The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

Having taken a very active part in the discussions which have arisen out of the machine invented by Mr. Readheffer, we shall continue to inform our readers on the subject when any new circumstance arises that may interest the public on the subject. In conformity with the intimation made by the Legislature of this state to Mr. Readheffer, that a committee was appointed to examine his machine and report upon it, Mr. Readheffer, through the hands of the editor of this paper, signified by letter to the committee that it would be for their inspection on Thursday last, the 21st inst. Prior to that day, however, he signified that it would not be suitable or convenient for him to present it on that day to the committee—and on Friday last he signified to two of the members that he had determined not to exhibit it to them at all. This extraordinary conduct has with too much reason excited some serious doubts as to the reality of the discovery—and the Committee have made their report to this effect to the legislature. The editor feels that it is due to himself and to the public to state that he has for two successive days attended to the examination of the machine, in company with a considerable number of respectable millwrights and others conversant in machinery, and examined every part of the machine, taken it to pieces and put it together again, and without discovering any thing which could leave a belief that there was any thing it concealed. His refusal to exhibit the machine as he had promised, though it does not prove any deception in the machine, is nevertheless too mysterious and unreasonable to assure confidence, and unless explained in an open and unequivocal manner, must shake the judgment of those who felt the greatest gratification in the belief of its reality.