Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/80

 Legal Reminiscences. constructed that it performed a most effi cient service, and involved extraordinary mechanical functions. Under the advice of Mr. Grove we had employed as a mechan ical expert, a gentleman who was afterwards knighted and raised to higher honors in the scientific world by his inventions, and his influence in the use of life-saving appliances and the prevention of accidents in railway travel. I refer to the late Sir Frederick Bramwell. In our consultations, I was impressed with the clearness of his views and the simple and clear terms with which he expressed them to others, and I told him that, in my opinion, we had been most fortunate in securing his services. He re plied that it was not yet certain that we had secured them, for if his brother, Baron Bramwell, sat in the Privy Council, when our case was heard, he would not appear as a witness, as he never did so in a case to be decided in whole or in part by his brother! His brother did not sit, and Sir Frederick was called by our counsel. The respect shown to his opinion by all the judges was an instructive illustration of the value of the evidence of an expert who was loyal to principles rather than parties. Sir Frederick appeared to have the confidence of all the judges, and his opinion on mechanical ques tions was decisive. The following was an episode in his examination : — In illustrating the functions of the hook, Sir Frederick said that it was fixed to the end of the shaft, that the point of the hook entered a loop, and travelled forward as the hook revolved until the stitch was made. "You state an impossibility! " exclaimed Lord Justice James, who seized his umbrella, the handle of which was a hook, and formed a loop with his handkerchief, into which he thrust it. " Now," he continued, " do you not see that if this loop kept travelling for ward, it would wind the thread upon the shaft, and it could never get out of the loop?" "And still, I insist that this hook does

57

get out of the loop, and form, not only one stitch, but two or three thousand stitches in a minute without failure," said Sir Frederick, "and I will make your lordship see and admit it." "Then you will make me admit a me chanical impossibility," said the judge. "Proceed; you act as if you believed what you assert." "I think your lordship was born in a country of windmills," said Sir Frederick. "You know they are constructed with a revolving top, through one side of which there is an opening for a door. Suppose that door opens to the north. You are tra velling directly south. You enter the door. While you are crossing the structure, the top makes a half revolution; the door now opens to the south. You have not halted, you have walked in a straight line, and now you walk out and continue your journey. This hook performs a corresponding func tion, and in this consists its ingenious novelty." We made excellent progress, and had everything our own way until we came to the showing of profits. Lord Justice James looked at the footing which showed a bal ance of some thirty thousand pounds. "Thirty thousand pounds! " he exclaimed, "That is large pay for so small a hook." I saw that our case was gone. Mr. Grove made a powerful argument in which he showed that the simplicity of our machine made it the greatest boon ever conferred upon the poor sempstress; but his words fell upon unwilling ears. Mr. Webster added a few observations, and the curtain fell, which separated the bench from the audience. And the same curtain fell upon our case. When it was raised a few minutes later, Lord Justice James observed " that their lordships did not care to trouble the counsel for the opponents to make any reply. The origin ality and value of the invention were clearly proved, and the petitioners deserved the commendation of the court for the full and