Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-11-13
THE TELEPHONE CASES.
Opening of the Hearing Before Secretary
Lamar--The Evidence.

THE TELEPHONE CASES.
Opening of the Hearing Before Secretary
Lamar--The Evidence.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.-The hearing of
the telephone cases before the Secretary of
the Interior began yesterday. Secretary
Lamar opened the proceedings by saying
that nine petitions had been filed in this
case. 1nasmuch as there seemed to be
wish by all concerned that the case should
he considered as Il whole. he preferred that
there should be no discussion at first on
the question of the power of the govern
ment to institute suit to vacate Il patent,
and that the respectlN applicants who are
movers in the matter should begin with
their evidence and submit their cases.
The first case called was that Of the Globe
Telephone company, and Mr.. Humphreys,
| the attorney, proceeded to read the petit
| tons filed in the cOmpany's behalf.
| Mr.. Beckwith, representing the Globe
company, read an affidavit of Antonio
| MeuCci, describing his inventions, and eX-
hibts were laid before the secretary to
support his allegation. Meucc recounted
! his struggle against extreme poverty
which, he says, prevented him from tax
ing out Il patent for Il telephone conceived
| by him in 1915 while in Havana and for
fro,' M III lo'
IN toi,o,,U,, no a"ie1 ~ ~
/ Bell patents, were read, and Il number of
cOrroborative aildavits were submitted,
closing the case for the Globe and Wash
lngtOn companies
Professor Elisha Gray of Chicago to File
An Anadayit Adverse to Mr.. Bell.
NEW YORK, Nov. ia Washington
special to Evening Post says: at is
propaole tlaI lhe most sensational feature
of the telephone controversy yet to be
developed, will be the affidavit of Prof.
Elish, Gray which will soon ho nreeent.
=,
c"' ioi 'i"S i'"iu''.'ii9 'n'o ne 'i'eu his
caNeht Tor speaking telephone on the same
day that Prof. Bell filed an application for
the patent which was the basis of the
patent which he now holds that the ap-
plication of Prof. Bell was not for a speak
ing telephone, but for what he called 'mul-
tiOlcX telegraph and that the instrument
which he then sought to patent was not
adapted to the transmission of spepch by
electrical currents, and that the invention
set forth in Prof Bells specification.
never has been used and never
can be for the transmission of speech
that Prof. Grav's caveat on the other
hand did specifically Law claim to the
speaking telephone and was accompanied
by Il model which did transmit speech
that Gray's caveat was sent by mail while
Bells application for the patent was
handed in, and that GRAY covered patent
speaking telephone as complete as one
can be made to do. The caVeat of GRAY
together with a model which aC.
companied it was taFen to the Of.
flee OF the solicitor of Bell and there
examined by him and COPY made of the
caVpat and of this GRAY claims to have
absolute proof outside OF any one connect
ed with the patent office, whose character
has been assailed or whose testimony can
be impeached that some day thereafter
Bell amended his specifications which
were filed on the same day with Gray's
caveat. and that the amendments quite
changed the character of Bells original
appiCatiOn and embodied in the latter the
substantial features of the invention us
set forth in Grav's caveat that thes,
amended specifications Of Bell were in eff
feet nea .Iy the exact counterpart of TN,
invention described in Grays caVeat
: Mr.. Young read an affidavit made bN
} Prof GRAY OF Chicago containing thu
history OF the transfer of his patent 10 tn,
American Speaking Telephone company
and Of the suit of American company
known as the Dowd case. Prof. Gray hat
no control over this case at any time h,
: says. He filed his Cavcat for telephone OF
| Feb a, 1876, and atterward learned tina
I Prof Bell on the same day filed an applica
ton for improvement in ''multipleX" tele
graph. Atliuut then reviewed the crcum
l Sta;lceS attending the dismissal of inter
> terence between himself and Bell and tn
issue of the patent to the latter. Continu
, ing he says he j. informed that few day
after Bell made an instrument with whicI
! he transmitted speech. Long afterwart
= he learned that Bell first transmitted al
| ticulate speech through II liquid transmit
q ter substantially rs described in his
, GraY'S cayeat and unlike ANYTHING dies
: ti',a bi huIi.,,aJ In ..ntm,Ily ;,,.o,,tn
e that instrument BELL exhibited at tn
D.. centennial an operative telephone yer
4 neTtls ,use!riDilniS "iHy j., ,,+i
5 and comdncted 70 n resnlr Grnv hnG n
/ counsel employed and took no interest il