Kansas City daily journal., 1895-08-22
WOULD NOT SELL.


Tho federal officials here arc deeply In
tcrcstcd I'M the oase OF August Tanner
who is locked zip in the county iuil on the
charge Of being implicated In the robbery
Of the safe in the postoiiicc at Brooknall,
Mo- in February. lSai Tanner has had
his preliminary hearing aud in default of
the required bond OF 5000, is locked VI
until November
Last week he told the officers that there
was a big scheme behind the affair that
implicated him For many years hs has
devoted a great deal of time to an invon-
tiou ana but recently had perfected the
working model and had It ready to make
the actual test when he was arrested.
Tanner IS an expert mechanic. chemist and
assayer lie is u Swiss and has worked
in mechanics nearly all of his life and rs
especially adept in fine mechanical appli-
auCes.
His machine on which he has spent sew
eral years of patient toll, is designed to
rcvolutouizc the mining of gold in many
particulars, II is intended to separate the
gold from the dirt without the use of
water. 1t is of simple design, easily made,
can be manufactured and operated at a
nominal cost. so that II can be utilized in
mines where the pay dirt would not war
rant expensive machinery and in places
where lack of water now prevents any
work being done at all.
Tanner was without the required funds
to perfect the model and so organized 4
pool among some of his friends In ,lirook-
field. who We're interested, and sold seven
of them three -fourths of the patent. The
story he told was that having patented the
machine he was to he the victim of those
who would force him to sell the portion
he had retained, so that he could raise
the cash required to make his defense,
and thus in his other misfortunes. he was
to be deprived of the legitimate results of
should accrue to him for the skin he pos
cessfully.
Yesterday morning Engineer Harmon. of
the Hannibal road. who is one of the par
ties interested in the machine with Tan
ner came to the city and had an interview
for him. Harmon left for home last even
ing and said he would be back in a
couple of days ana would furnish the re-
quired bond of 5000. He thought the
bond could be made easily. Sc. that Tanner
that must "iapSe prior TO the trial
He also said that the machine was tested
since the arrest Of Tanner and that it
had worked to perfection and had done the
work its Sanguine inventor had claimed
ii would do. He was delighted with the
results and firmly believes the owners Of
the machine have in their possession one of
the most valuable inventions of recent
years. The report Of the success of the
working was greatly appreciated by Tan
ner and he was oVerjoyed at the final re-
other visitor 10 see Tanner who wanted to
see him privately. but whom refused that
request made bold to tell Tanner that he
came to see what price he would take
for his interest in the machine. He wanted
to buy it outright, but Tanner refused ana
said he did not want to sell it and that he
was bound 10 first let the other parties
know of the sale and give them the fr7t
chance, The man insisted ana finally
wanted to buy one-half of the quarter
interest owned by Tanner hWt despite the
fact that he Is without funds Tanner re-
fused and declined to put any price what
ever on the machine or any portion of his
part of it,
Tanner still holds TO the story that he
is to be a victim so that others may profit
from his invention, but believes the friends
in Brookteld are sure to furnish his bond
soon.