The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-04

company.
Parr rehearsed once more his story of
how he caught Kohoe, a tally clerk.
manipulating the crooked scales; how
oliver Splitter, one of the six company
employees now charged with conspiracy.
offered to let him name his own price
for hushing the thing up; and how
Brozinski. Spitzer's partner, hooked MIN
by the elbow and asked anxiously:
''Dick. this fellow says you're all
right. Does that go?" Nothing goes
with me-" Parr testified he said.
Told with heat and great circum-
stance the narrative made a visible ef-
feet and counsel for the defense was
quick to retort with an attack ON Parr' S
credibility.
You started to investigate without
orders from any superior officer?" he
was asked.
IF you call President Roosevelt and
his secretary (now Collector Loeb) SUI
perior officers, 1 was working under or
ders,'' replied Parr. But if you mean
the secretary of the treasury then I
was working without orders"
Further inquiry along this line, was
dropped.
Questions designed to show that Parr
had once written sheets for pool AMI
policy room keepers were barred by the
court, but Parr insisted on an angry
denial. The wire, with which it was
shown at former trial, the scales were
manipulated was produced In couct
again and identified. A working model
of the scales was exhibited for the
benefit of the jury. Parr told how he
first came up on Kehoe crouching be-
hind the scales.
Adjournment was taken until Mon
day.
Review of the Case.
Gigantic robberies estimated in the
millions, extending through a period
of Is years are laid at the door of the
fT11Sf in the inn ri o
of subordinates in the employ of the
company which is now being heard.
The first of a series of suits threatens
to expose network of double dealing
robbery and grating, involving the
officials of the trust as well as the
government agents in the customs
service.
The men on trial are James F. Ben
dernagel, cashier of the trusts Will
liamsburg plant; oliver Splitter dock
superintendent; and Thomas A. Doyle,
all checkers and weighers in the trust
employ. The five checkers with Spit
ger were known as the big Six" and
they are accused of defrauding the
government by entering false weights.
The frauds were made possible by
the use of fixed scales discovered by
Special Treasury Agent Richard Parr.
The government is looking to Ben
dernagel to turn states witness and
expose the whole fabric of fraud.
One of the possible outgrowths OF
these preliminary cases is that Pres
ident Taft will call the alleged rob-
berries to the attention of congress in
his message or in a special message
and insist that the lawmakers CO.
operate with the government in push
ing the cases against the trust. Unit
ed States Senator Borah of Idaho has
been preparing a resolution ca1line
for an investigation. He is said tc
have the hearty cooperation of the
uDDer house.
Recently a prominent business mar
of New York told the senator tina
more than $30,0O0.000 had been stol
en- during the past Is years. Thi.
man says he has been close to the
sugar trust for the past Is years ant
is willing to appear as a witness. TIL,
communication received by Senator
Borah declares that every cent stol
en- was with the sanction and appro
val of the heads of the trust. 1t Il
pointed out that the trust was no
only guilty of fraud and theft but ais,
for violation of the Sherman anti
trust laws