The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-05
A TERRIBLE MACHINE.
Victor Ochs. Political Prisoner, Claims
a Startling Invention.
Has An AERIAL MACHINE WHICH,

Ah| 04t oAAAnA mhOAAA0
He Says, Can Fly 800 Miles Fer Hour
Wants S25.OOO,OOO for It-Empris-
Oned for Striving to Form a New Re
public in Mexico.
In the Kings county IN. " peniten-
tiary is confined man who claims that
he has invented an aerial machine proved
by many tests to be perfect in every re-
spect. He has written to President Cleve-
land and the secretary of the interior,
Hoke Smith, asking them to see that the
government gives it trial, and, if salts
factory, that the government purchase the
right to manufacture the machine. For
this right he asks the modest sum of $685.
900, 900.
years old, and he is prisoner for endeav-
oring to create a revolution in Mexico
about year ago. He is of medium height,
well built, and finely educated, apparent
~, speaking French, German and Spanish
with much fuency. By birth he is Mex
lean, but soon after he was born his par
ents settled in Texas, and he is an Aneri-
can citizen.
81 began my apartments said he,
elm Ell Paso, Tex. earned my living by
publishing a small newspaper in the Italian
language. But I spent little time in my
ments was conducting. These were made
in my own house. No one lived with me,
and took no one into my confidence. In
fact, was never a great hand at making
friends, and therefore was not bothered by
the inquisitive. Often 1 worked all night
long, and got no sleep the next day be-
cause of my newspaper work. My expert
ments were not inexpensive Indeed, as
began to see the end they cost me many
dollars.
81 took the machine back to my FL Paso
house. and short time later 1 decided to
go personally to the patent office at Wash
ington and get my machine patented. L
had started for the capital when a sheriff
arrested me and claimed the reward of
$50, 000 which the United States and Mex
leo had set on my head. I was tried on a
charge of attempting to cause a revolution
in Mexico and injuring the interests of
America in that country. 1 was convicted
and sentenced to three years in the peni-
Tertiary. The prisons in that part of the
country were full, SO I was sent here. I
want the United States government to
take up my invention purely and simply
because of the money there would be in it
for me. I charge $25, 600, GOO for it, and
want to state right here that I will not
sell it for one cent less than that amount.
If the government will give it one fair,
impartial trial, it is all I ask, for am
confident that such trial will be eonvinc-
ing. If the government will not give it
fair trial, Ill sell it to some other country.
''Of what use would the machine be to
the government? 1t would be of so much
use that in the event of war it could be
used with about so times the deadly effect
of q battleship. The machine is construct
ed so that it will carry two pounds to
cry one of its own weight. High explo-
eives in any quantity can be carried in it,
and you or any one else see in min
70 HOY he in
The machine can be built of any size, and
it is SO simple that child almost could
manage it. One can be built in three
months. Put a large force of men at work,
and you can build enough to put stop to
war in short time. The machine will
move at a velocity of 800 miles an hour.
That is the limit. You can cause it to go
as slowly as you choose. 1t is provided
with steering apparatus, to which it an
swers with wonderful obedience. 1t can
be propelled as high you like, and if
you want to be within foot of the ground
it is just as easy. The cost of the machine
1 decline to state, for reasons of my own.
You can say this: That L am not making
this move to regain my liberty. don t
want my liberty. What I want is the Unit
ed States to take up my invention, and
think it will. Where is the machine now?
1t is in safe hands. I won't say where IN
til 1 ge5 my patent or the government
comes to an understanding with me.''
Just how the machine is built Ochs de-
clines to say. He refuses to say also of
what it is composed, but it is supposed at
the penitentiary that it is built of Il COM
position resen bling papier mache. 1t is ex-
tremely light, SO Ochs says. Tho motor
power, he says, is an invention of his own,
and he refuses to tell what it is. He de-
MES that it is electricity. The machine is
replete with air tight compartments, and
in the bow is an observation tower, with
steps leading to it from the passenger
impairment.
Ochs has a remarkable history. He and
others were of the opinion that President
Diaz was not treating the Mexicans as
they deserved, and he gathered men with
a view of forcing the republic to give up a
portion of its land. This he intended to
form into a separate republic. Something
might have come of the scheme but for
tho arrest of Cchs.--New York Recorder.