The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-05-11
Dead Standard Oil Mans
Wife Rejects Theory of
Suicide In Spite of Finan-
cial Revelations
SHORTAGE WAS $3.50, 900
INVESTIGATION GOES ON AND
UNTIL IT'S COMPLETION YOUNG
ROGERS REFUSES TO Make A
STATEMENT

STATEMENT
NEW YORK. May IL. 1906.-Those
who are investigating declare that
Charles L. Spier, H. H. Rogers's con-
fdential man. who was found shot to
death in his home on Staten Island, was
defaulter for at least S180,000. The
shortage is expected to grow as the
search by expert accountants continues.
Spier represented the executive head
of the Standard Oil in so many compa-
nies, of which he was either president,
vice-president or director. that it will be
some days before all his dealings can be
gone into.
It is argued that Spier became a de-
| faulter because of his losses in the
stock market, and that when these losses
4 showed him that he had become a thief
he ended his life In spite Of the state
ment that Spier was defaulter, his
wife and relatives insist that he was not
q suicide, but that he was murdered by
/ a prowler in his home. The police are
| positive in their claim that Spier shot
himself and attempted to arrange stage
/ setting so it would appear that he had
been murdered.
1t has been shown also that Spier
used the name of his young wife in his
peculations It is not believed, however,
that Mrs. Spier was aware of the uses
to which her name was being put.
Mr.. Rogers recently gave to Spier two
blocks of securities of some traction
companies to deposit in the Central
i Trust Company One lot amounted to
$4,000 and the other to $140,00o. 1t is
alleged that, instead Of being in the
trust company vaults, the securities were
found in the possession of a prominent
stock brokerage house where they had
been put up by Spier as collateral to
cover recent heavy losses in the stock
market.
$50 far as we have investigated" said
Mr.. Rogers, Jr., the records show ir
regularities which must be traced to the
end before positive statement can be
/ made as to what extent Mr.. Spier ex-
ceeded his powers as officer of various
corporations. 1t is very probable that
certain securities apparently issued ire
gularly may prove, in the outcome, to
have been devoted to legitimate outlay
for the companies concerned.
"We have not heard yet from any
bank with which any of the stock or GER
tifcates were hypothecated. We cannot
assume to know or to estimate the liza
bilities of the Spier estate. Our position
is that we are investigating and trying
to learn where We stand. We find rec
ords. of the issue of stock which require
inquiry. There is evidence that some of
the stock was put out in the name of his
wife We cannot say that it was i'm
properly done until we have gone further
into the matter.
'sAs we proceed in the investigation
there is no appearance of an increase,
but on the contrary the liabilities may
prove to be smaller than anticipated.
I At the present stage We cannot give any
approximate notion of the amount involv-
/ ed"
Despite the statement from Mr.. Rogers
that apparent discrepancies had been dis
covered, Mrs. Spier said at her home in
Staten Island.
..No matter what disclosures have
been made, have not changed my opin-
ion that my husband was murdered"
/ When aswed whether she had signed
documents for him she replied:
My husband frequently brought me
papers to sign which did without know
!. ing what they were"
The DOCTORS who performed the autop-
sy on the body on Wednesday believed
that the wound had not been inflicted by
Spier. DIR. George Mord, Coroner's ply
sician. thinks that the weapon was dis
charged BY accident. DR.. MacGuire
thinks that there was burglar, that
both men fired, and that the insruder was
hit on the hand which caused the various
blood spots. DR.. Paterson sides with the
family in the disbelief Of suicide.
SOLDIERS OPPOSE STRIKERS