The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1907-05-29
Is Common Property With
Washington Man.
WIRELESS MESSAGES At WILL
Has the Government Service
Beat With a Secret
All His Own.

sages transmitted by wireless stations
along the Atlantic coast are being in
tercepted by Washington man, who
has established a station in his home.
By this private station he can receive
and transmit messages with the Gov
eminent stations. Notwithstanding
that the expert is known to the local
authorities, they are powerless to act,
because there is no law to protect Of
fetal wireless stations during the ex-
change of messages.
The owner Of the station is A. F.
Harmer, a practical electrician. He
has perfected an apparatus that COM
pares favorably with any maintained
by the Government. Mt only can he
communicate with warships at sea,
but he can interpret official messages
received or sent from the National
Capital. The most confidential Gov
eminent messages that might inter-
ferc with it's cordial relations with
other nations, were they to become
known, are to him but common COM
munications.
Although the possessor of the Gov
ernment's attitude on issues of ma
tional and international Importance,
Harmer at all times maintains a ST.
lelCe that cannot be broken. He real
ICES that the messages received
through his instrument are of a pri-
vate nature and therefore declares
they should be held in confidence.
Capt. L. H. c. Leutze, commandant
of the Washington Navy Yard, who
has direct supervision over the wire
less station at that place, is greatly
perturbed over the situation. On
one occasion, about a week ago, when
the operator was making frantic eff
forts to communicate with Hampton
Roads on a matter of Importance, he
was suddenly shut off by the operation
of a nearby station. CONSERVATION
regned. Every available apparatus
in the station was pressed into SER
vice, it being believed at first that
the failure to make connection with
the distant station was due to a defect
in the machine When the true situa-
ton dawned upon the officials at
tempts were made to cut off the in
truder, but all efforts proved futile
For five hours the operators, the Of
ficials and others connected with the
station raved. Then the apparatus
began suddenly to show signs of life,
and the message was transmitted.
The local police authorities were APP
pealed to, but said they had not the
power to interfere with Harmer's eX-
periments. Hammer maintains that
he is violating no law, committing no
offense, and therefore is immune from
interference either from the Govern
ment officials or police authorities.
That his invention is a valuable and
important one is shown by the fact
that certain individuals have offered
him thousands of dollars to turn it
over to them.
Harmer lntlmates that they are con-
nected with the Government. Only re-
Gently, he says, he was offered $1,000
to part with his invention, but he
thinks it Is worth $4,000. When Pres
ident Roosevelt, aboard the battleship
Louisiana, was returning from Pana-
ma some months ago, Harmer says
he received, sitting at his dining-table
table, every message sent from the
ship to the navy yard station. Sew
eral of the communications were of
important and personal nature.
This disturber of governmental
peace is man who enjoys the fruits
OF his experiment Each morning he
receives the local papers, and, after
perusing the contents, decides it will
be folly to wait for the publication of
the afternoon papers to got fresh
news. He connects his instrument,
he says, and listens to fresh dis
patches being received by the govern
ment AS long as two hours at a
time, he says, he sits at his table and |
enjoys the confidence of the Govern |
nlent.
What further action will be taken |
by the Government to suppress the |
operations of his system is profile
matte. He is of the opinion that the |
Government eventually will make GER
ain concessions that will be high
y satisfactory to him.
Time to Quit.
The beautiful blonde was presiding
over booth at the church fair.
A strange man came her way.