The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-04

the criminal classes with all the terri
flying possibilities of its perfect adapt
ability TO the art of private assassina-
ton.
Is ii any wonder, then. that Mr.. Max
i'm feels lively sense of renlorse as he
contemplates his handiwork, and with
downcast eyes admits that he has let
loose upon the world a sort of Franken-
stein which he cannot control.
1T would be a good idea" Mr.. Max
i'm went on, for congress to amend the
laws so that no patents could be
granted for inventions against which
mankind has no protection: and / freely
admit that there is no protection
against this gun of mine. Or, if such a
law as that is not desirable, some pro-
vision might be made that, when an
affair like this is invented, it should
become the exclusive property of the
government"
But even with such laws passed."
reporter suggested, wouldn't such
guns still be made? You tell me the
principle is simple"
Unfortunately, that is true" was the
reply In fact. / am afraid that, even
now, with this idea before the world not
more than forty-eight hours, there are
some mechanical geniuses among the
criminal classes who are at work on it."
it?"
Unfortunately, yes" was the simple
response. How can we pNvent it? If
there was only some way to restrict it's
manufacture or TO prevent its use ex-
cept by the police and the military. for
whom it was intended, my conscience
would be much easier
But will this gun do all that is
claimed for it?"
There can be no duobt of that. 1t is
not perfectly noiseless affair; that is
to say. there is a slight kissing sound,
perceptible a few yards away, per-
haps. For instance, Harry Thaw would
have found the gun of no use to him in
shooting Stanford White on the roof
garden If he had wanted to conceal the
crime"
But in the open air." suggested a
reporter. In the street or behind a
hedge. Suppose the assassin of Goebel
in Kentucky had used such a gun: or
suppose your enemy, conceahng him
self in window or behind a ledge, fir
ing at you?'
THE rustling of the leaves in the
trees or the noise of passing wagons
would completely drown the sound of
the gun" said Mr.. Maxim. You would
not even know what had killed the vic
tim until an examination was made"
These startling admissions were made
with evident regret by the inventor. 81
feel the tremendous responsibility of
this, he said. II don't feel at all JUS
titled in having invented this gun"
Then why did you invent it?" he
was asked.
will you believe" he replied, that
it came about while ! was engaged in
most peaceful pursuit? l didn't sit
down a
long time ago l left firearms behind
me and engaged in the automobile BUSH
ness, In common with many others.
L was seeking means of muffIing the
reports of gas engines on automobiles
l located the seat of the trouble in
the piston of the engine and when
arrived at the solution of the problem
the idea flashed across my mind that if
could do that with an engine could
also do it with a gun"
He paused here and gazed thoughtful
ly at the carpet.
After that I couldn't help it." he re-
sumed, pathetically. Il have the unfor
tunate inventive streak, and it was
just as natural for me to work out the
idea, once it came to me, as it is for
me to eat and sleep. l suppose 7
might have kept the thing to myself
ard never have breathed it to living
soul-taken it to my grave with me;
but do you think man is developed vet
to the point where that is possible?
And then wouldn't some one else even
tually have developed the idea? 1t was
bound to come"
Mr.. Maxim said he proposed to offer
the gun to the United States govern
ment. His fathers experience in hav-
ing his rapid-fire gun rejected at Wash
ington has not deferred the son.
II want to satisfy my conscience that
far" he says. And this is another
point that 1 think ought to be consid-
cred. / have spoken about amendments
to the patent laws. AS the law stands
now, IL is possible for the agent of anv
nation TO so to our patent office in
Washington and take copies of any
plans on file there on which patents
have been granted.
Can any one doubt that within six
months Japan will be manufacturing
these guns? Ought there not to be some
provision of law to prevent that? Why
shouldn't our government protect such
military secrets?"
Despite the evil possibilities which his
gun holds out, Maxim sturdily main
tains that il also possesses great ad-
vantages.
For police work." he said. sit will
be a great aid. lust imagine what
policeman could do with this gun if he
should come across a gang of burglars
at work And then, of course, it will
have great military advantages
But always Mr. Maxim came back to
the point of the evil that may be pro-
NOTED by the gun. In concluding the
interview he said. with half smile:
Perhaps I'd better get to work right
off and try TO devise something that
will offer means of protection against
the gum