Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-29
I0RITY OF APATENT
ich Involves the Ownership of
Nearly Five Million Dollars.
he MORSE GUN SUIT is IN COURT.
Several Shippers Say That the Asseteague
Light Was Not Good.
A MINGO JUNCTION BOND REDEEMED
rrRoN A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE


WASHINGTON, Oct. %. "A suit was
brought in the Court of Claims to-day
against the United States, which involves a
sum of "a, 800, 600 and some very interesting
points of law. The suit was brought by the
heirs of the late George W. Morse, of
Louisiana, who died about a year and half
ago. The interests of the Government in
the case were represented by Judge Cheney,
of the Department of Justice, and the Court
of Claims room looked like an embryo gun
factory
Morse's heirs are suing the Government
for infringing his patent of breech-loading
rife. He has undoubted evidence of the
validity of his claim of priority on the
patent, but the Government hopes to outlaw
his claim bv proving that Morse was dis
loyal to the Union during the war.
INVENTION OF THE BREECH-LoADER.
Morse invented the first breech-loading
gun. containing the breech-block by which
the cartridge would be forced into the
breech, and after being discharged would
eject the she'll The Morse plan is almost
identically the plan of the present WELL
known Springfield rife, which is used by
the United States army and navy. The
Government holds that Morse's disloyalty
10 the Government disbars him from having
recourse, financially or otherwise, against
the United States.
The case has been before the Court of
Claims for many years, and at each hearing
Morse claimed that he was not disloyal, did
not sympathize with the confederacy, and
did not furnish arms 10 the Southern army.
Since the last hearing the Department of
Justice has caused a search to be made of
the war department records, and has found
that Morse addressed number of letters to
President Jefferson Davis, offering these
arms to the Southern army; that he pro-
posed to blockade Red river against the
, Federal fleet, and save forage up that
ktream for the ConfederateS. The records
khow also that he furnished large amounts
Aof arms from time to time to the Southern
armies, and they were made at his gun fac
tory at Harper's Ferry.
THE BAR To MoRsE's SUCCESS.
Were it not for this damaging evidence it
is thought that Morse would secure a large
Judgment against the Government. When
the Department of Justice called on the
Patent Office few davs ago for the models
Of Morse's gun IT was discovered that he in
vented the breech-loading rifle in 1S42.
An interesting feature of this case is that
shortly after the war the Patent Office re-
fused to extend the patents on the Morse
rifles on the grounds of his aiding the Con-
federate armies. A few years after this
action Democratic Congress passed bill
extending the patent of Morse, and although
he and his representative have been stead
ilv manufacturing the guns the United
States has also been making the Springfield
rifles, based upon the Morse inventions, and
should the suit for 81, 5000 fail it is be-
lieved that the heirs of Morse will be able
10 get a large royalty from the Government
for the use of his patent since Congress
passed the bill extending it, as, of course,
the question of disloyalty cannot now be
entertained, the action of Congress settling
his right to have the patent extended.