The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-04
Coming Down on Fraud.

SuhtlhS DOWH OH f-Tduus
The course of the commissioner of
patents, Mr.. Butterworth, and, through
him, of Secretary of the Interior Bliss,
in disbarring John Wedderburn and
John Wedderburn & Co. from practice
before the United States patent office
will receive the warmest approval as
soon as the facts are generally under
stood. This firm is one of the largest,
if not the largest, engaged in the pat
ent business in the United States, and
in its defense it has maSsed powerful
influences, but Mr.. Butterworth de-
thing save the evidence before him,
and the secretary of the interior. we
are happy to add, stood by him like a
man.
The official records in the case are
exceedingly voluminous, but we shall
endeavor to Condense what they indi-
| cate. They show that Wedderburn &
Co. first flooded the mails with adver-
tising matter calculated to incite in
experienced inventors to consult with
| them concerning the possibility of TAX
ing out patents, and adroitly leaving
| the impression that the consultation
would not cost anything Then the
| firm charged each correspondent s. for
| making a 25-cent search of the records
| and whether the invention had already
| been patented or not, and regardless of
| its merit, the credulity of the inventor
was worked for further results by a
| variety of ingenious processes, such as
| putting the inventors name on an al
| legged roll of honor" giving him a
cheap medal, etc. The roll of honor"
meant absolutely nothing, while as for
| the medal, Mr.. Butterworth says it
| could be worn by a man or a dog with
equal propriety. The commissioner
continues:
But the client, the sucker as We'd
| derburn facetiously calls him, is played
still further, along the line, thus:
About the time that the sterling silver
medal reaches the supposed inventor,
he or she receives a communication
| without date from the National Re-
| corder which announces that the Re-
corder has learned that the party ad-
dressed has been placed upon Wedder-
burns roll of honor and has received
sterling silver medal as a reward
Of genius and the National Recorder
appears to the reader of the letter to
be wonderfully wrought up over the
discovery of budding genius of such
rare merit; and the Recorder proposes
at once to write up, to have written
up the individual who has won such
distinction" This he shows is done for
S.. "And So" the commissioner pro-
ceeds, "the Recorder comes out with
a whole page of the pictures OF these
credulous and duped mortals who have
paid IS for a boost up the ladder OF
fame, and the postoflice department of
the United States and the patent office
were for nearly two years the agents
and instrumentalities used for carry
ing on these schemes, to the disgrace
of the government" Wedderburn &
Co., he says, have filed less than 1000
applications for patents and received
patents in about half Of those cases
yet they sent out 1000 silver medals
as awards of genius" 1t is on record
that they made $4,000 searches, at q
cost of about 25 cents apiece, for which
they charged IS each.
It is clear from this presentment that
the patent department acted none toe
soon in shutting down on these har-
pies. 1t is questionable If they ought
not also to be prosecuted as frauds
As showing that the present admins.
tration is in earnest in it's campaign
against Wedderburn and those Of his
ilk, It may be mentioned that an offic.
ial Of the postoffice department tc
whom some months ago had been re.
ferred for inquiry the question whether
the mails ought not TO be denied Il