I’m having trouble verifying a piece of information in the article titled “Is There a Historical Basis for Zorro?”, which is at [www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1814/is-there-a-historical-basis-for-zorro](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1814/is-there-a-historical-basis-for-zorro). It was written by the “Science Advisory Board.” The article says that Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, started as a reporter for the Police Gazette. Can anyone tell me the source of this information? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/2 "2012-09-20T23:42:46Z")
That is unfortunately before I started working. You can try contacting member **Eutychus** on here via PM and see if he can recall his source. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/3 "2012-09-21T15:57:35Z")
Hi … I was the author of that report. Unfortunately, since it was 12 years ago, I don’t recall what my source was. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/4 "2012-09-21T16:19:09Z")
Wiki makes the claim, but doesn’t list a source. ---
**Author:** ![jmrcm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7c8e57/32.png) [@jmrcm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmrcm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/5 "2012-09-21T22:13:38Z")
The historical basis for Zorro > **[William Lamport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamport)** > > William Lamport (or Lampart) (1611/1615 – 1659) was an Irish Catholic adventurer, known in Mexico as "Don Guillén de Lamport (or Lombardo) y Guzmán". He was tried by the Mexican Inquisition for sedition and executed in 1659. He claimed to be a bastard son of King Philip III of Spain and therefore the half-brother of King Philip IV. > In 1642, he tried to foment rebellion against the Spanish crown, with the aid of black and indigenous peoples, as well as creole merchants, but was denounced by a m... ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/6 "2012-09-21T22:23:24Z")
> [@jmrcm](#): > > The historical basis for Zorro > > [William Lamport - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamport) That whole article smacks of [citation needed]. Even its own introductory paragraph says “The attribution of the [El Zorro] nickname, however, is disputed.” FWIW, the Wiki [article about Zorro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorro#Inspirations) lists Lamport as one of many possible inspirations, and not the first candidate in the list either. As to the point of specific piece of info in Cecil’s article that’s being asked about here (“Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, started as a reporter for the Police Gazette.”), the Wikipedia article does say that too, but Cecil’s article is from August 2000, and the Wikipedia article appears to have been created in December 2002, so the Wiki article can’t be called a source for Cecil. Supporting, yes, as far as the reliability of a Wikipedia article goes, but not a source. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/7 "2012-09-21T22:37:13Z")
And adding (missed edit window): The [Wikipedia article about Johnston McCulley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnston_McCulley)only dates back to October 2005, and doesn’t mention _The Police Gazette_ until the following February. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/8 "2012-09-22T11:31:08Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > As to the point of specific piece of info in Cecil’s article that’s being asked about here (“Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, started as a reporter for the Police Gazette.”), the Wikipedia article does say that too, but Cecil’s article is from August 2000, and the Wikipedia article appears to have been created in December 2002, so the Wiki article can’t be called a source for Cecil. Supporting, yes, as far as the reliability of a Wikipedia article goes, but not a source. Considering that I wrote the piece in August of 2000and Wikipedia wasn’t launched until January of 2001 … yeah, I think it’s safe to say that Wikipedia can’t be called as a source. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/9 "2012-09-22T12:01:28Z")
[Cite 1: _101 Little Known Facts_ by Chaz Allen](http://books.google.com/books?id=ZQrsdbLkwowC&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=Johnston+McCulley+police+gazette&source=bl&ots=bVAkg09Z1J&sig=vhBV6duCHA3BxWjIv9Scq71rRyw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E6ddUP7PNZSm8AT1qYGAAQ&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Johnston%20McCulley%20police%20gazette&f=false) [Cite 2: \*Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers \*by Lee Server](http://books.google.com/books?id=k54nLojgIrwC&pg=PA184&lpg=PA184&dq=Johnston+McCulley+police+gazette&source=bl&ots=GKTnCeF4pN&sig=EZBTi1hjZKU528NPVE1gWDpLMJs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E6ddUP7PNZSm8AT1qYGAAQ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Johnston%20McCulley%20police%20gazette&f=false) [Cite 3: \*Literary Afterlife: The Posthumous Continuations of 325 Authors’ Fictional Characters \*by Bernard A. Drew](http://books.google.com/books?id=c91Vrl20Y4sC&pg=PA320&lpg=PA320&dq=Johnston+McCulley+police+gazette&source=bl&ots=LUvj680ZZ0&sig=5RlrTBSzTAkBgUbTld2AcKptRDI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E6ddUP7PNZSm8AT1qYGAAQ&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Johnston%20McCulley%20police%20gazette&f=false) Each of these are somewhat offhand mentions. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/10 "2012-09-22T12:43:01Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > As to the point of specific piece of info in Cecil’s article that’s being asked about here (“Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, started as a reporter for the Police Gazette.”), the Wikipedia article does say that too, but Cecil’s article is from August 2000, and the Wikipedia article appears to have been created in December 2002, so the Wiki article can’t be called a source for Cecil. Supporting, yes, as far as the reliability of a Wikipedia article goes, but not a source. Pedantic factual correction, the article was not written by Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![dirkmuncie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc79bd/32.png) [@dirkmuncie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirkmuncie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/11 "2012-09-23T14:29:41Z")
Thank you all for your replies. I was curious about the source for this one because it’s the oldest reference I’ve found so far. But the additional links you provide are helpful. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/12 "2012-09-24T21:36:27Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Pedantic factual correction, the article was not written by Cecil. That’s fine. I missed [Eutychus](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php)’ byline, but I always appreciate correction when called for. And Euty did [chime in a few moments ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15516971&postcount=8)to claim appropriate credit. (Isn’t this where the typical “Cecil should get all the credit” hijack starts?) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-source-of-information/635331/13 "2012-10-01T15:56:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Wiki makes the claim, but doesn’t list a source. Which wiki? Powers &8^]