Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-26
Says He Could No Longer Stand
Burden of Sins.
PARDON COMES AS SURPRISE
Citizenship and Rights Restored at
Court Room Door.
EFENsE TOUCHES LIGHTLY
Lawyers for Sugar Men DO Not
Probe Deep Into Testimony
of the Man from
Prison.

NEW YORK May 25-Oliver Splitter, the
former dock superintendent of the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining company, who walked
out of the Atlanta penitentlary with a
pardon from President Taft to testify for
the government in the sugar conspiracy
cases, was the chief witness at the trial of
Secretary Charles r. Heke of the American
Sugar Refining company and fove former
subordinates, today.
There was no little speculation today
over the probable attitude of the govern
ment toward the problem presented by the
mysterious disappearance of numerous
sugar trust books and records The de-
fense has agreed to accept the figures
prepared by government experts regarding
sugar weights in the time covered by the
records in the missing volumes, but there
is no way of reconstrucing the vanished
letter copying books of the period, con-
tanning the correspondence which passed
between the refinery docks and the head
offices of the company Search for these
records, 1t was intimated, had not been
abandoned.
Thompson COrrects Testimony
The first witness called was John H.
Thompson, bookkeeper in the Wall street
offices Of the sugar company.
Today Thompson asked leave to correct
his testimony of yesterday.
/ 1T was Spitzer who told me the docks
were being watched, not Bendernaegel, 3"
said Thompson.
He corrected his testimony in other de-
tails, mostly of minor nature
Theodore L. Keppler, head of the Sugar
trusts refinery in South Boston, testified
as an expert to sugar making processes,
and was led to state that raw sugar would
lose in weight by being refined.
There was a general rustic of expectancy
In the court room as oliver Spftzer was
called for cross-examination. Washington
ID. THOMAS, president of the American
sugar Refining company, who is under
subpoena to appear, watched the former
employe of the corporation closely as
Splitter began his testimony. Spitzer was
cross-examined by former State Senator
Clarence w. Lexow.
Appointed by Theodore Hnvemeyer.
Splitter said Theodore A. Havemeyer
brother of the late II. o. Havemeyer, ap
pointed him superintendent of the Williams
burg dock. When he left Atlanta prisor
= Splitter said he had no hope of a pardon
and added:
e VI left my effects in Atlanta I cam,
' here to unburden myself of the grea
e wrongs 1 had done all these years.
h wanted to confess all my sins before thi
court and tell all knew
I'm wanted to stand among nv fellow
men once more and tell all / should hay
told before. 1 wanted TO go back to m,
r family 1 wanted to be shriven of al
j. that cankered me those sleepess night II
: Atlanta prison, where 1 suffered so much
$ II could not stand it any longer
+ told Captain Flynn of the secret servic
e in Atlanta that 1 could not stand tn
:, torture; that 1 must tell the truth and
would not have been behind those bars,
l had taken the advice of my lawyers
Mr. Mackelar and Mr. Cochran. The
told me to confess, if had anything I
confess. after my conviction last Febu
, Irary. They told me to confess before 1t wa
} too late"
Makes Counsel Sit Up.
IS Spitzers former counsel, Mackeler an
J. Cochran, who are now defending the eX
n government checkers Halligan and Voc
It ker, two of the six defendants, leaned fol
r ward in their chairs listening with clos
It attention to the testimony of their forme
client
le Splitter said he had received the pardo
d in the United States district attorneys OF
le flee, just before he took the stand Nor
20 day morning.
IS No promise, he said had been made hir
by Special Deputy Attorney General StIn
son, or any one else connected with tn
) government
Splitter stood the cross-examination wei
:, 1t was neither prolonged nor severe o
the redirect examination. Federal Pros,
cutor Stimson simply asked him If he d,
sired to change his testimony as given la,
l. Monday.
IS No l told the truth and have nothin
D to correct" was Spitzer's reply.