The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-26
The Great Telegraph Case:
DECISION OF Tnx SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
STATES

IL
old trick whicn has deceived ths public long enough
The electric telegraph, In the form preferred
London and Paris, vss invented and pAtonted before
Morse cleo his oavsa In this country paratory
application for patent; md far from denying tbs
fact be refers 10 the invention In htspa enr by
r." and claims that he ha, MAZE an Improvement Whist
Morse elaine Was, that be made dots and straight
lines to stand for letters instead OF pointing 70 plain e
ters making other ineligible sgos By
Cd bar nsece which bad been theetofore done. Ia biz
frst claim he said There are various known modes
producing motion by ell magnetism but of thee
had been applied Yror to my invention aud improvement
TO actua,e or give motion to printing recording
ohinery"
The various known modes OF produ,l.g motions b,
electro hsd been used or electric telegraph
in different OF Europe-tbs motions being eAsiiy
made ntelsible. Electric telegraph lines butt ia
England sew raj years before horse began 10 oud line
and there Ia n, prrtsnce that tus English invented
The electric teesaph they were preceded by others
the c. 'inent
whether Moro was the nr 10 make practically useful
marking or dottiDg Telegraph IL immsteris 4, Is sl-sr
that the question DO very Satisfactorily deter min
ed By evidence taken In Kentucky however 6isdng that
evidence may be the Court having . to decide
In which the evidsnce has taken Every BODY
ever, who has read book, In sny language tbs HE.
tory Of the electric telegraph knows tast Ineligible
to til date Of horses caveat, Ahougn
matters Of siail may have been necsssary prac-
teal success Of those particular forms Of tue electric s
graph. whoever added suoh Improvements might tAse
. patent for them.
Morse's Invention consisted In q simple mech.aioAl
epperbtus mArklng, that ne described tke
eassncs Of his inveuou-and sxpeTience shows that
eecric teIsgrap worked better that
than With it, AID accordingly the msras apparatus has
been discarded On some OF The Morse lines.
Some marhipg tel,graphs not worked by "eleotro
maspets bat b. the direct action OF electric cnents
upon chemically prepared paper
Az TO tbs time when Morse Esumr,Atsd hts im prove
mem, We have document which 10 clear Add decisive
His csvta dated 81 October 1881 states that nad
then consun mated It and he wanted TINS to DO He
therefore postponed his application for patent He
applied for patent on It'll April, 1888. Ga 18th hAy
1898 he requested that t. pan might be issued
He went to Europe and his return, In March 1885,
gave up the telegraph, project aAd resumed his pencil
10 ccpjnnc ion With ths practice Of the dsgusneotyps
for about He then Withdrew his spsci for
smendmect, freah oath taken 29th MAy 1910 and
tns corrected specifications returned the once, whom
the pstsnt was Issued
Upon this state Of facts question has bseu raised
y vhsh IL tts true cate Of the application for the pa
Mt, II being commended that application once f<d
cannot b. tuptnded chile the applicant goes abroad
and sscetans the result Of foreign skin and invention
hi the application cannot be after his
with amended altered specification. and yet be
rsstdss nsd 10 It, frat shape ~ the date Of the or
pal fling
The court 10 Kentucky held that the application must
Be treated % having bssn made 1t this tsr date, and
qusnty that thu patent should, aoeordiog 70 the
provtion OF the statute have been dated back 10
from the date Of pats1t which Morse hat obtained
IN Frascs This decision has not been disturbed By the
Supreme Court.
ihs patent nies Morse obtained in France has nsvsr
ne patent, vbss ossi~sd by Morse. showed that hs
had paid but little attention 10 ths subject He had