The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-26

iIS tHe SlTlpeQ Sdfb OF a CONVICT
in the Arizona state penitentiary. as
la result of forging and passing a
check. is about to become noted as
one of the great inventors of the
twentieth century. in a field where
Edison. Tesla and Marconi. those past
masters of electrical science, have
been vainly searching for the very
goal that this obscure convict has ap-
Iparentlv found, after a few months
seeking.
Meyers discovery is no blunder of
Ichancr. NO lucky find. either, according
to all reports of those who are in a
position to know about the matter
from its inception to fulfllment.
Briefly told. the inventor himself
Iclaims that all he has accomplished
grew out of the suggestion inspired
tN the old story of how the venerable
benjamin Franklin. by means of d
door key, drew down the lightning
from the Clouds" as early school
books narrated the incident.
Taps Atmosphere FOL Power.
With this story in his mind and
followed by a personal deduction that
IT ought to be possible to devise d
machine or apparatus capable OF
drawing static electricity from the at
mosplnere. where science has long
known it existed. and transforming it
into a dynamic current powerful
enough to light cities. move trains,
pillow farm lands, dredge canals. heat
homes. and achieve n or all of the
results attained by the numerous
modern applications of the electric
|force in a n not only absolutely
stable, but what is of vastly more
lNalpe. in a way most wonderfully in
expensive. Meyers set to work.
\ little moro than two months AGO
the prison officials allowed Meyers to
conduct experiments on this idea and
gave him all necessary materials to
work with in constructing a working
model. AS a result he built an APP
paratus that delivered q constant
electric current roughly estimated at
So amperes. quite sufficient TO oper-
ate a big motor. used by the prison
To pump water into the supply tanks.
Crude Apparatus Operates Pump.
Twice did the crude device fill the
large tanks to overlooking by electric
power drawn directly from the atmos-
phere.
II happened just at this time that
Miss Kate Bernard. Oklahoma's state
superintendent of corrections, was
Visiting the Arizona prison, and. on
being shown the apparatus as it vas
running the pumps, she became SO
interested in the possibilities of the
invention and the work of its inven-
tor. that she went with Warden r.
3 Sims to Governor Hunt and urged
him to parole Meyers for thirty days,
SO he could go to Washington and
make application for a patent in per-
son upon the invention. Governor
Hunt refused to do so. for the reason
that he had learned from the prison
records of Meyers former service as
a convict in the Folsom (Cal.) prison,
for a like offense-forgery.
Legislators Aid Convict Inventor.
The governor persisting in his re-
iusal to grant a parole to MEYERS.
With leave to go out of the state un-
guarded. Miss Bernard next went be-
fore the legislature and told them
nov this poor convict had invented
a machine that would prove of meal
lculahle value to the world, and de.
scribed how II drew electric power
from the e~xhaustless reservoirs of the
arr at a merely nominal cost. The
legislators became so interested in
the matter that they not only unani-
mously passed a joint resolution Wv
ing the governor their full consent
to allow Meyers the desired parole
OF thirty days. but they went into
their own pockets and made up a
purse amply sufficient to meet all the
expenses of his trip and to paw the
patent fees.
l., Thus temporarily freed from the
laws restraint and placed upon his
honor by the confidence of the state.
Meyers lost no time In to%urnevine TO-
Washington. holding the KEY to the
secret OF his invention safely conceal
led in his mind. leaving his original
apparatus in the keeping of Warden
Sims of the prison, by whose advice
he had also destroyed every drawing
and sketch made while the apparatus
was being constructed.
Patent Onicials Skcptical.
Once on the ground here, his first
ltation with the officials found the lat
ter so skeptical and unconvinced BY
his attempts to explain in detail the
principles by his claim. and so in
Icredulous about the value or prac-
|hcability Of the invention. that he was
much cast down when they fatty re-
FUSED him permission to file an appli-
cation for a patent. Meyers under
stood that he was more or less polite
ny discredited and classified as one of
the numerous cranks or crazy lin.
IVentors." who sometimes create trou-
bic for the officials in the historic
marble building at Seventh and E and
+ streets northwest. Wisely, he ap-
peaied to President Gompers of the
iS0CId tlN ID ILaOOT 10 Sc
cure a further reception, and, through
that influence, ne got the desired sec
ond hearing. with a clean bill of
health as to his sanity and sincerity
AT this second interview, Meyers again
patiently rehearsed his previous de-
scription n explanations Of the in
vention. But its utter novelty and
Gigantic proportions once more prov
ed to be beyond the stated opinion,
OF the examiners. and he was r,le.1
to show a working model Of the ap-
paratus before the subject would be
considered.
Leave Soon to Expire.
All this was strictly in accordance
with the red tape methods Of the
bureau. but nothing else was possible
save to comply with the Regulations
In the best manner that the situation
permitted.
Let us see how it stood for the
poor convict-inventor. His brief leav.
was nearly consumed by this time,