New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-12
Mrs. Goodwin Says She Is
Glad Husbands Genius
Is Recognized.
MILLIONS LESS TO HER
THAN HIS MEMORY
Eastman Company, Which May
Lose $25,OO0,0OO, Will Try to
Take Case to Supreme Court.

Tell my friends that am not anxious
about the money. except as a Just recog-
milton Of my husbands genius"
This was the message Of a kindly Old
lady. Mrs. Rebecca Goodwin. 10 the many
callers at her modest home in Montclair
avenue. Newark. who came Yesterday to
congratulate her on the successful out
come Of years % litigation to assert her
! husbands patent rights TO the common
types Of films which have been manufact-
ured by tho Eastman Kodak COMPANY
and claimed to be their own invention.
The decision of the United States Court
OF Appeals might mean a million dollars
TO the aged widow Of the Eriscopal
clergyman, the Rev Hannibal Goodwin
who died years ago without reaping a
material reward for his invention. but II
was not that which concerned her most
when she was told. of the victory yester-
( day; she only saw the reward Of patience
for weary waiting and the belated rccog-
milton Of her husbands talents.
Mrs. Goodwin lives in an unpretentious
two-story frame house in part of the
city where the homes Of the wealthy are
not 10 be found. She is eigbty-six years
old. Her daughter. who is sixty years
old. lives with her They have been COM
Portable and contented in modest sur
lroundings. Through the long stretch OF
litigation in the Kodak case" they had
become reconclled TO their humble life
and were not led to hope that the promise
the big, Knd-hearted rector made them
back in the early eighties, when he dis
covered the film process. that some day
they would be rich, would ever come true.
\ close friend of the family called ~
the house early Yesterday and told them
II completely upset Mrs. Goodwin and her
daughter. Mrs Goodwin has been an in
valid for several years. They kept to their
rooms. while the friend remained and re-
ceiyed all callers and answered all IN
quiries for them. She gave the same
simple message from Mrs. Goodwin 20
every one who called. Later IN the day
Cortland Parker the Newark lawyer. who
has been Mrs. Goodwins personal counsel
in other matters. called up the house and
assured her that Il was all true.
There seemed TO be little doubt in the
mind OF Mr.. Parker that the Eastman
company would continue the fight II had
been said that the hrrn that had fought
the Goodwin patent so bitterly for fifteen
years would try to take the case to the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
No one would venture an estimate yee-
terday as 10 the amount involved, butt
has been estimated from $1,000 900 to
s25,000.Ooo. The Eastman company will
m he -
which 1t has put out during the interven-
ing years. the production OF which has
been enormously increased in recent years
by the development OF the moving picture.
The suit was brought against the East
man Kodak Company. of Rochester. by
the Goodwin Film and Camera Company,
which originally owned the Goodwin pat
/ ent. The Ansco Company, OF which
| Thomas w. Stephens is president, &C
| CURED control of the Goodwin company
| some years ago, and 1t is to that corpo-
ration that the accounting will have to
be made. Mrs. Goodwin and her daugh-
ter have stock interest in the latter
company.
The Rev. Hannibal Goodwin IS remem-
I bere1 es picturesque figure IN Newark.
/ lie was considerably over six feet tall
and possessed a kindly though forcefui
personality. He was rector of tho House
I of Prayer when he invented the sensi-
tized flm while seeking for a substitute
for the breakable glass plate. lie was an
! enthusiastic chemist as well as a capable
pastor HIS laboratory was in the attic
! OF the old brick rectory near the church.
He first made application for a patent
] In Nav ITiq nafeut era MT cd
| until September, 1898. In the meantime
I the Eastman Company used tho films in
its cameras and refused to recognize that
| the chemist-pastor had any rights 10 IT.
/ Mr.. Goodwin died December 81. 1900.