The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-25
Auguat srd. ThIa Kas tlIed before the

August srd. This was filed before the
Secretary Of the Interior by the petition
era for the Government suit, In that, his
only ground for attack upon my opinion
rested upon q written communication OF
February II, 1876 and on hispressnt opin-
ion Of the rules Of law on the subject, He
did not suggest any other communication
nor any fraud. On October 10, 1885, be-
fore l, or any one interested with me had
communicated with him, my opponents
took another affidavit from hlm and filed
II before the Secretary Of tho Interior and
1t is printed on page 3i2 OF the printed
record Of the testimony then issued. In
that he states in terms that he gave no In
formation about the Gray. cAysat beyond
what appears in the Official Communica.
tions in the files, Subsequently Mr., Will
Der made an affidavit October 2l, 1885,
which was used ON behalf Of my patent
before the Secretary Of the Interior, 1t
contains the following; In the conduct Of
such application there was no fraud OF
any kind whatever, nor any transaction or
communication, oral or written, which
would support any such allegation In the
least manner whatsoever, either on the
part Of Professor Ball, his attorney, my
self or any other person whatsoever,
l call your attention to the fact, which
appeared before the Secretary, OF the atli.
daylt covering more than twelve pages Of
foolsGap, is in Mr., Wilber's handwriting,
subsequently and on November TO- 1885,
Mr.. WilbeE made another affidavit for my
opponents which they used before the
Secretary OF the Interior. 1t contained
no sllusion to the topic now referred to.
1t is printed on page 877 ol the record Of
petilioners' proof before the Secretary. l
requests that you will kindly Commlni-
cate this letter aud the enclosed affidavit
to your committee.
Yours respectfully,
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL.
PROF. BELLS AFFIDAVIT.
WASHINGTON, d, O., May 24
I Alexander Graham Bell being duly
sworn on oath depose and say: Ireslde
in Washington, District Of Columbia.
am the inVentop to whom were issued
letters patent OF the United States, No.
ia, ,4G5, dated March 7, 1876, | have read In
the Washington Post oil May2 %, 1885, what
purports to be the affidavit Of Z.nss Fisk
WILDER, sworn to April - 1885 | never
presented, gave or handed to z mas Fisk
Wilber a 500 bill or any other bill or any
money, or any valuable consideration or
thing at the place he mentions, or any
other place for any purpose whatever l
never promised TO or undertook or at
tempted to or expressed any willing.
nesS to pay any money or any
valuable consideration or thing what.
ever for any purpose. ! never
knew, or believed, or heard that Mr.. Bailey,
or MI. Pollock, or anybody else, undertook
to influence said Wilber, or made any at.
tempts SO TO do, or employed, or endeavor.
ed to employ, any corrupt practices 10 OBJ.
tain my said letters patent, and do not be
lieve 80 now. So lar as my personal acts
and knowledge are concerned, know
that all proceedings In the filing and
prosecution OF the application for my pat
ent, and In the grant OF 1t, were free from
fraud and triCkery and honest In all re-
speCts, and believe that all the acts OF
Others concerned were also In all respects
honest. make these statements In the
fullest and broadcast sense. Mr.. Wilber
did not show me Gray's caveat, or the
drawing OF 1t, or any portion OF either. l
have never seen the original papers OF
that Caveat, and l did not even see a copy
OF them until after the Dowd suit was
brought, which was In the fall Of 1878.
ALL wILRER TOLD BELL.
When saw Mr.. Wilber about my ap.
plication in 1873 he took up my original
application papers and pointed out para.
graph which was In them when the appli.
cation was originally filed, February II,
1875, and has not been changed since, and
which contained the following passage:
"The external resistance may also be va.
ried. For instance let mercury or some
other liquid form part Of YoltaiC circuit
then the more deeply the conducting wire
Ia immersed In the mercury or other
liquid the less resistance does the liquid
offer TO the passage Of the current. Hence
the vibration otthe conducting wire In
mercury or other liquid included In the
circuit occasions undulations in the cur.
rent"
Mr.. Wilber said that the cayeat | had
put In interierred with that. did not
have any other knowledge OF the contents
Of Gray's caveat, specification or drawing
or either Of them until after Gray had
published The caveat In 1878, except what
Mr.. Gray wEots me himself about bis ca.
yest February q, 1877, in a letter which
10 In the record OF proofs for my patent he-
fore the Secretary Of the Interior. | tes.
titled to this In 1879.
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL.
City Of Washington, District OF Columbia.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, q
notary public in and for the City and Dis.
triCt Aforesaid, this 24th day OF May, 1885.
RoRRRT Il. SHELbApARdER,
[seal.1 Notary Public,
want vlrpInin Phraonaia.