J. M. Aldrich

James Martin Aldrich (1856-1915) was an American confidence man who claimed to have invented a perpetual motion machine, an item that came to Mid-Atlantic press attention in March 1897 when he was arrested at Cleveland, Ohio and brought to Bradford, Pennsylvania on fraud charges after leaving that town with investment funds.

Press Coverage

Spirit Photography at Lily Dale (1883)

• "LILY DALE CAMP-MEETING. Spiritualists and Liberals in the Woods at Cassadaga -- The Light and Literature of a Queer Gathering.", Buffalo Morning Express (Buffalo, NY): 4, 28 Jul. 1883, "L. and J. M. Aldrich of Pine Valley, Cattaraugus County, N.Y., are located in the grove, and are prepared to furnish a man with his picture surrounded by spirit pictures of departed friends, made up as little angels with big wings or big angels with little wings, at very reasonable prices. You pay your money and take your choice. It is but just to say that one of the ring performers in this spiritual show informed your correspondent that the 'spirit photograph dodge' was an arrant fraud and humbug." 

Perpetual Motion Discovered (1888)

• "Keeley's Motor Outdone", The Weekly Courier (Connellsville, PA): 1, 6 Jul. 1888, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121302248/keeleys-motor-outdone-re-j-m/ 

Perpetual Motion Improved (1897)

• "Gravity Motor", Bradford Era (Bradford, PA): 2, 18 Feb. 1897 
• "Prof. Aldrich the Corydon Genius who has a perpetual motion machine in the shape of a Gravity motor is wanted in Bradford", Bradford Era (Bradford, PA): 4, 6 Mar. 1897, "There are several Bradford men who have yearned for a fortnight to rest their optics on the Corydon inventor but as yet their desire in that direction has not been gratified. When the professor visited this city several weeks ago he agreed to sell a half interest in the patent to a number of Bradford men for a consideration of $3,000. It is alleged that $50 was paid the inventor to make the bargain legal and then Aldrich he took the motor with him and has not been seen since. The Bradford men are trying to locate the inventor and his motor." 
• "AN ALLEGED SWINDLER. James Martin Aldrich, a Bradford Fugitive from Justice, Arrested.", Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, NY): 13, 21 Mar. 1897, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121310561/an-alleged-swindler-james-martin/ 
• "Aldrich and His Motor. The Inventor and His Perpetual Motion Device in the Clutches the Law.", Bradford Era (Bradford, PA): 1, 22 Mar. 1897 
• "AN INVENTOR ARRESTED: A Bradford Man With a Perpetual Motion Machine Charged With Fraud", The Philadelphia Times (Philadelphia, PA): 2, 22 Mar. 1897, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121302253/an-inventor-arrested-a-bradford-man/ 
• "MR. ALDRICH'S GRAVITY MOTOR Seems to Solve the Perpetual Motion Problem. BUT THE INVENTOR IS IN DURANCE VILE. Arrested at Cleveland and Taken to Bradford on Charges of Fraud -- Experts and Capitalists Interested in His Machine.", Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, New York): 3, 22 Mar. 1897, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121302377/mr-aldrichs-gravity-motor-seems-to/ 

Scientific American Feature (1899)

• "Typical Perpetual Motion Fraud", Scientific American (New York: Munn & Co.) 81 (1): 9, 1 Jul. 1899, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.13316846&view=1up&seq=392