The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-11
TELEPHONE TRICKS.
How the Bell Patents We're
Worked Through.
AVERY QUEER CASE.
The Days Appointments Standard
Dollar Coinage and Other Items
from the Capital.

Dollar Coinage and I'll Items
from the Capital.
WASHINGTON, November 9.-To-day was
set for the hearing Of the telephone case
before the Secretary OF the Interior, and the
large room of the Assistant Attorney Cen
eral of the Interior Department was
crowded with counsel and personsinterested
in the case. Secretary Lamar opened the
proceedings by stating that mir petitions
had been filed in this case. Inasmuch as
there seemed to be a concurrence OF senti-
ment and by the wishes OF all parties con-
cerned in this controversy, that the whole
case should be taken up at once, and con-
sidered as a whole, he preferred that there
should be no discussion to-day on the ques-
ton of the power OF the Government to in
stitute a suit to vacate the patent, and
that the respective 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.
The attorney for the company proceeded
to read the petitions filed in it's behalf. In
brief the petitions set forth that the patent
examiner who passed Bells patents was
under the impression that it related to a
system OF multiplex biography; that Bells
original telephone was Imperative; that
this was admitted by himself; thath he could
not %truthfully claim this priority OF inven-
ton of the telephone. because it was com.
monty known that Reiss, Meucci, Gray
and others had made and used telephones
before Bells application; that it could be
shown that Meucci had used the telephone
in 1S49, and that he had not abandoned
his invention; that the Western Union
vNo1orrnv1, r,p0 nnnfrO1l11r contain
telephone patents, had entered into a con-
tract with the Bell Company to compro-
mise their differences by which the Western
Union Company received twenty per cent.
Of the profits OF the telephone company,
and that these great corporations had
| united to
COMPEL PEoPLE TO PAY TRIBUTE
| to them; therefore the Globe Telephone
Company prayed the Department OF Justice
to begin suit to vacate the Bell patent.
| The remainder OF the petitions were read
in the order OF their presentation, and in.
Guided substantially the same matter set
out il the foregoing petitions.
During the reading of the petition of the
Cushman Company, Humphrey stated that
! there was a contract in existence made be-
| tween Cushman and the Bell Company, by
! which Cushman agreed to remain quiet and
| avoid interference with the Bell patents.
That document was in the hands OF the
attorneys for ,the company, and later on
| they would be called upon to produce it.
In the petition OF the Pan Electric Com
pany, it is set out that Gray filed a caveat
| for a telephone on the day Of Bells appli-
cation and that contrary to law the contents
OF Gray 8 caveat were made known to Bell,
by an official OF the Patent Office, and that
within a few days Bell made an important
49,, o- H., o,% 70 hi, ry,1 fioo ~ no
matter described in Gray's caveat.
Ganty stated that Solicitor General
Goode had acted upon that, after the ex-
animation OF the authorities upon the tele-
phoney, and OF Reiss and other instruments
by beginning a suit at Memphis.
Storrow stated that the Bell company
had no desire to submit a written answer
to the petitions. 1t was sufficient to
DENY GENERALLY EVERYTHING
that has been set out. He asserted that
all OF the allegations material to this inves-
t%igation were d%isproved by the papers,
which the petitions themselves had pre-
scented, and referred to with perhaps a few
other records from the Patent Office.
Mr.. Humphreys then proceeded to read
the afidavits submitted in support of the
petitions, beginning with the affidavit OF
Zeenes Wilbur, ex-examiner OF the Patent
Office, who was in charge OF the electrical
division at the time the Bell patent was
passed. The affiaDt states that after an
examination Of Gray's caveat and Bells
application he suspended Bells application
and notified Gray to complete his caveat
within three months. These orders had
been revoked and a patent issued to Bell.
In all his experience in eleven years prac-
tice the aftiant had not Known Of a similar
ruling. Had the usual course been followed
l as%o, %hn c,yc,,n,Sion orlap RptI on1JII mot
have received a patent, and had Meucci's
caveat been renewed in 1877 no patent
could have been issued to Bell. The affiant
did not suspect crookedness at the time.
He did not believe Bells application was
for Il talking telephone, but for multiplex
biography, and is convinced hat his de-
vice as described in his original application
is imperative.
MORE TESTIMONY
A. r. Eaton, an electrical expert and in
inventor. OF Brooklyn, in his affidavit de-
poses that the Reiss apparatus is capable
OF transmitting speech. He also describes
Meucci's invention, and stated that in his
opinion Reiss was the inventor OF the
telephone.
SIS. Pratt, of the editorial staff OF the
New York World, in his affidavit corrob-
CRATES the statements OF Mr.. Eaton, and
declares that Eaton, to his knowledge, in
1875 created an operative speaking tele'
phone.
Professor Amos E. Dolbear, of Tufts
College, Mass, makes an affidavit that he
was told by Bell in the fall OF 1876 that he
(Bell) had a magneto-telephone two OF
three years before; and that it did not
amount to anything. This statement had
I discouraged the %afiant, and he did not
carry out his intention OF applying for a
patent for his own invention. Atlantis in.
struments had through the Gold and
Stock Company come under the control OF
the Western Union Telegraph Company
and affiant was not represented at the IN
reference proceedings before the Patent
! pany controlled his Inventions. Attached
to Professor Dolbear's affidavit are a mum
Der OF exhibits in the shape OF letters from
a number OF college professors testifying te
the merits and the
PRACTICABILITY or REIss' INVENTION.
Mr.. Beckwith, representing the Glob
Company, read an affidavit from Antonio
Meucci, describing his invention, and ex
hibits were laid before the Secretary tt
s~ubstantiate his allegations. Meucci re
counts his struggles against extreme pow
erty, which, he says, prevented him iron
taking out a patent for the telephone con
ceived by him in 1915, while in Havana
and for which he made a caveat in 1871
A long transcription for his notes OF ex
periments in telephony a%ntedating the Bel
patents was read, and q number OF cor
roborative affadavits were submitted
This closed the case for the Globe ano
Washington Companies. and the further
hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.
THE SILVER QUESTION.