New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-22
Who INVENTED PHONE?
FIorentine Society Says Honor
Is an Italians.
GARIBALDI LENT HIS AID
Liberal Union Would Bring Rec
ignition to Meucci, of
Staten Island.

Especial Correspondence OF The Trbune.l
Florence, June 1.-THE Liberal Union.
a society for the advancement Of Floren-
tine interests, at a recent meeting made
public the charge that Alexander Graham
Bell. the American inventor Of the tele-
phone, was a charlatan and an impostor,
and that Antonio Meucci, a Florentine.
who lived for thirty years and more in
the United States, was the real inventor.
Although the Liberal Union states that
! II will not attempt 10 get for his descend
ants any Of the money that, In its opin-
ion. Meucci should have received for his
invention, the society intends to take
steps TO bring about a general recognition
Of the Italian as the real inventor of the
telephone.
The story OF the circumstances Of the
inventor. Of the proofs Of priority and OF
the life Of Meucci, who for twenty years
dwelt in obscurity at Clifton, Staten ISL
and supporting himself by making and
selling candles. was told at the latest
meeting OF the Liberal Union by Michele
Campana, a well known journalist
/ Emigrating from Florence in his youth.
Antonio Meucci went 10 Havana, where.
while working in some capacity at the
/ Tacon Theatre he is said first to have con-
ceived the idea of the telephone. Meucci
soon left Cuba and sailed for the United
/ states, establishing himself as a candle
maker at Clifton, Staten Island, by which
trade he earned a scanty living. which
supported himself and his family while
/ he worked al odd hours at his invention.
In 1852 Garibaldl who had sought ref
. h.
Island, and was sheltered by Meucci. For
some time the two worked together Carl
baldi helping with the candemaking
while Meucci struggled along with his eX-
periments.
Even at that time. which was twenty
years before Meucci obtained his patent
at Washington, the inventor had his house
connected by wire with that'of a neigh
Dor, and the children amused themselves
/ by talking 10 one another through the
mysterious string" The story goes that
/ Garibaldi used 10 talk over H. too. but
the invention was considered merely
toy. with no practical use.
II was on December %, 1871, that
Meuccl applied AT Washington for a pat
ent for a telephone receiver. and the
patent was gained for him by Thomas b
Stetson. a patent lawyer. The record Of
the patent grant exists still, according 10
a document issued by Ferruccio Rizzatti.
/ founder OF the "Progresso Italo-Ameri-
cano," Of New York although the usual
record in the official government register
in New York is, according 20 Signor Cam
pana, not obtainable, as the registers do
not extend further back than January /,
1872, just seven days after Meucci re-
ceived patent grants for three other in
ventions OF minor importance. Two peo-
pie are still alive who were present. IL is
said. al the public try-out OF his tele-
phone. given on Staten Island by the in
ventor. These are Henry Curri. a Floren-
tine. now Lying in Boston and the other
Signor Dendi caretaker OF a Masonic
lodge in Syracuse. Both OF these men
have testified that they were present at
the successful demonstration Of Meuccrs
telephone IN 1872.
Further proof OF the priority was Of
fered in the form OF quotations from de-
cisions OF the United States Supreme
/ Court in the suit brought by Meucci
| against A. G. Bell as soon as Bell received
| his patent on June s. 1876. II was not
until November IS. 1855, that the de-
cision in this case was handed down. and
/ then II maintained that Antonio Meuccl
was the real inventor OF the telephone
and that the Bell company had obtained
| It's patent through fraud" The decision
was appealed by the Bell company, and
before a final decision was reached
/ Meucci died and the case was dropped.
/ An article in The Electrical Review"
OF London, in October, 1884 described
/ Meucci's right Of priority. and gave Illus
trations Of his invention, which showed
/ incontrovertibly. according 20 authorities
here. that Meucci was the first man in the
history CT the world 10 apply electricity
20 the Transmission OF speech. The first
step 10 be taken by the Liberal Union
is the erection OF public memorials to
Meuccl which will recognize the italian
as the absolute originator OF the tele-
phone.