Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-11-27

RICHARD PABR
panied him and seconded his protest,
with the result that eventually Parr
was restored to his desk
This In the main Is PARIS own tale
OF the remarkable obstacles met by
one honest official in his efforts to ex-
pose a den of thieves. obstacles In
large degree created by or permitted
by his superior officers who were paid
by the government to protect its in
terests. His disclosures are backed up
by former Collector Fowler and others
Mr.. Reynolds. of course. enters
sweeping denial of the imputations
concerning himself. but Parr Insists
that he is prepared to prove his state
ments and that he has still more to
tell. Other officials and former Off
Gals of the custom house make dis
closures that corroborate Parr and
that add further revelations TO this
most remarkable scandal of recent
times. Former Appraiser Wilbur r.
Wakeman states that he laid evidence
of sugar trust frauds before Lyman j.
Gage when that gentleman was secre-
tary of the treasury and that Gage di-
rected him 10 place the matter before
Henry o. Havemeyer, who was then
president of the trust, but who has
since been succeeded by Washington
ID. Thomas. Wakeman and others
have also corroborated the charges of
a New York newspaper that the sugar
trust for years controlled a large share
Of the civil service appointments to
the New York custom house, getting
its own agents or crooks that it could
control into the government service to
aid 1t in its nefarious work.
The Administration Aroused.
The coming of Loeb not only brought
( happier days to Richard Parr. but
started a prosecution against the sugar
trust and an overhauling in the New
I York custom house that promise to go
, far, Fortunately the president, the
secretary Of the treasury and the attor-
ney general are all In earnest that the
truth shall come out and that customs
; frauds shall be eradicated not only In
/ New York, but In all other ports of en-
! try into the United States The turn
ing over of 100000 by the trust
which in itself was practical admis-
sion of guilt, is but the beginning. AL
ready James +. Bendernagel. the head
trust official at the Williamsburg pier,
/ has been indicted and has resigned his
position, and other officers both of the
custom house and the trust are under
indictment or are being investigated
! One man close to the source of power
/ In Washington has said, "Therell be
nothing left OF the sugar trust when
we get through" Several custom
house employees have already lost
! their heads and others are turning
! states evidence to save themselves
from the penitentiary. The civil serv-
/ ice commission is incensed over the
| charge of trust control Of New York
| appointments and promises a thorough
investigation. To cap all it is proba
/ BILE that congress will take up the
/ matter, and in that case important pa
pers that have long been pigeonholed
j In Washington can be brought to light
/ IL they are still in existence. The mat
ter has now gone too far to permit of
a backward step, and there is every
promise that it will be probed to the
bottom.
Trust Hard Pressed.
AS for the sugar trust, these dis
closures, coming on the heels of those
made by Receiver George Ii. Earle in
relation to the buying out and shut
ting down of the Pennsylvania rein
cry. put it in bad way. The case
brought by Earle was also settled out
of court. although 1t cost the trust
many millions to make the settlement.
The government will be satisfied with
nothing less than criminal prosecu-
tons The decision of a federal dis
trict Judge holding that. five years
having elapsed, the guilty trust Off
Gals could escape through the statute
of limitations will be appealed At
last the public is assured that there
is one case against the big malefac-
tors which will be pushed to the limit
IL 1t is indeed so II will mean a bet
ter day in the nation and will give
some hope that the era of honesty In
high places is at last ushered in.