New-York tribune., 1909-12-14
SUGAR MEN ON JUMP
Grand JURY BUSY.
Probing Into Frauds Proceeds
During Trial BelOSc.

bAIIH- A fttc btAcNs
" r. Foster. auditor OF the American
s,llrar RerninE Company. in charge Of its
hooks. one OF tho bookkeepers and several
others with knowledge OF the companys
sffsirs were before the federal grand jury
yesterday. The latter was meeting on the
fourth floor ~ the Postofice Building. ON
the th:rd floor. before Judge James l. MAJ
tsn the defence IN the trial of former en-
rloves of the sugar company was gathering
testimony in she effort 10 gam freedom Tor
sire accused men
From tho third floor 20 the fourth and
hack again throughout the dsy counsel
for the prosecution were scurryfnE. and -
morris of disclosures thar would lead 10 inn
f,orfarf indictments were rife. IL was salo
fv q federal ofhcial thar al obstacles 10
the fullest information regarding the
frauds on the docks OF the Havemeyer a.
Elder plant. IN Williamsburg, had been re-
moved.
A shoTr time before the trial came 20 a
lose sor the day evidence IN the form OF
tables of weights was offered by counsel
for IRE defence FOR = period that showed
that the company WIS sffording assistance
10 It's former employees. These figures were
~ receipts of sugar from January Of TINS
,esr until September . last. None OF the
men or trial excepting James r. Bender
Nsrel mas been with the company since
lasr suriug and the latter. according 10
svidenoe given on the stand. had thins
TO 90 with the management on the DOCKS
or IN the refinery outside OF has duties as
cashier.
FIGURES OF DEFENCE OPPOSED
The tables are Of the weights o. - car
goes ana are intended 10 offset those Of
fered in evidence by the government Ihe
latter 90 not extend further than March
1865 and there was opposition 10 the ad-
mission Of the figures offered by the de-
fenoe The court will decide whether 10
admit them tins morning. when court re
Oonvenes.
When the court adjourned. al $50 o'clock
Henry J.. Stinson. the special counsel Tor
the government, and ms assistant. Wintred
= nenison. held q prOrrHcted conference
enc lust before O'Clock went 20 the grand
-urv room Felix Frsnkfur1er, another as
sistaui. was there al DAY. II was after .
Yo clock when the grand jury hurried OUT
The counsel followed more leisurely-
pa and out of the courtroom, I'm the cor
-ldorF and on the hoor above. special agents
belonging 10 the Attorney Generals force
Of Secret Service men were circulating as
the trial progressed. They were in and out
the grand jury was in session. Il WAS free
ly said that more important Developments
than any since the investigation Of the ar
1sirs of the American Sugar Refining CON-
many was begun were likely 10 follow
Oliver Splitter former dock superinten-
cent o. the company. was on the stand. un-
Ger oss-examiuation, as soon a. court
convened. He continued 20 declare thar
Whatever occurred that seemed 10 impli-
cate him IN the fraucs due 10 the
.nacnsuations of enemies. Although he had
said that he was not familiar with the
weighing operations when under direct CA
animation. yesterday he Identified the
cock book which contained the government
weights and the ciiy weights for the period
when the frauds were being committed.
and showed she differences between the
veiEIts unon which the company paid duty
and those used 10 verify the invoices
sPTTZER EXPLAINs DIFFERENCES.
The jsrriug Of hogsheads on the platforms
~ tho scales and other interferenceE 10 The
mechanism % the weighing apparatus, Ar
splitter declared, were responsible for the
differences IN weight. He was asked by
SIR Suuson Why this difference did not
snow before and after January February
and March, 1907. and November % Of the
same year. when the raid was made. AS
20 the latter. the witness said that the
Eameness OF the showing was due 10 the
greater care exercised on the docks.
Immunity from prosecution because Of
testimony given before the grand jury ln
Brooklyn was one OF the arguments an the
demurrer pleas 10 the indictments under
which the six men are being tried. The
same argument VIII he made al The c, IA
olusion of the taking OF testimony. Counsel
for the defence asked each witness from
among the accused men yesterday who-her
De had testified before the Srans Jury. The
answer was always that ne had Before
Snitzer concluded mis- testimony ne was
asked whether he had an interest IN the
fstevedore business which handled the sugar
1Ie SAID:
4 tried 10 Get IN. but the co-11sny blocked
ine and kept me from making d living 7
was getting s. q week as superintendent %
Harry Walker, until a short time ago raw
sugar stock clerk for the company and as
sistant dock superintendent wnen Spi,zer
was IN charge was "a witness. He started
.n 70 say thar he was DISCHARGED from the
conlpanys employ soon after ne received 2
subpGna 70 testify In this case. and sup
posed tnaf his dismissal vas lue 10 the
suhpRns. but the court told him 10 state
Facts ana not supD0sitions
Z, dllzer repeated tho TESTIMONY last week
IS ~ the sugar weighted trucks since the
checkers were removed as a reason WHY
Tne figures OF csrgoes should be different
since the raid. lie said that the scales
were also dirty, and thai he had reported
both conditions 10 government employees.
nut thar nothing Was done Henry p.
cochrane. when Mr. stiInsoE objected To
evidence after the time when the govern
Inent investigations came 70 a close. IN
March. leos. said that le wished 10 show
fhat the customs employees refused 10 per
uiit the cleaning Of the scales
LAYS BLAME OF OTHERS
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