Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-28
SCANDAL IN THE
PATENT OFFICE
Destruction of Public Records
and Fraud Alleged.
THREE INDICTMENTS FOUND
Assistant Examiner N. w. Barton
Assistant Examiner N. w. Barton
Among Those in Custody.
COMMITTEE MAKES DISCLOSURE
Patent Issued, Valued at $4,000, 900,
which. It Is Alleged, Was Ir-
regularly Obtained.

A scandal in the patent office, IN
volving. it is alleged, the destruc-
ton OF certain public records and
the substitution of claims for pat
cnts subsequently applied for into
tie specifications OF a patent al
ready before the office, appllca-
tions for which were pending, and
the issuance of a patent valued at
S5.ooo,ooo covering the later in-
provements, has been brought to
light. Three arrests have been
made.
AS consequence of the discovery made
by investigation of the patent office
records the local grand jury at 4 o'clock
yesterday afternoon presented an indict-
ment against Ned w. Barton. aged thirty.
married and residing at 49, 11th street
northeast, an assistant examiner in divl-
sion 81 of the patent office: Henry l..
Everdng, thirty-five years old. a patent
attorney of Philadelphia Pa. having of
fees I'm the Hale building 142S Chestnut
seven, an inventor of York, Pa, upon the
charge that they had been responsible
for the loss of certain official papers and
for the issuance of a patent upon IN
formation fraudulently obtained.
IL is alleged by Commissioner Moore
tha. charges of forgery and other Of
fenses connected with the alleged de-
struction of papers in the office for which
are now being considered by the grand
jury. Mr. Moore said the present in
dictment was returned at once in order
that the men could be held.
The three men were summoned to ap-
pear before the grand jury and were de-
tanned at the district attorneys office
until the indictment had been filed and
bench warrants for their arrest were is
sued. The warrants were served by
Deputy Marshals Read and Stutler.
After the amount of bail had been
fixed at $4,000 each Representative La
fean of Pennsylvania interested himself
in an effort to secure bondsmen for the
men. The efforts were continued late into
the night and the accused men, instead
of being committed to Jail, as is the Gus
tom in such cases, were left IN the Gus
tody of the two deputies at the National
Hotel, where they were quartered for
the night. After breakfast this morning
they were returned to the city hall to
await the result of the search for sure
ties on the bail bonds.
Bail was given late this afternoon in
the sum of $4,000 by each of the defend
ants, the Title Guarantee and Trust Com
pany of Scranton, Pa, qualifying as
surety.
Summary of the Charges.
The allegations of the indictment are as
follows: That on September ., 1907, there
was on file in the patent Office an appli-
cation of John Allen Heany for letters pat
ent. The application was numbered 24,-
49, of the series of 1900. and was de-
scribed in the records of the patent Office
,as an application for letters patent cover
ing an invention for the manufacture of
filaments and electrodes for electric incan-
descent arc lamps: that the original ap-
plication for this patent was filed January
10, 1905; that there were also on file 9th
er papers containing certain specifica-
tions; also letter dated March %. 1903,
addressed to Heany, bearing the stamped
signature of the then commissioner of pat
ents. F. ]. Allen. Acting Examiner w. A.
towles of division 81. of which Barton
was assistant examiner. An amendment
to this application was filed July ~, 1903.
more particular description OF which
letter and specifications and amendment
the grand jurors say they are unable to
give, because they have been destroyed.
The other part of the indictment, which
covers not more than 400 words relates
TO the intent" of Heany. Barton and
Everdng to steal and destroy and the
charge that they actually did destroy"
the documents in question.
Several officials. clerks and secret serv-
ice men appeared before the grand jury
The witnesses were Morrison w Clark
Alice Almuth Amy f.. Wallace Clifton
Johnson. Sidney i. Whiting, John E. Eek
loft Leonard Day. Eta F. Johnson Will
liam A. Cowles, Amos Hadley, Frank G.
Skinner, Clara V. Quigg. Lydia l.. Parker,
James W. Head Alexander L. Pope and
Samuel L. Pool.
While the men are not indicted for con-
spiracy, 1t is declared by the distric, at
tcrney's office that the destruction of the
papers was in furtherance OF an agree
ment of the parties.
Alleged Unlawful Act
The result of the alleged unla wful ac-
tion of Barton, it is declared. caused the
issuance 10 him of a patent involving the
use of tungsten" filaments for electric
light bulbs. which. it is said. will revolu-
tioniZe that industry The tungsten it
is claimed. will give forth the same lila
mination now furnished by the carbon
filament al expense of only ne-fjfth
the electric power now consumed, When
Il is considered that 3.000O00 incandeScent
bulbs are sold annually some idea of The
value OF the patent may be formed.
This improved patent had been sought
by twenty of the largest electrical con-
Germs in the United States. all of whom
had filed applications for various i'm
provemepts along these lines. 1t is al
legged that as the specifications ded by
these applicants would reacn Barton. the
assistant examiner. he would garner the
ones needed to perfect the Heany patent.
and would incorporate them in the Heany
application. To do this. il is declared.
il became necessary TO destroy. some OF
the original papers.
Date Of Heany Patent.
In the latter part of November. 1907.
Heany was granted his patent. The arc
light manufactured under the patent was
found to be five times powerful as any
light in existence and could be placed on
the market al one-fifth the cost This was
I'm the nature of revelation. The con-
stituent parts of the light do not neces-
sarily constitute everything the paten,
calls for. Large concerns who maintain
skilled inventors as part of their work
ing force grew suspicious. The Genera
Electric Company, which has branch
office in this city and whose headquarters
are in New York took the most active
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