Hearst did not know of Bierce 's column and claimed to have pulled Brisbane 's after it ran in a first edition , but the incident would haunt him for the rest of his life and all but destroyed his dream to be president . Hearst did not know of Bierce 's column and claimed to have pulled Brisbane 's after it ran in a first edition , but the incident would haunt him for the rest of his life and all but destroyed his presidential ambitions .