The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-16
Picks Power from the Air.

A remarkable scene took place in the
legislature of Arizona this spring when
the lawmakers enthusiastically voted for
the parole of certain convict in the
state penitentiary, granting him leave
OF absence for thirty days and by means
of private contributions raising fund
to defray his expenses to Washington,
D. c., and return.
The prisoner, Roy J. Meyers, is serv-
ing three and half year sentence, but
in spite of the fact that he bears the
stigma of a convicted law breaker, he
has demonstrated that a convict can be
a useful member OF society. During his
imprisonment he perfected an electrical
device OF such original character as to
Iarouse feelings Of wonder and skepti-
eism until experts had seen il in actual
/ operation. 1t is a device to draw cleo
tricity from the atmosphere for light
and power. and the thirty day parole
was granted in order that the inventor
might protect his rights through the
patent Office at Washington.
With the acquiescence of the legisla-
ture, Governor Hunt granted the parole
and the prisoner was allowed to 90 free
without any guard or any assurance but
his word of honor that he would return.
Two days before the period elapsed,
Meyers again presented himself before
the governor having accomplished his
mission, and then returned to the peni-
Tertiary at Florence where he continues
to serve his sentence.
This in brief, is the picturesque story
which has called attention of the civil
lied world to a newly discovered electri-
cal genius, and to another feature of the
case which is of equal Importance and
human interest; namely, the enlight-
ened policy pursued by our youngest
state in its treatment of convicts.
Meyers chance came when Governor
George W. b. Hunt chose as superin-
tendent of the penitentary at Florence
man OF very different type from the
political hanger-on who too often fills
such position. big Bob" Sims was
business man of advanced views. and
was chosen for the position because of
his knowledge of human nature and his
executive ability.
One of the progressive steps he took |
was to abolish the stripes IN the peni- |
tertiary, and to adopt a much less rigor- |
Gus confinement of the inmates. The |
honor system with the cooperation of /
Governor Hunt, was inaugurated.
Before entering the prison, Meyers !
had already applied for various patents, /
among them one for an improved troll
ley head which prevents the trolley
wheel from jumping the wire. Meyers |
had a conference with Superintendent
Sims and Parole Clerk Sanders. and it
was TO these gentlemen that the in
yentor first explained the principle OF
his new device for securing electrical
energy from the air The officials were
willing to give the man an opportunity
to develop his plan and little wooden
building outside the walls was turned
aver to Meyers and was fitted up as a
workshop and a laboratory The first
of the new apparatus
was made shortly thereafter. the cleo
tricity drawn from the atmosphere being
used to spark the gas engines of the
pump house, and although the device
was crude vet it did the work and re-
moved the doubts of his friends. Fur
her development of the "absorber" fol-
owed. and his second model was con-
tructed, and developed eight volts.
from Picks Power from the Air" in
November Technical World Magazine.