The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-05-23
(cOntinued Ion Fourth 20

that the sugar came in hogsheads
which had to be- scored with their
weight and IL would obviously never
do to let them go to the city weighers
marked under their true volume. The
fifteen exceptions in 1907 were doubt
less due to the more frequent visits of
agents of the collector. And so on.
Trial Fought
Long and Bitterly.
The trial was bitterly fought. But the
jury was out only an hour and ten min
utes Perhaps the explanation lay as
much IN facts which were incidental to
the main issue as to the story of the
seventeen holes. and the parallel col
umns of figures.
One such incidental was the testi-
mony of Mr. Havemeyer's confidential
clerk. O. H. o. Schneider. In the charge
of the court his contribution to the case
was abridged in this form:
In addition to that Mr.. Schneider
states that Mr.. Havemeyer on one oc-
casion asked him to make out a list
showing the differences in the two
weighers weights. and that he did so.
but that Mr.. Havemeyer never asked
him afterward to see them He states
that at the end Of each year. think.
or at the end when he made out his
first lot of these lists he spoke to Mr..
Eieike (secretary of the company about
1t; showed them 10 him: told him what
they were; and Mr.. Heike said he had
better go on and keep making them out.
and that he did so thereafter, and year
by year after making out these reports
took them over and showed them to Mr..
Heike. and Mr.. Heike made brief ex-
animation of them.
Another incidental was the extra pay
of the big Six" Coyle could get work
anywhere there might be need for a
hustler, but the others probably earned
as much here as they could hope to get
in New York. Nevertheless these six
were picked by the cashier, and paid
beyond their fellows Thus the indorse-
ment on Voelker's envelope would be
f741-s1S.5O.
though it would be found to contain
and Voelker had long been accustomed
to expect SIS instead OF the sum marked.
How Members
Of Six Were Paid.
Again, a witness of long and reputable
experience in the customs service tes-
titled that when he came on the docks
as head Government weigher, Dock
Superintendent Splitter invited him TO
go every month to the cashier and get
an envelope former employee at the
cOmpany's office swore that he had seen
customs house officials come TO the
sugar cOmpany's cashier and receive
money very many times" and the
cashier named was not called to deny
the charge. Most OF this was, of course,
contradicted by representatives of the
company.
Further, in this connection, it was tes-
tined that too much activity on the
part of the customs men had not been
heretofore desired in the collectors Of
fice- A former weigher who swore that
he had noted a strange webbing of the
scale beam was asked why he had not
reported it Il didn't want to commit
suicide, did 70" was his answer
Another significant Incidental was the
showing as to invoice weight" cargoes.
These are simply cargoes OF which the
weight set forth in the invoice is taken
as the basis for the company's payment
TO the shipper. instead of weights taken
anew from the city weighers in New
York. In the case of invoice weight car
goes, therefore. there could be no idea
that the city weighers were in collision
TO discredit the sugar company. Yet
the parallel column made for the dock
weighings might almost be transferred
and applied to the invoice weights. The
result is an enormous excess over the
Government weight up to the significant
date OF November 20. 1907.
Unique Defense
By Company Lawyers.
But the most impressive incidental TO
one who studies the record of the case
Is the defense put forth by such lawyers
as Messrs- Parsons and Stanchfield.
Here il is:
That the whole thing-a total equiva-
lent to a dividend between and per
cent on the capital stock of the COM
pany-is a tempest in a teapot That
the corset-steel and seventeen-holes
story is a plant" made up by Whalley |
and perhaps Parr to constitute a case.