The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-02
PRISONER PLANS
SUBMARINE BOAT
Breaks Into Jail TO Get Chance
to Work Out War
Craft.
BECOMES COUNTERFEITER
TO GET NECESSARY FUNDS
Edward Wilbur Thinks He Has
Perfected Invention Govern
ment viii Accept.

With pen and ink furnished him by
the lailer and using his card OF jail
regulations as rule Edward Wilbur,
n prisoner in the Salt Lake county jail.
charged with countcrfcitng. has made
n score or more OF drawings of n pro-
posed w~propclling submarine boat
that he is confident some day VIII meet
with favor by the United states gov
ernmcnt. Seated on his bunk and using
the small shelf In his cell for dTnught
bench Wilbur has worked !aboriouslY
since becoming prisoner some months
ago.
sparkled with enthusiasm rs he was led
into The Jail office Thursday afternoon
TO be interviewed by a Tribune reporter,
Sure. viii bc glad TO talk about
my Idea and what prompted me TO do
tho wrong that has landed me behind
prison bars" said Wilbur. Then he told
the following story:
wilburs Story.
When young man | received train
inc in n naval school and since that
tim. | have been greatly Interested In
all kinds OF water craft II has been n
few years since ! first saw submarine
boat | was In my teens then and !
cannot help but recall the strange thrill
that came over me AS | eagerly gazcd
al the little craft. In the smooth water
she was partially submerged. The air
was calm and all the noise heard was
the creakins OF the chain that held her
In place ] do not know whether II was
the sight Of the boat or the creakng
OF the chain that aroused me. but II was
one or the other that prompted the
thought that placed me in jail and Will
keep me In prison for some time. ] am
afraid
II took up study on the submarine
a few years after seeing the first boat
! had seen OF this type. | proceeded
slowly at hrst. sometimes dropping the
idea for little time. when some Ger
tain proposition would BATTLE me. OF
course, the navy department would not
give any OF its secrets out and had
TO learn through some practical ex-
tested and there was apparently nothing
lacking but financial means for con-
structing a submarine boat. but one that
would cover no less than thirty five
miles beneath The surface OF The watef'
Feeling Of Triumph.
1T was while stood on the shores OF
the Pacific one afternoon that feeling
OF triumph such as those who have
mastered a difficult object can feel,
seemed To permcate my very Soul, tor
had riveted the last link. through cX-
periments. TO the object ] had labored
SO long upon. The triumphal feeling
was followed by "a restless energy that
seemed to lake full possession OF me.
Mentally / saw the modern battlcships
and cruisers give way To the new night
ing craft. my fighting craft and that
OF my beloved country. | had no money,
however. and ! could think of no way 10
raise the necessary funds.
Il had forgotten that held turbine
blade in my hand while was thinking
OF the past and trying 10 fathom the
future until suddenly my thoughts were
attracted. as II by magnet. 10 the
metal around which my fingers We're
ciasped and for the first time in my NE
DAD 1 give way 20 the study OF dis
'naylng had. through past expert.
meuts, practical knowledge or metal
and moulding. IL did not take me long
10 esta dish system ON which | based
TIE accomplishment Of my future hopes.
Like invisible waves my thoughts sprang
forth into visible form. | could see but
one side--Ii portrayed honor and tho
labor | woula give would be rewarded
~ money and an honorable name |
pictured the people loss would be the
peoples gain. My idea led 10 Il cheap
defense FOR our country.
Search for Funds.
my plan was TO raise the necessary
funds for the construction OF my boat.
] also figured on an assistant who would
not look for any pruht from that which
my plans adopted. ] made my way 10
Umatella Ore. where ! met boy
named William Kuhina. made up
my mind that the boy was honest. ] told
him I wanted him TO work with me as
a partner in order 10 get the financial
means with which to execute my draw
ings and build the boat We became
that he could get bad money that We
could change for good money and this
lad. with nothing in the world In view
but hard labor. always refused. He knew
what was up 10. I needed him. how
ever. and finally | persuaded him 10 re-
main with me. We went TO Boise. Ida.
but I had 10 work alone. he could mol
be induced TO break tho law.
I'm ancient Athens Socrates, with the
aid Of light from a lantern searched
for an honest man. |, In Glcnns Ferry
Ida. searched for an honest man whc
was willing To do wrong for the benefit
OF his country and one who would joir
us later in an honorable station in life
Like Socrates. ! passed many that in
stinct told me not 10 trust until ! me-
Thomas Smith Smith told me that IN
was hunting for work. ! made him
proposition. The youth finally offered hii