The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-24
President Pardons Spitzer in
Order That He May Give
Testimony.
HAD CONFESSED FRAUD
In WEIGHING OF SUGAR
Defense Taken Unawares by
Appearance of Unexpected
Witness.

back to New York today like a spectre
from the grave and. with a pardon from
the president in his pocket. gave tcsti-
mony at the trial of Charles r. Helke.
secretary-trcasurcr Of the American
sugar Refining company, who. with five
subordinates. is charged with conspiracy
TO defraud the government In under
weights OF sugar imports.
Spitzer as superintendent of the COM
pany's Williamsburg (Brooklyn) docks,
his participation In the frauds, but he
was quietly pardoned by the president
last Thursday, after serving three
months and having made a full confess
sion. and from now on will aid the gov
ernment in its attempt to convict his
former associates.
Spitzer's story on the stand today did
not directly connect Ueiko with the
frauds, but his confession resulted in one
new arrest tonight James BrZcZlnski,
formerly an employee OF the treasury de-
partment and now private detective,
was locked I'm the Tombs charged with
perjury. Splitter confessed ne attempted
10 brlbe BrZezinskf to conceal the frauds
and the latter is alleged TO have denied
this before federal grand jury.
The Bribery Charges.
Brzezinsk has had a prominent part
in the sugar fraud disclosures. He was
with Richard Parr, the special agent who
first discovered the steel spring frauds
in 1901 Then, 1t Is alleged. Splitter at
tempted to brlbe them
This led TO Splitter being charged with
attempted bribery, and, although Brze-
zinski gave evidence on which the in
came to trial in Brooklyn he testified
Splitter had not approached him or Parr
The prosecution of Splitter on this charge
therefore proved fiasco and, after an
investigation. BrzezinsId was dismissed
from the government service.
Appearing before a federal grand jury
later, it is charged he again yexonerated
Splitter and gave evidence dscrcditIng
the account given by Parr. Spitzer's
confession. therefore. caused tho govern
mcnt to charge perjury.
For his part in uucovering the steel
spring device, Brzezinsl1 has been men
toned as entitled to receive II meiety
payment from the government, Parr has
in a claim for many thousands,
Splitter told an amazing story on the
stand today under direct examination
and hurried from the court to the federal
grand Jury room. This led 10 the rumor
that mis- full confession would result in
another batch Of indictments He was
not cross examined by the defense be-
cause of the peculiar situation created
by his sudden appearance as govern
inelL WltneSSs Two OF tnS QetcnSe :
lawyers had previously appeared for
Splitter when he was defendant and for
ethical reasons could not now examine
him. The court ruled they must agree
on some one to examine him Wednes
day,
Reason for Pardon.
No promise OF pardon brought about
Spit2er's confession, say the federal au
thorities. His conscience merely hurt
him, il was explained, but realizing the
importance of his testimony and the legal
obstacles likely TO bar it were he n con-
vict, the government restored him to clti-
zenship.
When convicted in February last.
Splitter declared the sugar trust had
made him the Scapegoat
'It bounded and ruined me after I had
served faithfully for twcnty-nine years
he sad then. Today he told how for
ycars he had assisted in the alleged
frauds.
Allan f. Hawxhurst. an employee of
the sugar trust for eighteen years as an
assistant cashier under Bendernngle cor
bracht ordered various raises In the pay
of the government checkers.
II had been testified earlier i'm the trial
that the government checkers got SO cx-
ira per week over and above the sum
noted on the pay envelope. Bcndernagle
ordered the advances. testi-
fled the witness This, too. was In cor
roboration of Spitzer's testimony
Details Of Testimony.
Splitter went back TO tho years 1894 nd
1895. when. he said. an iuvestiga ton he
made developed the fact that the check
sugar by placing small bags OF lead on
the beams OF the scales, causing the
weights to drop below the ac-
tual. often as much as forty pounds on
ca ch draft
In addition. Splitter said. it was also
The practice to stuff paper underneath
purpose. He said tnot when Deputy
OF Customs Vail took office
these devices We're abandoned and the
lso Of tho steel cord and steel was be-
II said before Suitzer got we'll
nlo his testimony that he would make
l clean breast Of the frauds alleged 20
lavc been committed in the underweieh- |
locks.
Splitter demonstrated in court the use
q the sample scale. which Is one OF
he governments exhibits In The case.
md Indicated on the beam tho place
where the bag was suspended.
The iurv and the dcfe"dants ara eroyv- |
body in the courtroom followed his dem |
'ustration with the closest attention |
rcstifvinc regarding tho use ot the wire
spring which superseded the baC OF
ead Spiizcr said Two STYLES OF spring
we're used. n heavy orc FIRST and then a |
,r'"inc considerably lighter.
Ycight lcssoniuc device or the newspa pers
the scale was new deyelop-
ncnt. ITnikr listened 10 SpitZer's tostl-
nonv with tense interest
Splitter talked freely about the frauds
~ which the v"'ernTn"nt was robbed
= rN'lions Of dollars. lie said the use
{ the steel snrinTs w2ss stopped after
hr suFar trust had paid ,hc rebate 10
he government as n result Of the fod-
raj suit.
Danger Signals Used.
did YOU arrange syslcm of signal |
lights In the scNlchouse? suddenly
slIcd the prosecutor.
ayes. slr" replied Splitter. who then
eiated that the signals were used 10
Continued on Page Two.