The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-05-24
TAFT PLAYS TRICK
/. ON SUGAR TRUST
ATTORNEYS
PardOns Splitter That He May
Testify Against Heike
BIG SENSATION IN COURT
Government Played Trump Card in
UnderweIghine Conspiracy
Trial

New York, May 24.-The trump card
Ike, secretary of American Sugar Re
filming company, called the man high
er up" was played at the opening of
the sugar trust underweighing con-
spiracy trial yesterday when Prose
cutOr Henry l.. Stimson called as the
governments first witness Oliver
Splitter, superintendent of the Will
lliamsburgh docks, who some months
ago, was convicted of underweighing,
and sentenced to two years in the
federal penitentiary at Atlanta.
Splitter was accompanied by Chief
Flynn of the secret service. When he
took the stand Lawyer John b.
Stanchfield, for the defense, claimed
that under the federal statute Spit.
ger. as convicted man. could not
testify. The sensation of the trial
was then created by the declaration
In court that Splitter had been par
doned by President Taft
Heike is on trial In the United
States Circuit court with five former
employees of the American Sugar Re-
filming company on the charge of con-
Isplring 10 defraud the government by
underweighing cargoes OF sugar i'm
Iports. Witnesses have testified to
the discovery of fraudulent devices
on the sugar docks. whereby, 1t Is al
legged, employees OF the socalled sug-
ar trust manipulated the scales so as
to bring about underwelghts.
A. O..4t l.
weighing frauds on the docks 1t was
developed that President Taft grant.
ed him an unconditional pardon on
May 19 last.
Splitter went back to the years 1894
and 1895. when ne said that an inves-
tigation he made developed the fact
that the checkers were affecting the
weights on raw sugar by placing
small bags Of lead on the beams OF
the scales, causing the recorded
weights to drop below the actual
often as much as forty pounds OF
each draft In addition to the bagS
OF lead placed on the beams to affect
the weights, Splitter said II was also
the practice to stuff paper under
meath the floors Of the scales for the
same purpose. He added that wheT
Deputy Surveyor OF Customs Val
took Office these devices we're aban
doned and the use OF the steel corset
springs instead was begun and con
tinued. II was said before Spitzei
got we'll into his testimony that he
would make clean breast Of the
frauds alleged to have been commit
ted in the underweighing' of raw sug
ar on the Williamsburgh docks.
Splitter demonstrated in court the
use of the bags OF lead. He walked
over. to the sample scale, which is
one OF the governments exhibits In
the case, and indicated on the beam
the place where the bag was suspend.
ed. The jury, the defendants and
everybody in the court room followed
his demonstration with the closest
attention.
Testifying regarding the use Of the
steel spring WI 'ch supported the bag
OF lead, Splitter said that two styles
OF spring were used, heavy one first
and then a spring considerably light
er in weight. Spitzer's testimony re-
garding the newspapers under the
scale was new development. Heike
listened to Spitzers testimony with
tense interest.
Splitter talked freely about the
frauds by which the government was
robbed OF millions OF dollars. He
said the use Of the steel springs was
stopped after the sugar trust had
paid the rebate to the government as
n result of the federal suit