The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-07-31
INVENTIONS OF PRISONERS
CONyICTs HAVE GIVEN WORLD
VALUABLE CONTRIVANCES.
MANY Prisoners Have Sold the Prod
nets of Their Brain for Fortunes.
Some Notable Instances.


Some Notable Instances.
Many noted criminals have proved
themselves inventors of no mean
power and, only the other day, con-
Wet in a California prison designed
a valuable machine to prevent the
alteration of checks or the forging
of signatures to negotiable paper.
A few weeks ago another western
prisoner was given parole OF 81
days to visit Washington in order 10
obtain patent on greatly lmproV-
ed aeroplane. About three years ago
a convict in the state prison at wal
than. Mass, perfected device
which abolishes the necessity or
bobbin in the sewing machine, and,
better still, he sold his invention to
a New York company for $lOO,OO0'
Thermite. which has helped latter
day science and mechanics to such
an extent, was discovered by noto-
rious scientific criminal named Fritz
Won Schmidt, known to the Europe
an police as Count Ether" because
of his ability to vanish as quickly
as that volatile spirit. So terrific is
the heat obtained with the use OF
thermite that the best steel melts
like wax in a fire and as quickly.
Nearly $1O,00O,000 were stolen from
the strong rooms of London, Partisan
and Berlin banks during the early
part of 1898, and thermite was the
open sesame on each occasion.
Charles Woodstock, who was
known among his own class as the
king of coiners" and one of the most
desperate of men, invented in pris-
on, among other things, a babys
rattle, a murderous steel-tooth burg
lar trap, an anti-nicotine pipe and
a hooked continuance which, when
placed in the vest pocket, would Sc
cure a mans watch from being
snatched by pickpockets.
Another celebrated cOiner, Man
chester, Eng, man, whose best
known alias was Harvey Henry, pro-
duced coin-making machine, and
so perfect and satisfactory in every
detail! that the German, French and
Italian minis are all using it today.
Unfortunately for Harvey he could
not resist the temptation to turn
coiner on his own account, and the
result is that instead of drawing
over $4,000 a year In royalties on
his invention he is at present leading
a healthy if monotonous life at Port
land penitentiary.
The medical fraternity have every
reason to be thankful to certain
DeChaillon, 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 instru-
ments, and thousands of lives are
saved annually by its timely aid
DeChaillon was a man gifted with
exceptional powers and gave promise
of brilliant medical career, but an
unfortunate escapade shut him out
from intercourse with all self-re-
speeding men. He drifted into crime
and formed crime school" where
the young genius of Paris, stimulat-
ed by the hypodermic syringe, &C
complished deeds of daring and
roguery that were absolutely amaz-
ing.
1t is to another scientific burglar
we owe the Johnston pump" and
helmet" With the aid of these
appliances a diver is not only ena-
bled 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 before. The
inventor, Arthur Johnston, was
burglar, and it was to enable him to
enter one of the largest banks in
London, through a flooded sewer
that ran under the strong room, that
his pump and helmet" were in
vented.
Wainwright, the murderer of Har-
riet Lane, while awaiting trial for
his dastardly crime, invented a
brush-making machine.
Even Charles Peace, the most re-
markable and notorious criminal,
when not engaged in business was
a man of many ingenious pursuits,