The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-02-02
IDU .EEI ].
The Famous Motor Declared to Have
Been 4 Huge Fraud.
Statement by the Attorney of the
Widow Of the Inventor De-
nounces the Process ns a
Great SWindle.

New York, Jan. 80. Ever since the
expose OF the remarkable manner III
which the late John w. Keely secretly
applied power to his mysterious motor
in his Philadelphia laboratory efforts
have been made to obtain statement
from some Of those interested. It was
learned Saturday that Charles j. Hill,
attorney for Mrs. Kelly, has made a
statement concerning Mr.. Kelly and
his motor for the New York Journal,
which was copyrighted by w. R. Hearst.
Mr.. Hill declares that the power to OPP
crate keely's machine was supplied by
water motor, and was transmitted by
secret pulleys hidden in hollow shafts.
When investors wanted to see the "new
force at work. Keely turned on the
water by pressing on n rubber bulb.
The motor would stop when pressure
on the bulb was released. Extracts
from Mr.. Hill's statements follow:
AT the very outset of my connection with
the case distinctly stated to Mrs Keely
whom l believe to be a woman absolutely
innocent OF any dishonesty in her hus-
bands work. that in the event the whole
thing was essentially fraudulent I could
not be party to its concealment, and that
conceived it to be my duty to protect the
public from being imposed upon any fur
ther II there was no truth in 1t.
Every Machine Fraudulent.
II requested to be relieved from the case
II my course was Objectionable to her. I
was not released, and in the two months
that have elapsed every doubt L have had
has been swept away-every machine
brought to Boston is palpably fraudulent,
and every interest involved demands imme-
date explanation. Several contemplated
movements In the stock of the Keely Motor
company have come, to my knowledge
which, il consummated, would mean that
some innocent buyer parted with his money
for worse than worthless consideration.
Two different books treating of Mr.. Keely's
work from the point of view that it was
honest are, am told. in process of prepara-
ton at great expense Such things as these,
which will entail both financial loss and So
cial ridicule. manifestly should be pre-
vented.
II have therefore countenanced the pub
LEGATION Of the whole matter by Mr.
Bridge. 1t Is case where justice to the
many must In Importance transcend the
comfort Of the few.
Believed in Keely's Integrity.
1T was arranged between the president
Of the Keely Motor company and myself
SAAe%s va ASSSAAOcI ~, 1910, i SuUulU duuE0SS
the stockholders, giving my views, as Mrs.
heely's counsel as to the best course to
pursue Shortly after this agreement, while
examining the laboratory, Mr.. .Kinraide
discovered the first evidence Of fraud: Till
that moment our belief in Mr.. Keely's in
tegrity and honor was as firm as any of his
friends who had invested thousands. Here
was q new element, that of self-evident
fraud, affecting. however. only one ma
chine. and not vitiating. so far as we knew,
any other of the numerous machines Mr..
Keely employed"
Mere Mechanical Trickery.
In the statement made by j. Ransom
Bridge he says:
- when r. Burton Kinraide took charge
Of Mr.. Keely's laboratory one of the first
discoveries was how Mr.. Keely did his ex-
periments. He could vary the initial per-
formance in dozen ways, but the princi-
pie was always the same. In his operating
room the remnants Of rubber tubes be-
tween the floor and walls, in various places,
and also receptacles for rubber bulbs, told
how he could do the trick from various To-
! cations by pressing his foot on a rubber
! bulb concealed under the carpet or in some
out-of-the-way place He often would take
harmonica into the adjoining front room,
and. looking through the connecting win
dow. play Home. Sweet Home When he
| struck the right chord away would 20 the
motor. He would then stop and start It a +
will as he played. This was PARTICULAR
effective. One at least of the larger and
discarded transmitters is still intact. with
| the rubber diaphragm. and works to per
lection In making the. compass needle re-
| volve.''
Mr.. Bridge gives a detailed state
ment of some of Mr.: Keely's exhibitions,
such as the rotation of the compass
needle, the vitalized disk. the harmon
lea and transmitter and the disinte-
orator.