Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-23
CRIMINALS AS INVENTORS.
convicts Have Given the World Many
Valuable Contrivances.

convicts Have Given the World Many
Valuable Contrivances.
1t is but repeating a hackneyed tru-
ism to affirm that many a noted crimi-
nal has shown himself possessed of
brain power, which, If it had been util-
lied in a legitimate fashion, would
have enabled its possessor to attain to
a position Of fame and affluence Some
have proved themselves inventors Of
no mean ability, and only the other day
publicity was given to a convict's re-
markable invention. This is a machine
designed to prevent the alteration Of
checks or the forging Of signature to
negotiable paper and the inventor, who
is at present a convict in a California
prison, has patented his prison-born
idea.
About three years ago a convict left
the state prison Of Waltham, Mass, a
rich man on account of his ingenious
contrivance which he had invented. A
great lover Of mechanics, he perfected
a device which abolishes the necessity
Of bobbin in sewing machine, and,
better still, he sold his invention to a
New York company for 100000.
Thermite, which has helped latter
day science and mechanics to such an
extent, was discovered by q notorious
scientific criminal named Fritz Won
Schmitz, known to the European police
as Count Ether" because of his abil-
ity to vanish as quickly as that vola-
tile spirit. So terrific Is the heat OBJ
tanned with the use Of thermite that
the best steel melts like wax in fire,
and as quickly. Nearly $10,000,000 were
stolen from the strong rooms Of Lon
don, Partisan and Berlin banks during
the early part Of 1898, and thermite
was the open seasame on each occa-
sion. But Won Schmidt shot his bolt
when he attempted to patent his dis
covery. He offered to show a patent
agent in Belgium sample Of his ef-
fectiveness by making his way into the
agents safe. Half an hour later he
was being cared for by the police.
Charles Woodstock, who was known
among his own class as "the king Of
coiners," and one Of the most desperate
of men, invented in prison, among 9TH
er things, baby's rattle, murderous
steel-toothed burglar trap. an af1tflni-
cotine pipe, and hooked contrivance
which, placed inside the vest pocket,
would secure a mans watch from be-
ing snatched by pickpockets.
Another celebrated coiner. a Man
chester (England) man, whose best
known alias was Henry Harvey,
produced a making machine, and
so perfect and satisfactory in every de-
tail that the German, French and 1tal-
ian mints are all using 1t today. Un-
fortunately for Harvey, he could not
resist the temptation to turn coiner on
his own account, and the result Is that,
instead of now drawing over $4,000 a
year in royalties on his invention, he Is
at present leading healthy II mono
tonous life at Portland penitentiary.
The medical fraternity have every
reason to be thankful to a certain Du
Challion, whose inventive genius gave
to the world the hypodermic syringe.
This syringe is, and has been now for
many years, one Of the most beneficial
of medical instruments, and thousands
Of lives are saved annually by its time
ly aid. Du Challion was q man gifted
with exceptional powers, and gave
promise of a brilliant medical career,
but an unfortunate escapade shut him
out from intercourse with all self-re-
specting men. He drifted into crime,
and formed a "crime school," where
the young genius Of Paris, stimulated
by the hypodermic syringe, accom-
plished deeds Of daring and roguery
that were absolutely amazing. The
school was eventually raided, but the
presiding genius Of the establishment
vealed at the trial to show that all his
great coups had been the work Of boys,
who had been wrought up to a steel
ness Of nerve by means Of q syringe.
The value Of the syringe was obvious,
and medical men all over the world
soon took full advantage Of the instru-
ment which the talented criminal had
so extensively used to accomplish his
evil deeds.
1t Is to another scientific burglar we
owe the Johnston pump" and "hel-
met" With the aid Of these appliances
a diver Is not only enabled to descend
to great depths in the sea, but also to
explore caves, and turn six or seven
sharp corners while under water, a
thing which was quite impossible be-
fore. The inventor, Arthur Johnston,
was a burglar, and 1t was to enable
him to enter one Of the largest banks In
London that his pump" and helmet"
were invented. For q number of years,
Johnston confessed, he had kept an eye
on the bank, even procuring Job as
porter in 1t so that he might make more
certain of his ground when 1t came to
the Crucial moment. Then he rented
a house near by and set to work. He
discovered that a kind Of sewer ran
under the banks strong room, and
from it he meant to chisel his way up
into the treasure trove" above. But
1t was impossible to stop long in the
sewer without some guard against the
chance of being drowned. Then he in
vented his pump and helmet, and, al
though he himself failed in his daring
scheme, his invention has enabled men
to explore depths which were prev
iously beyond them.
Even Charles Peace, that most re-
markable and notorious criminal, when
not engaged in. business" was man
of many ingenious pursuits. and could
have earned a handsome competence
by other and manlier methods than
crib-cracking His skill as a violinist
was we'll known, but few were aware
of the fact that the Infamous burglar
devised a new and exceedingly in
genious method Of fixing the hair of
violin bow.
Wainwright, the murderer of Harriet
Lane, while awaiting trial for his das-
tardly crime, invented a brush-making
machine.-Buffalo News.