The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-01-27

!
HIckory-VWilI Sue the Town of
Hickory for $4,000 Damages
IOF False Arrest. False I'm
prIsOnmeRt and VioIaIIGa of
the Interstate Commerce Law
That devise Mr.. D. W. Mil
saps, of Lum berton, has invented
for bundling up letters in post
Offices, from which he expects to
realize a cool million from the
government, was invented while
Mr.. Millsaps languisheL one
summer afternoon in the Jail at
Hickory-or, to be more exact. +
the idea which resulted in the |
invention was conceived at that /
time. In addition to the million
which he expects to get out OF
the government for, the invention |.
which he conceived in jail, Mr.. |
Millsaps expects to get $40, 900 |
from the town of Hickory for |
that Imprisonment, for he is
going to sue that town for false
arrest, false imprisonment and
violation of the inter, State com
merce law. This is the way it
happened: !
Mr.. Millsaps is agent for the
Novelty Cutlery Co, and he sells |
knives. He goes from place to
place and takes orders, like any
other travelling man, and then he
goes around later and delivers
He is protected by the inter
State commerce law and does
not have to pay local tax. The
town authorities OF Hickory were
not advertent to that fact, so
they demanded that Mr.. Millsaps
pay tax. This Mr. Milisaps
refused 10 do, and then the mayor
demanded that he put up bond
in the sum of $50 for his appear
3 Auce ct court. Mr.. Millsaps said
}. tnRtt he could not put up the bond
q right then, 81; he y aS semi 10 Jail.
This was abou. y r1tGt- t-ck, noon,
< one day last July. Ga ms ca>
;, 10 the Jail Mr.. Miilsaps asked t.
be allowed to get something t.
= read, which request was grant
e ed, and he purchased q Harper'>
e Weekly-the most fortunate pur
q chase Mr.. Millsaps ever made,
J. no doubt. There was nothing t.
s. do but make the most of a bad
ID situation, so Mr.. Millsaps made
himself as comfortable as posi-
. ole in Jail and proceeded to read
the Harper's he had purchased
a In that paper he saw state
>" ment to the effect that the gov
- ernment spends hundreds o
80 thousands of dollars yearly fol
- twine used in postoffices fol
= e. bundling letters; that many in
q ventors have tried to invent
o. substitute for twine which woult
rs rs meet the demand for cheapnes
y and speed; and that the inver
1o ton Of a practical substitut
US would be worth a million to tb
~ inventor.
" ~ That was where Mr.. MiIlsap
~; connected with his idea. l
~ ~ reading his Oxford Bible he j
g. accustomed to hold in his han
n, the rubber band which is place
e around the Bible when it is nc
~ in use. Mr.. Millsaps took coun
1n- W sci with himselfand decided ths
o., two bands like that, properl
w placed in relation to each othe
Aue would do the trick, and 10, it we
~ 70 done! An exceedingly simp
81 Msn devise it is, but no one ha
N ra- thought of just that very thin
sn- ,sn before.
ne, About seven O'Clock in tt
'L'n evening of the day on which /
on was placed in Jail a friend of NJ
er' Millsaps came to the Jail in hie
a1' Indignation and put up in cas
( 20 the $50 bond and obtained M
1th Millsaps' release. On the %
" of last October the case again
ow, 1 Mr.. Millsaps was tried 5efo
'ses ; Judge Ward, who promptly il
~ strueted the jury TO return
''eI verdict of not guilty. Mclean
; - Mclean, of Lum berton, will re
w, WI resent Mr.. Millsaps in the 81
NO. which he will bring against +
- town of Hickory for damages
at'c ~ the sum of $4,000. He is cor
~: dent of winning that suit, and
;m nus is also confident of getting t
1,: !tle' million from the government
1'IHs his lebter-bundling device. O
uSS' never a can tell what day in
y ~ may bring forth, when you ht
done9no wrong and are an in
aeHs cent victim.