The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-09
Some Novel Uses
OF The Telephone


From the Chicago Record
OF late the telephone has been utilized
to a considerable extent in legal pro<
ceedings. Affidavits have been sworn TO,
acknowledgements have been taken, and
in one case at least testimony has been
received by telephone. This last innova-
ton must be credited to Fort Scott, Kan,
where two witnesses, described as promi-
nent business men, We're permitted to
give evidence in this manner the attor-
neys stipulatil g that no objection should
be taken to this unusual proceeding. An
other case that has attracted unusual at
tention is reported from New York, where
an affidavit which had been telephoned
from Cincinnati and acknowledged over
the wire was accepted in the Supreme
court as sufficient ground for the issu-
ance of an attachment involving a con-
siderable sum of money. The proceed
ings We're unusual and interesting. The
facts were telephoned from Cincinnati
over a long-distance telephone line, an af-
fidavit was prepared at the New York end
of the line and read TO the complainant,
who was standing at the telephone in Gin
| cinnati, where in the presence of wit
nesses he made the required acknowledge
ment. 1t was still necessary to have
some one in New York talk with the
| complainant and positively identify his
voice. This was done, the papers were
terested parties announced that several
days delay had been avoided by utiliz-
ing the telephone, and by this prompt ac-
| ton II was possible to have a judgment
satisfied which it might have been diff
ficult otherwise to accomplish.
| o
| Many important transactions have
| hinged upon telephone messages, and the
courts have long since recognized their
| admissibility as evidence under proper re-
| strctions Probably the first instance of
| this kind. and, at any rate, the mos;
| notable early example of the telephone
| in law, was the part played In securing
the conviction of Ferdinand Ward Gen.
eral Grants partner, in 1855. On Got. q
of that year james ID. Fish, who had
been convicted Of wrecking the Marine
national bank OF New York and was al
| that time serving term of ten years
| at Sing Sing, testified that he had re-
| ceived instructions from Ward by tele-
phone, regarding the disposition of certain
securities, amounting to $l50,OO0. WaId's
attorneys, General Tracy and BoLrke
Cochran, objected strenuously to the ad
mission of this testimony, but Justice
Barrett decided against them. 1t may bC
interesting to recall the fact that Benja
min Fish, a brother of the convicted
president of the Marine bank. in suppor
of the testimony already mentioned. de
clared under oath that he had stood with
in eighteen inches of the telephone while
his brother was talking to Ward anC
that he heard the latters voice distinct
ly and recognized 1t. When the attor
lneys for Ward declared that this state
ment was ridiculous the prosecution pro
duced a letter that Ward had written tC
Fish, complaining that every one in thu
room where the telephone was PLACED
could hear the conversation. The prose
cution relied upon the telephone messag,
to convict Ward, and when an appeal wa!
taken after Wards sentence totem years
Imprisonment Justice Barrett's decisio:
admitting the telephone message was sus
tanned,
Another striking example OF the move
uses to which the telephone may be put
but in an entirely different line from
those mentioned, was afforded by re
markable session of a Sunday school a
| Wichita, Kas., where the Superintendent
who was confined TO his bed, conducted
the services without the slightest hitcl
by means of an unusually sensitive tele
phone. The church and residence wer'
connected by telephone, ana three mega
phones were employed-one at the heaC
of the superinterdent's bed one suspend
ed from the center of the church and on,
In front of the pulpit. The superintend
ent's voice was distinctly heard by tn
congregation as ne said GOOD morning
and announced the routine work of tn
school. He called for his favorte songs
and they were borne to his ear with al