The Washington times., 1901-09-22
INVENTED BY CRIMINALS.
How COnvicts Have Aided Science,
Medicine, and Commerce.
Ingenious Discoveries and Idens In
tended to he Used Against Society.
Vnn schmidt's Thcrmitc-Hnrvey's
Machine-Du CEaiIIou's Syringe.

Machine-Du CEuiIIou's Syringe.
At the present time the German,
French, and Italian mints are all using
a coin-making mac hine which was in
vented and used with huge profit-mak-
ing results by a Manchester coiner,
whose best known alias was Henry
Harvey.
Ee is at present leading a healthy if
monotonous life at Portland. If his
coin making machine had not been so
perfect he might still be living hand
somely on its earnings. During 1885 and
1896 the notice of the police was drawn
to the perfect quality and make of the
money in circulation in Cottonopolis.
Some very beautiful specimens Of SOW
ereigns and half sovereigns We're sent
up by a Manchester numismatist to the
London mint, asking why If they could
turn out such beautifully made coins
sometimes, why not always.
The matter was then given into the
hands of Scotland Yard, with the result
that Henry Harvey was lodged at the
public expense. But his coin making
was so perfect that the aforementioned
If Mr.. Harvey had only patented his in
vention instead of working it himself
he would now be drawing over s2,GO0
year in royalties.
The discovery of themite has helped
later science and mechanics to such an
extent that Mr.. Drayton, the great Am
erican steel king. said that it would,
when in general use, enable Atlantic
liners and men-of-war to be built at
one third the present cost.
Yet the discoverer was Fritz Won
Schmidt, known to the European police
as Count Ether, because he was sci
enlist who, when wanted for burglary,
always vanished as quickly as the vola-
tile spirit.
During the first two or three months
of 1893 nearly 10000 900 was stolen from
the strongroom of Partisan, London,
and Berlin banks. In every case the
burglar, or, as ii turned out, the burg
lars-two in number-attained their
ends by melting a hole large enough
to pass either their bodies or hands
through-frstly, in the metal door of
the strongroom and then in the safes
inside.
No noise was made and no tools nee
essary save a small heating apparatus
such as painters use to warp old paint.
But by using thermite in place of the
ordinary spirit such heat was obtain
ed that the best steel melted like wax
in fire, and as quickly.
Won Schmidt was discovered by his
efforts to patent his discovery. 1t must
have been during moment OF mental
alteration that he explained to patent
agent in Berlin what his thermite would
do. for he offered to make his way into
the agents safe. Half an hour later he
was being cared for by the police.
The hypodermic syringe is at the
present time one of the most used med
icaI instruments and thousands of lives
are saved annually by its timely aid
1t was first brought into notice by the
raiding of crime school in Paris.
The founder and head of this semi
nary, where the young idea was taught
TO shoot prisonward, was certain Du
ChaiAou, whose medical genius had
been lost to the world by an early es-
capade, which shut him out from inter- |
course with all self-respecting men.
Du Chaillou sank lower and lower,
till he suddenly found himself reduced !
to starvation or crime. He chose the
latter, and, being clever, employed the
Paris gamins to do the dirty work.
Stimulated by the aid of the hypoder-
mic syringe, they accomplished feats
which would have shaken the iron
nerve of a Kitchener.
When the school was raided Du Chail-
lou himself escaped; but during the |
trial it was ascertained that practically
all his great coups had been accom-
plished by boys,,who had been wrought
up to steeliness of nerve by means of
the syringe Then the medical world
took the syringe up, and, perhaps. have
often since thanked its practical dis
coverer for the tip.
At the present time six men are lying
in a Partisan prison waiting trial for
having obtained money from numerous
French horse owners, both in Paris and
the French provinces, under false pre-
tences once given the idea, their pro
cedure is simple. They invented a steel
imitation of a horses jaw. Armed with
this weapon, they would wait till some
tradesn1an left his horse in ORDER to de-
liver his goods. and Immediately his
hack was turned one of the gang lifted
ND his arm, while his fellow applied the
imitation 'jaw." leaving on the muscle
of the arm set of gashes.
Then a cry was raised, crowd soon
collected, and its feelings won over to
the side of the slim criminals by sight
of the lacerated arm. The driver OF the
horse was made to pay. and subscrip-
ton raised in the crowd to compensate
the poor wounded man, who by this
time was bewailing the loss of his job,
and. consequently, a starving family
1t is stated that this imitation jaw won
enough to send its owner to the South
Of France on pleasure bent.
People are enabled by the use Of the
Johnston pump and helmet not only TO
descend to great depths in the sea, but
also to explore caves and turn six or
seven consecutive sharp corners while
under water, a thing which was i'm
possible before
Now. Arthur Johnston was a burg
lar. and invented his pump and helmet
20 enable him to enter one of the largest
London banks. He had. by his own
confession, been for many years keep
ing an eye on the bank in question and
had even obtained post as porter in
Il for a few months to make more GER
tain of his ground.
Then he rented house near by and
set to work He had discovered that a
spring. which used to be small river,