The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-23
THE AERIfL LADDER.
Wby Mrs. IDA sold Her Patent, and who
Made Money o"i of it-Mr. W.T. Is. Whites
SulI nnnlnaf the l'iIN for aAS.O

Made Money 0"t of it-Mr. VIM. u. whites
suit against the City for $4,000.
The first witness before Coroner Croker
Yesterday was Mira. Mary Belle Scott ida, who
brought the aerial ladder from Italy to New
York In the spring Of isi2. She then owned the
right to manufacture and sell the ladders IN
Great lintiin and the United States. and this
right she rendered exclusive by obtaining letters
patent In the two countries she VS. support e.
by some Italian gentien en- who provided the
model addcrs which she brought here, aud who
furnished money for Necessary expenses. After
exhibiting the ladder to the Fire Commissioners
several times she entered into contract on
Feb. II. lob by which she asst gued to the city
for S@j.WO the rignt to make ana use the ladders
told that Mayor iIivemeser had signed the
warrant Tor s3Wj, and she went to
Comptroller Green's Uficc. There she found
the warrant, aud held II for moment In her
hands, but the Comptroller asked first for a de-
lay - one DAY before payment on some terbui-
cal ground, ana later Tor sun further DELAY.
putting her Of rom day - dc. All rom week
to week. until he I'm us said that he would not
my IN, warrant at all. unless forced to ~ the
courts In July. 1874. she instituted a suit for
the amount, and was met 10y uu answer ron
the COMPTROLLER denying the validity OF her
patent. About that ine her Italian supporter
wrote to her that they were unable to furnish
more assistance. and URGING her 10 sell her
rigI Is and claims iuf any atuu unit that might
cover outlHys. Ter LAWYERS told htr that II INC
city contested the patent the case would frob-
ably Orag IN the United states courts Tor from
four 10 six Years. nishemtened and poor, sue
then told her story to Mr.. White, Sccrcttry of
the Fire Department, a King him to buy her
patent. and on the ~ Of September. ls14 She
assigned to hun for WDall her rights ~ Great
Britain aud .he United states. including her
clniu ~ INST tins city. lie paid xj.VJO down
aud $lutN more on the 18th Oi september. TN
the 10Th of the same month Comptroller Green
allowed jndrment to be taken against ne city
by default, for S!SV0, including Gusts. or this
sum Mr White uettcd $3.50
Mr.. ca further testified that no other per-
son connected with the Fire Department knew
eff the assignment To Mir White, nor did Comp
trulcr Green. when he paid the money To her
lawyers. She cold her rights cheap because she
Wa unable To prosecute her claims, and because
she feared long lawsuit was inevitable. she
sold also to MIR. " hite for Sl.vO three ladders
which she had brought from ltaN aud whicn
we're made Of white walnut, wood peculiar
she believed, to that country.
william 10, WHITE testified that hs business
was to Introduce and sell icrill ladder. For
four years previous to JUS 10 last, lie was Sec
Tetarv 81 the FIRE Commissioners. from which
position ne was removed because he wa unable
To respond satisfactorily to an inVeE'i gatinE
resolution offered by Commissioner KIM. re-
guccune his connection with the Aerial Ladder
Company. lie deemed the p.tent Il valu ble
one. and purch sed all of Mrs. Idas claims aud
patent nights, paying for them Slj.On cash of his
own money Thirteen DAYS after entering into
the contract with Mrs ida. the judgment against
the citN was takcn. which. after paying law rs
hud patent seufCh"rs, netted him SHOW. HIS
action was criticised by the Fire Commissioners
when Mir. ~ Colt was a CUnmiss Toner, uut
before the arrived at any conclusion, Mr. an
COTS term Of rthce expired ard Mr.. King came
IN. the }U.h Of AprIl wAs a. pointed fora special
hearing. but on that dhY there was no quorum
In the uulrd, and the next day Mr.. an Cot was
out Of Diiice. Mons II the Commissioners were
nss ed with him ia the purchase. and they
knew nothing about his interest IN the patetf
until the facts got into the new -pdi err. nd to
this daN no one in the Fire Departm tut /. IN any
way Interested ia the LADDER.