The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-20
BELL TELEPHONE WINS.
Decision Rendered by the United
States Supreme Court.
THREE DISSENTING VOICES.
Bell Was Not Guilty of Eraud-Draw'
baugh did not Know When He
had Good Thing, aud Must
Stand the Consequences.

stand the consequences
wAsnlNGrox, D. C., March ia de-
cision in the telephone cases was read
by Associate Justice BlNtchford in the
United States Supreme Court to-day.
1t comprised very elaborate review
Of all the inventions in the telephones
which have come up to claim priority to
the discoveries of Bell and the suits
which have been conducted in the
courts to set aside the Bell patent.
Justice Blatchford holds that the law
does not require, at the time application
is made for n patent, that there shall
have been obtained u high degree OF per-
lection; that the results may not have
been entirely satisfactory at firstin order
that the patent may issue and stand
against the assaults OF others; that the
electrical undulation effects set forth by
Bell in his application have been fully
attained, and that the vibration is iden'
tlctl 10 his description.
BELL THE REAL INVENTOR.
There is nothing requiring the opera.
ton Of instruments before patent issues.
1t is the practicability OF the process that
is to be shown. 1t is true that when
Bell got his patents he thought the mag
netiC process best, but that does not pre-.
vent him from using the electrical pro.
cess and attaining the same results. Bell
discovered the way to attain the results
we have now in transmitting articulate
sounds by electricity.
A lengthy review followed respecting
the investigations by various electricians
about the time OF the issuance OF Bells
patents, and the conclusion was that
there was nothing to show that anyone
had invented an apparatus prior to that
invented by Bell, although vibrations
by electricity had been transmitted by
wire prior to 1854. 1t was left for Bell
to discover the principle, and this he
adopted and subsequently perfected.
THERE WAS no FRAUD.
Judge Blatchford, in reviewing the
charge OF fraud and collusion in the
Patent Office, by means Of which Bell,
it is alleged, obtained surreptitious in
formation with regard to the inventions
of his rivals and then amended his own
specifications, held that there was not
the slightest evidence to support this
charge, or to cast the least reflection up
on the integrity OF Bell or his attorney.
No Others have shown that they ever
thought OF it. 1t is the difference be-
tween failure and success. Bell took up
the work and carried it on to success
where others had left off. The telephone
is now conducted on the principle OF the
electrical telegraph-that is by making
and breaking circuits.
In the review OF the litigation in va
rious courts to test the validity OF the
Bell patents, the claims Of Drawbaugh
were handled very tersely. The Justice
cited newspaper statements tending to
show that Drawbaugh was the original
discoverer OF transmission OF articulate
sounds by electricity, and that combina-
tions were forming with his invention
as nucleus which would compel Gray,
Bell and others to pay Drawbaugh roy
atty or quit the field.
DRAwBAUGns uINDsIGHT.
At present Bell has more than 100000
electric speaking instruments in success
full operation, and the parties to thesuits
to set aside his patents have done moth
ing to develop the telephone. Draw;
baugh himself seems never TO have told
anyone OF his discovery till called as q
witness against the Bell patent, although
he claims to have had an instrument in
obcration at home in little town IN
Pennsylvania some years prior to tho
Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia,
in 1876, where Bell made successful eX-
hibitions Of his inventions, and which
| DrawbauGh witnessed without mention
tioning his own discoveries, Dawbaugh
AS a witness referred to what he hau
accomplished with his "talking ma
chine,h prior to the Philadelphia Gem
tennial, but there is no evidence to show
that for years aftcrward ho made any
reference to it, although he did continue
| his efforts to improve other inventions.
He seemed, according to his own state
ment. 10 have lost all interest in his
0talEinV machine" after witnessing the
exhibitions OF the Bell telephone in
1875.
INTERESTING CONCLUSION.
In considering the question of the al
Eleged anticipation Of Bells invention by
-