The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-07-24
A MATHEMATICIAN'S WOES
The system was not Understandable
to the Jury or Instructor. ver-
dict for the Defendant.
For having revealed to her in thirty


dict for the Defendant.
For having revealed to her in thirty
lessons, the greatest discovery in the
world in plain surface, rule and squares
of the magnitude of numbers, Mrs.
Julia E. Van Tassel, who was last
year instructor in mathematics at Miss
Dana's Seminary, was sued before JUS
tice of the Peace Stilwell yesterday
for 5000.
At least that is what Mrs. Charlotte
Roddey, the plaintiff, discoyerer and
inventor, says the system is the great
est process thus far formulated in the
world.
When asked for scientific defni-
tion Of her discovery, Mrs. Roddey
said it was series of charts which il
lustrated the process which explains
the divisibility of numbers
She has had it copyrighted and pro-
duced in court the original certificate.
She also offered in evidence chart
which was termed the first lesson or
demonstration. 1t was long sheet
of paper which was ruled in squares, in
red and blue lines, and had numbers
of various denominations printed in
the squares.
When put upon the stand by her
lawyer, Charles Stilwell, Jr., Mrs.
Roddey said she was resident of New
York, but had come to Morristown
about a year ago for her health She
said she had heard of Mrs. VanTassel
as instructor in mathematics in Miss
Dana S Seminary and had called upon
her with the idea of listing her as a
pupil 1t was agreed Mrs Roddey
testified, that a class waste be formed,
and Mrs. VanTassel and the pupils
instructed at the rate Of ST lesson,
which was To be of an hours duration
each. Finding she could not interest
enough persons to form a class, Mrs.
NanTassel gave that UP, but Mrs.
Roddey says told her she would take
the lessons. Consequently the expert
mathematician called at regular inter
walls for several months at the Under
hill boarding house where Mrs Van
Tassel was stopping and gave her les
sons. She called professionally upon
Mrs VanTassel ten times and claims
to have given her thirty lessons. This
she explained by saying that she would
often teach her three and four hours
at time When crossed examined by
Former Judge Cutler, Mrs. Roddey
was an unwilling witness. She would
have it appear as though the counsel
was endeayoring to make her reveal
the wonderful system Of mathematics,
and therefore sought to eyade the
questions.
She admitted that no contract was
made as to lessons, price or time, and
based her claim upon presumptions.
The defendant, Mrs. VanTassel said
that the woman had called upon her
and asked her toco-operate in forming
a class for mathematical instruction
in her system Iiiis she agreed TO do
if, after looking into the system, she
found it practicable. Finding that it
was something she could not under
stand, she dropped the matter.
The Justices jury failing also to un-
derstand, rendered a verdict of no
cause for action.
Mrs. Roddey called at the Chronicle
Office after the trial and exhibited a
number Of letters from eminent mathe-
maticians, which she said she was not
allowed to produce in court. Several
were from prominent men in Morris
town, who say herprocess is a wonder
ful discovery and a means of simpli-
flying ways of getting the relative
value of numbers which are now found
difficult.
She says that in Justice to herself
the facts should be made clear, that
she has something which is not in the
nature of fake" but a reality
which, until her study and discovery
was heretofore unknown.