The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-17
WICHITAN IN NEW YORK.

The New York Herald prints the follow
ing dispatch from Wichita:
Sacrificing liberty TO inventive genius.
Frank Thomas occupies cell at police
headquarters, where ne is perfecting an
apparatus for recording telephone con-
versation in the absence of the owner of
the phone
The one desire Of Thomas life is to per-
feet the instrument on which he is work
ing Thought of it never leaves his mind
His days are spent with the prisoners who
are refnishing the interior Of the city
building. When night comes he hastens
to his cell and his work
Frank Thomas came to Wichita five
years ago from Nebraska. He is "A painter
and soon after his arrival he was in the
police station. Drunk was written op-
posite mis- name
Imprisonment worried Thomas but lit
tie When his time was UP he went to
Chief of Police Burt and made him
proposition. lie said he would stay at the
station and work for his board and
place to sleep. Permission To do that
would give him an opportunity to work
on his invention. Thomas is a good
painter. and his services were thought to
be worth what he asked. He was told
that he might stay at the station as long
as he would work.
Several nights ago Thomas sat at a
rudely constructed little table in one OF
the detention cells where avisitor called
L. see him. Prisoners lay on cots around
him. bat he seemed unaware of their
presence. He was at work steadily, just
F,.a 10,
10 Wichita.
An incandeScent light high above the
inventors head made the room little less
than semi-dark. Thomas sat with stopped
shoulders and bowed head. \ heavy black
cap coated with drops of paint was tipped
forward on his head and hid his eyes
Il am trying 10 invent something that
viii attend to d telephone while the owner
Is absent" said the inventor. while his
long, bony fingers worked among number
less pieces of wood and metal
If any one calls while you are gone il
Will tell YOU when you come back. II the
man who called said anything 10 you it
will be there waiting to say itself to you.
All YOU viii have 10 do is 20 take out your
key and unlock the box.
1t will he done by the power Of vibra-
ton. That is a wonderful force. I have
studied vibration. and lam going 10 CON
troll it, l Will focus il as YOU can focus
light with lens
Thomas is a wanderer. He is at home
where his head is uncovered. When he
leaves one town for another he destroys
or throws away the pieces Of the machine.
lie carries with him only what is stored
in his head
Thomas believes he is near success. He
expects soon TO Sc the instrument q his
imagination working.
Then I am going back to ST. Louis and
prove that knew what 7 was talking
about" said the inventor.
The tools that are carving the model Of
the telephone recorder are a pocket knife.
q file and a pair Of scissors In a tin cup
is a little tar and paint mixed 10 serve
the purpose of glue. ON the desk At which
the man works Is a collection OF scraps f
paper. rubber. tin. wire. iron. paste0oard.
string. wood and glass
All night long Thomas sits al the rude
desk He seldom sleeps. ana when he does
il is oEiy for few hours
IT is 50 easy 70 forget that time Is
passing when 7 am at work. is the way
he explains it. 4 would rather work At
this than eat. forget that il is getting
late until il IS morning. II is nearly done
now. ana can hardly wait
Thomas talked bat little. All has energy
was expended on fitting and rehtt.ng little
PIECES OF oowd, rubbe' and tin he had
spread out before him
a bin is before the New DIRK iegis-
n ture which reduces The membership q
the board Of education in Greater View
York from forty-slx 70 fifteen, but the
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