The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
From Tid-Bits.


Drank Poison as n Penance for His
Deceit.
From Tid-Bits.
A sensational announcement has been
made that an American chemist of repute,
DIR. Emmens has discovered a method by
which he can turn silver into gold. He
claims that the cost of the process involv
ed, though rather high yet leaves a bal
! ance sufficient to return an enormous pro-
fit on the transaction. Or. Emmens asserts
that in the course of his Investigations he
has discovered a new element, to which
he has given the name argeht-aurum, or
silver-gold, claiming that it lies between
gold and silver and he states that he dis
| covers this element to exist in silver,
ready to be made to undergo the slight
change which will turn it into gold by
means of his treatment-chiefy great
pressure. Sir William Crookes, however,
states that he has submitted Emmens'
gold sample to spectroscopic analysis, and
could not discover a single line which be-
longs to an unknown element"
In 1455, King Henry VI granted patent
to an inventor who believed that he was
able to produce gold and, under his pat
ent, was entitled to make gold enough to
enable the king to pay all the debts of the
crown in real gold. The forge at which this
attempt was carried on stood where is now
| Pail Mall.
In Queen Elizabeth's time there lived
| celebrated astrologer and alchemist call
| ed DR.. Dee who seems to have been
| clever conjurer. He announced that he
! hHv To 10 ell
copper. and invited Queen Elizabeth to
visit his laboratory, where he showed her
| copper frying pan, from which a piece
had been cut out, and then the piece eX-
| actly fitting the hole turned into pure
| silver The same exercise of faith was
asked from Queen Elizabeth that DR..
Emmens asks from US to-day. There was
the silver undoubtedly as to how it came
| there was where the faith was required.
| Various deliberate impostures were car
| ried out by different alchemists, by means
| of which they pretended to make gold in
| the presence of otehr persons. In one case
| it was found that the vessel in which the
alchemy was conducted was made with
false bottom; the gold was hidden under
| Meath The vessel could be inspected, and
then the various mysterious compounds
| were placed in it, and, ultimately, the gold
| was found at the bottom-the fact being
| that the false metal above had melted
| away by the application of heat, leaving
| the gold visible. Again, hollow rods con-
| tanning some gold, closed at the end in
visbly with wax, were used TO stir the
| crucibles; the wax would melt and the
| gold run out to be found when the mix
| ture cooled. The object, of course was
| to persuade the possessors of real, honest
| gold, in the shape of money, to part with
! it to the aichemists for the purpose of the
i perfection and completion of the expert
| ments.
But it is quite likely that several of the
| alchemists who supposed. or professed
that they had found gold, were either
mad or deceived.
The cases of perhaps the two last of the
| alchemists (before DIR. Emmens) present
an instance of each mode of deception. On
| May 6, 1882, a series of experiments in
making gold was begun by a really illus
trious chemist named James Price, F. r.
S. After some experiments that failed
! he at last announced that he had discov-
| cred powder that he found was capable
| of turning mercury into gold. He called
! together, on the 25th of the same month
! in which he had commenced his expert
| ments $50 quickly had he discovered the
| great secret, as he beIieved), large as
| semblage of peers. chemists, lawyers and
| clergymen, and in their presence he APP
| parenuy transmitted mercury into gold
! by adding TO the former a certain scorer
! powder that, he said, he had discovered
/ some OF lulS SOlu was OHefcQ 10, ana grJ-
| ciously accepted by the King-George III
| A sensation was produced. The Univers-
| ity of oxford offered the discoverer m
! honorary degree, and the public eagerly
! bought up two editions of a book that he
| published.
But many of his colleagues in the Royal
/ Society were not satisfied by the loose
tests applied by he mixed assemblage be.
! fore which Price had operated. and they
| asked him 10 submit to a test arranged by
| the society itself. After being much
pressed. Price at last protested his will
| ingness, at the end of a month 20 satisfy
| The Royal Society. He returned 10 'lis
| tons by GIstlling quantity of The deadly
| poison of the laurel. He next made MIS-
! will and, thought he was IN porfecr
health, it began: Believing that / am
! about to die
! Six months then passed away. and az
| last he issued his summons TO the ROYAL
| Society. Three of it's members attended a
| its laboratory. He received them with
cordality and pretended to be making
preparations for his experiment but sud
denly put bottle TO his mouth and drank
| from 1t. and in a few moments fell diving
at their feet. He had called them there
to see him drink the laurel water ana ole.
as his penance for his deceit--conscious or
mistaken.
Many explanations we're hazarded of
this strange affair and a somewhat SINH
lar occurrence in Germany soon after that
was fully explained, may. perhaps sup
ply the real cue. There was a grave pro-
lessor, who had announced that he had
found the way Of procuring gold On small
quantities. certainly, but If 1t can be done
at ALL the modus opersndi for obtaining
good quantities Is only a matter of time
and management, suddenly discovered
that the gold that he had been used to
find in his cruc.ble had turned into mere
sort of brass, the stun called Dutch met
al" He wisely called In the police 10 UNI
ravel tho mystery and they soon discov-
cred It,
tached servant, who, to save his master