The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-13
FATHER OF THE TELEPHONE.
An Old Italian Got the Idea When o s'Fake'
in the Streets of Havana.

An Old Italian Gothic Idea When q "Fake"
i'm the Streets of Havana.
Extract from Petition in the Bell Telephone Suits
A true, full and accurate description of a tele-
phone invented by Antonio Meurcci was 6led in
the Patent Office as long ago as December 1871.
when a caveat was applied for and obtained,
which was annually renewed as long as tie in
ventor could raise the little money necessary;
that. nasmuch as Prof Elisha Gray applied for
caveat on the same day-Feb. Ia. l876-on
which Bell applied for patent, the patent
ought not to have been issued until the caveator
received due notice and an opportunity to COM
plete his application for a patent; that this law
was not obeyed but in the unusually short time
of thirteen days after the application exam
ined patent was granted to Bell on the repre-
sentaton by Bell that he had filed his applica-
ton earlier in the day than the caveator, which
ought to have been kept a secret of the Patent
Office, the truth of which is questioned, and
which is regarded as immaterial anyhow, be-
cause day is understood as punctum tenn
pors.
in 1S49. when Antonio Muercci was in
Havana, he conceived the idea of a telephone
from peculiar incident. He was in the habit
of giving people electrical shocks, and on one
occasion, when he made his subject hold the
wire in his mouth and the shock caused the
man to shout Muercc thought he heard the
voice as transmitted through the wire. He had
the shout repeated and was convinced
that it was The observation led
him to experiment and few years
atterward, when he had removed to
Staten Island, he produced telephone which
hundreds of people knew all about and many
used In 1859 or 1860 he published the fact in
an italian newspaper printed in New York. and
there was a description of the affair published
in some other New York newspapers. and the
fact of talking over wires from one room to
another and from one house to another was we'll
known. Meurcei at that time owned a brewery
on Staten Island He had spent many years of
his earlier life at experimenting the mechanical
effects of theatrical stages General Garibaldi,
who was Meurccis guest for several years on
Staten Island between 1850 and go, was one of
many who used the telephone and saw it in use.
caveat for Meurccis invention was actually
obtained in 1871 and renewed in 1872 and 1873,
but afterward was allowed to fall through, be-
cause the inventor was not able to pay for the
maintenance of it. He had been badly injured
by an explosion board Staten Island
ferryboat in 1871, and by series of
misfortunes fell into state of abject poverty,
and finally had to seek assistance from the keep
er of the poor-house on Staten Island. The rep
RESERVATIONS of the petitioners supported by
sworn afidavits from lawyers, electricians uni
versity professors and others of equal authority
from all parts of the country: from employees of
the Patent Office, including the very Identical
examiner who examined Bells application, and
had formerly examined the old Italians applica-
ton for caveat, and by dozens of residents of
New York and Staten Island, who have used
MeucciS telephone and seen it in use.