The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-03
PARR STAR WITNESS
IN THE SUGAR TRIAL
Tells Graphic Story of Dis
covery of the Weighing
Frauds"
DESCRIBES FINDING
SPRINGS IN SCALES
Asserts Splitter Offered Him Bride
Not 10 Report His
Discovery.

NEW YORK. Dec. S.-Richard Parr.
deputy surveyor at the port of New
York. and the man who, il is claimed,
was directly responsible for the uncov-
ering Of the sugar frauds, was the star
witness at todays session Of the trial
OF the former officers and weighers Of
the trust.
He told a graphic story Of the discov-
cry of the method of defrauding the
Government by means of the steel
spring passed through the hole, whereby
it retared the operation OF the scales
and of the attempt TO fix him" After
telling of his assignment TO the Sugar
trust docks in Williamsburg and of his
work there. he took up the discovery
OF the spring.
"kehoe Zone of the defendants) was
sitting in peculiar position near the
Government weigher, made him get
up and sat down where he had been
sitting. There was a hole in the stan
chion. and when 1 placed my hand in II
] asked I<ehOe how long he had used H.
He said he knew nothing about il.
1 placed kehoe in charge OF the
Government weighcr ard started to a
telephone. On my way there, L met
Splitter, the dock superintendent lie
stopped me and wanted TO fix things
up. He notice a Masonic emblem on
my coat lapel and said 10 me:
80 We are all MRsons. All you've got
20 do is to name your price and report
the scales out OF order and let this thing
drop. I've fixed up Government en-
polyes before now and there is no neces-
sity for starting anything,
Refused Bride.
II refused to take a bride. but began
taking the scales to pieces. Then 1
found the spring which kehoe had in
serted into the scale to keep the weight
down Splitter renewed his offer and
said 1 was a damned fooI not to take
the mOney-that others had.
L began going through the other
scale houses. This was an hour after
the original discovery in scale No. l. In
all Of them ! found the hole in the
stanchion Of the scale, but failed TO find
any more springs. / had no authority
10 search the company's checkers, VINO
had plenty of time TO conceal the
springs they had inserted in the holes d"
Parr then identified the portions of
the stanchions he found in scale No. /,
and which showed the hole through
which the spring was inserted
Before Parr was called 10 The stand,
weigher described in detail by means OF
an immense chart, how a spring could
be inserted into the scales used by the
Government at the Brooklyn docks.
Blow For Defense.
Following his testimony. John Ma rtin
dealt the defense a severe blow by ruI-
ing that the Government might intro
duce in evidence books and tables to
show that the admitted difference in
weights between the Government
weights. and the merchant weights did
not exist after the discovery OF the
frauds and the banishments Of the trust
checkers from the Government scale
houses where they could doctor the
scales.
II was then that Parr was called to
the stand. He stated that il was in
November, 1907, that he ana Specia I
Agent Brezinski were assigned as spe-
cial agents of the Treasury Department
60 the Williamsburg docks 10 look for
a leak" On November 20 they went TO
the Havemeyer aI-$ Elder docks in
Williamsburg, where they were Joined
by Splitter, and they talked with him for
time, after which PaTr went 10 dock
No. !. This was the dock on which
Hehoe was at work. Parr testified 10
having loads Of sugar rsweighed and OF
finding discrepancies in the weight.