Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1892 — Early Matches. [ARTICLE]

Early Matches.

The first phosphorus match was made in the penitentiary at Hohenasberg, Germany. The inventor was John Frederick Komerer, a political prisoner. Komerer was a chemist by profession, and was permitted tq make scientific experiments by his unusually humane jailer. A year after he struck his first lucifer match Komerer was set free, only to find that he, a penniless man, had to fight capitalists who were interested in his discover}’ on which no patent was then obtainable. The German Government thought matches dangerous, and injured the inventor still further by prohibiting their use. This ruined Komerer, who died in extreme poverty.