The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-05-13
convict CLAIMS
GREAT INVENTION
ARIZONA PRISONER DECLARES HE
CAN TURN CURRENT FROM
AIR INTO LIGHT AND
POWER.

The State Prison Florence, Ariz..
May l3.-Roy j. Meyers. convict,
has 30 days IN which to show the world
that he has discovered q. method OF
taking electricity from the air and
turning it directly into light and pow
er.
If he does that-and there is good
reason for thinking that he will
he VIII have millions of dollars IN
his grasp. win he then return To
this prison and Justify the honor
system" and Gov. Hunt. who allows
him to go to Washington. without
guard, to patent mis-. invention?
II Meyers invention Will do what
he and the few who have seen ii
accomplished what the greatest gen.
fuses of this generation have sough;
In vain. IL Will smash the electric
light and power trust and give endless
electricity L. the millions.
Meyers is o. mechanic about 80 years
old, who VAS sent up" for forgery
He was put In charge OF the prison
engine house. At nights and odd
hours he tinkered with some sort of an
invention. But he wasn't taken seri-
ously. only Parole Officer Gamblers
and Prison superintendent Sims knew
What he was trying to do.
Just the other day Miss Kate
barnard, commissioner of charities
and corrections OF Oklahoma. visited
the prison.
"One night" says Miss Barnard,
Meyers assistant came running from
the pumping station calling out. He's
got il! He's got f.!
Between gasps he told us what
was doing and we made II rush for
the engine house Meyers was work
ing like mad at the fly wheel of the
c6-horse power gas engine. Outside
was a strange cOntrivance emitting
sparks. Another stood on . small
table near the sparker Of the en-
gine. wires connected them. There
was a strange light in the eyes of
the man-hope, uncertainty. and al
most terror-as If the ambition of a
| life time was about TO fail or succeed,
Suddenly the wheel caught and the
engine drove on By its own power!"
Meyers. was actually taking cleo
| tricity from the air above the en-
CINE house. TO spark" the gas engine. T..
"A lock OF Joy flashed over his face, .
says Miss Barnard. Then for the
! first time he saw us.
| What are you doing hereY he
demanded. forgetting he was address
ing the superintendent. II did not
want this known until got out.
can't protect myself-l'm prisoner
this is my discovery"
1.-THE superintendent understood his
excitement snd quietly assured Meyers
he would have every protection"
The very next day Miss Barnard
went before the legislators and asked
them TO request the governor to re-
lease Meyers for 80 days. They did.
Then she planked down $50 of her
own money 10 ne,p him and CHALLENGED
the legislators TO match II. They did
that, too.
]
ers free man for one month. Next
morning Meyers left for Washington.
lie IS going directly TO Samuel Com
pers. head of the A. +. Of l., at Miss
Barnare's slggestion-sure that the
labor leader VIII aid him.
II was skeptlcal at first" says
Superintendent Sims. II thought il
might be a scheme to get parole
and escape. But I know something
of electricity | watched the engine.
| turned off all the switches which
connect with the prisons electrical
plant. made a careful search for
ground wires or other means by which
the electricity To spark the gas engine
might be stolen. 1 found none. am
Convinced that II great discovery has
been made by Meyers.
He ran the engine for five hours and
pumped full the 2e.o0o-gallon tank.
There is no question in my mind
hut that Meyers win return"
"All that is necessary" said Mey-
ers. starting for his train. rs to en-
large and improve the apparatus on
the principle l have discovered. Then
We can get enough power direct from
the air to do anything. IL Is very
simple. toe. can put this machine in
a house and lihtg II. or do amy
thing now done by the big central
plants.
4 Vtsill