Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-12-23
KNIBBS VALVE CASE ENDED
FAMOUS SUIT OFTEN HEARD IN
BRATTLEBoRo.
Circuit Court Of Appeals Renders Yer.
dict in Favor of Defendant Inventor
Died in Poverty After Years of Lit.
iuation

The famous suit of Campbell against
the city OF New York, better known
as the Knibbs valve case, which was
decided In favor of the defendant last
week by Judges Wallace. Townshend
and Cox OF the United States Court
Of Appeals, was well known to Brattle-
boro people on account of its numer-
Gus hearings before Judge H. II.
Wheeler In this town. During Its
progress through the United States
circuit court the famous case was
heard only before Judge Wheeler, and
ON at least four occasions the argu-
ments took place in Brattleboro. In
1894 the case was argued in the old
town hall building for nine days, one
Of the exhibits being the fire engine,
Pacific, which was brought from Hart
ford, Conn, to this town on fiat
car.
James Knibbs, an engineer Of the
fire engine Arba Reed of Troy, N. Y,
invented valve by means of which it
was possible to shut off the streams
from the engine without bursting the
hose or wrecking the machine itself
The device .was extremely simple but
1t greatly enhanced the working
power of a fire engine, and the fire
department of Troy had the new at
tachment placed on an engine which
was being built for that city at Man
chester, N. H. The manufacturers
saw its value at once and incorpor-
ated the idea on several engines
which they built for the city of
Hartford, one of these, the Pacific,
being the one exhibited at Brattle-
boro. In 1865 the device was adopt
ed by the city of New York and
placed on 70 engines there. Knibbs
like many other inventors, did not
comply with the law In making APP
pication for patent within two
years after the device had been in
public use, and the whole case
hinged on that point, He was not
aware that the Manchester concern
had been using the valve, but the
courts held that 1t was the busi-
mes of an inventor to know whether
Or not a device of his own inyen-
lion was in public use.
Knibbs died two years ago of a
broken heart. having lived the
greater part of his life in the hope |
hat some day he would have enor- |
nous wealth Soon after he had APP
,lied for his patent he put his claims |
n the hands of Marcus r. Norton of |
Troy, who was disbarred later in
connection with his handling of the /
,ase of an automatic stamp canceller,
which involved a postofiice scandal.
<nbbs for a consideration and part /
interest assigned his claim to Chris
opher Campbell, now dead.
The late Joseph Richardson of
spite house" fame, owned a As per
ent interest in the claim of Knibbs,
theirs in the syndicate being In
'oston and New York, the latter be-
lg headed by ex-Collector of the
'ort Thomas Murphy. The syndi-
ate spent during the course of the
ing litigation 100000. 1t has been
that large holders in the
aim, outside of the legal heirs and .
ssignees of Knibbs were many fire.
len of New York who We're thor
ughly convinced OF the equity of [
lie Troy fireman's claims against the .
re departments Of the world,
The suit was commenced on No !
lstained on a final hearing on No n
,mber 9, 1881. A supplemental bill
as next interposed. and demurred
], and later sustained Then fol- !,
wed an opinion dismissing the bin y :
a rehearing because OF the public
'e of the device for more than two
,ars before the application for \
tent had been made. An opinion Z
flowed next in which the entire lit a
alton was reopsned because of
WHY discovered proof by the COM C
1inants. A
the following years there II
IRE bills Of complaint. including sup
emental bills demurrers and near %
every other form of legal proceed Ia
e. New lawyers came and went. \,
lsters' reports were made, sus-
ned, and reversed Knibbs lived
in hope of wealth and died in pt
verify. and according to the decis- ilt
/, New York and other cities do Is
t owe a cent to the acknowledged
'entor, his heirs or assigns. and &c
re are costs amounting to $4,000 sp
ainst the plaintiffs. w
The volume of the record and mag
ude of the claim together with 10
,vious Judgment for plaintiff, are ce
paralleled in the history of city tn
CATION. The claim was for $685.
,619.15 In the decision of a mas 10
appointed by the court there was NJ,
, judgment for plaintiff of s1,1s2,- wi
80 The case has been the dread
the corporation counsels office -,
ce the time of the late William C. Mt
itney The special counsel for .ei
plaintiff In the action which just IN
sed was John r. Bennett, a patent
yer, of 81 Nassau street. Most OF Ma
Sc who were originally most deep are
in the suit are dead Mr.