Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-01
WILL REFUSE TO
BE THE GOAT"
Superintendent for Sugar Company
Will Go on Stand and Tell
Whole Story.
HE SAYS HE OBEYED ORDERS
Men Higher Up Responsible for the
Corruption.
PAYMENTS TO CUsTo- MEN
Clerk Says Bendernsgel II NIX
TNOtes to Uncle Sans l ~
DEAL WITH SUGAR EN-
Men I'm Service of Corporation
Paid 80 Week TO BE Crooked : :,
Amount Placed in Pay
Envelopes. ~
Men Higher Up Responsible for the
Corruption.
PAYMENTS TO CUsTo- MEN
Clerk Says Bendernsgel II NIX
TNOtes to Uncle Sans ~
DEAL WITH SUGAR EN- :

NEW YORK, Nov. SO.--James F. Bender
nagle declines to be made the goat" by
the American Sugar Refining company, the
so-called trust and II the word of his
counsel is correctly interpreted, he may
testify for the government before his trial
together with five erstwhile employees Of
the company, all charged with defrauding
the government by underweighing sugar,
is concluded in the United States circuit
court.
This development is one of the many
legal phases involving the corporation now
under federal fire, and came today when
witness testified that S15-sometimes a
little more, was what employees of the
American Sugar Refining company were
paid to be crooked And the man who had
In some Instances paid this alleged corrup-
tion money, according to the testimony,
was Bendernagle, one-time superintendent
OF the companys plant in Williamsburg
(Brooklyn).
In the face Of this testimony. Bender
nagel conferred with his lawyer. George
w. Beattie, who in turn made this an
nouncement:
Mr. Bendernagle is my client He will
not be the goat In this case. He was an
employe, and what he did he did under or
ders An he will not shield anyone. -.
THE idea that has gone forth that the
Sugar trust is putting up for his defense is
wrong, The company Is not contributing a
cent for II. He did not receive a salary of
S2cOOO per year as has been said He got a
feW thousands, much less than the figures
given. When he takes the stand he will
conceal nothing"
The evidence which brought this turn In
the case was given by Andrew j. Manen,
who up to 107, was employed In the cash
ifTs office OF the Havemeyer & Elder re-
f'0cry In williamsburg BendernageI. ne
sad was in charge Of the office
Did you ever see Bendernagel pay cash
to mon in the uniform OK the custom house
who came to his officer" asked winifred
T nonnison OF consul for the government
Tes" was the answer
Mhat form was this money in?"
1T was in banknotes taken from the
safe in the office. 1 never saw vouchers for
It nor heard fany,' Malien replied.
Mallen testified further that John r.
Coyle, Edward A. Boyle, Pat K. Hennesy
and Jean oelker, weighers and checkers
among the men accused, were paid in en-
velopes marked S12 for the week But
their envelopes contained $15. Later, when
the salaries of this class of men were
raised to SIS. they got SIS in their en-
velopes, though the regular pay for their
positions was marked on the outside of
the envelope at SIS.
The government sought to show that this
unexplained increase in salary was a re-
ward for manipulating the scales to show
false weights on sugar Bendernagell's
counsel maintained, on the other hand
that If there was anything Irregular about
the payments the defendant was not re-
sponsible