Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1926-09-11
CONTINUED from last week.

mellow Claimed ne COulu prove
that he could secure unlimited pow
er out Of water bp decomposing the
oxygen from the hydrogen or some
such technical term. He was ready
to demonstrate. However he wanted
some one to demonstrate upon. He
thought of tackling the Warden and
so notified him with the result that
il was a miracle we were not all
thrown into the bull pen. The War
den got scared and figured he had
contrived to invent something that
would blow up the prison and all Of
his efforts were in vain as they were
all confiscated.
This did not dishearten him how
ever and he began to rebuild, only
this time he took special precaution
not to let any of his demonstrations
get to the ear of the officials. l
reasoned with him that IL I could
sell my services through the mail
that similarly he could interest cap
tia! in his invention so consequently
my draughtsman drew up plans and
ing booklets and Mellow printed
them. We sent. them broadcast and
finally small town capitalist and
promoter with more cupidity and GU
riosity than good Judgment arrived
at the prison. S
Mellow had talk with him. Won
him over and urged him to get GER
tain parties who could handle the
Warden interested with the result
that one day most peculiar crowd
ventured into the prison and Mellow
was given one of the bull-pen cells
to demonstrate in. The lad was
clever beyond description. He ar
ranged his various apparatus on u
work bench, skunk behind a mask of
much learning and fearful that the
capitalists would steal his invention
worth millions, had me there to take
down in shorthand everything that
was said.
At this gathering was the Warden
Deputy Warden, the small town cap
1talist, member of the board Of
control and two engineers selected
by this board member. Mellow gave
serious lecture and pathetically be-
moaned the waste of power that was
daily being ignored when by a SIM
pie process he could produce this
power out of water, harness it and
use 1T the same as gas or steam. In
fgures that indicated much thought
and an extensive knowledge of high
er mathematics he revolutionized
the entire age of power. Gasoline,
OIL and other power companies
would have very doubtful future
according to his lecture and when
ne had every one aroused to the
point that they thought him either
superman or lunatic he invited
the engineers to examine his work
ing models for any evidence of
trickery. Apparently they could
md none and asking for a match he
turned on his decomposing outfit,
lit the match and produced any
number OF instantaneous explosions
finally adjusting his gage SO that the
power from the water was burning
IKE gas. To say they were dumb
founded is but putting it mildly
Pehold they were living witnesses
to the marvel OF the age and i'm.
Eled ately there was a scramble for
an interest in the invention that
would make power as cheap as air.
The board member and his engineers
wanted to handle the invention and
was willing to put $4,000 into an
experimental laboratory for Mellow.
The small town capitalist was all
for 1t but Mellow refused to expert
ment further unless he was a free
man, fearing that his interests would
be stolen If he remained an inmate
and as he said unable to protect
himself Personally I had seen too
many con" games to become over
excited over his ideas revolutionizing
the world but 1 did see in it poten-
tialities that as promoter would
make us independent and so l talk
ed with my own personal assistant
who happened to be a lawyer. None
OF us had, over a few years to do
and we tried to persuade Mellow to
do nothing till we got out when we
could launch a stock selling plan
and clean up millions. To this he
refused on the grounds that the
simple process was bound to be dis
covered by others before our release
and that he must get out and pro-
tect 1T at once. To me it became
quite clear that he had something
on which to base a campaign for
freedom but beyond that I doubted