The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-05-24
OLIVER SPlTZER, PARDoNED
FROM PENlTeNTlARY eY
PRESIDENT, RETURNS.
TESTIMONY IMPORTANT
Witness, Already Found Guilty Of
Participation in Sugar Frauds,
Makes Full Confession and From
Now on viii Aid Government
Statements Are roborated.

New York. May 23.--olivcr Splitter.
a man whose conscience hurt him.
came beck to New York today like "a
spectre from the grave. and. with a
pardon from the president In his pock-
et gave testimony In the trial of
Charles r. Heike, secretary treasurer
of the American Sugar Refining COM
pany. who. with five subordinates. is
charged with conspiracy to defraud the
government In underweights of sugar
imports. Splitter, as superintendent of
the company's Williamsburg tBrook
lyn) docks. got two years In the At
lanta prison for his participation In
the frauds. but he was quietly par
doned by the president last Thursday
after serving three months and hav-
ing made full confession. from now
on will aid the government In It's at
tempt to convict his former associates.
New Arrest.
Spitzer's story on the stand today
did not directly connect Heike with the
frauds. but his confession resulted in
one new arrest tonight. James Brze-
zinski. formerly an employe of the
treasury department and now a pri-
vate detective. was locked In the
Tombs. charged with perjury. Splitter
confessed he attempted to bribe Brze-
zinski to conceal the frauds and the
latter is alleged to have denied this be-
fore a federal grand jury. 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 to the rumor that
his full confession would result In an
other batch OF indictments. He was
not cross examined by the defense be-
cause of the peculiar situation created
by his sudden appearance as "A gov
ernment witness. Two of the de-
fense's lawyers had previously ap-
peared for Splitter when he was de-
fendant and for ethical reasons could
not now examine them. The court
ruled they must agree on someone to
examine him Wednesday. No promise
Of pardon brought spitzer's confession.
say the federal authorities. His con-
science merely hurt him. 1t was ex-
planned, but realizing the importance OF
his testimony and the legal obstacles
likely to bar It were he a convict. the
government restored him to citizen
ship.
When convicted, I'm February last
Splitter declared that the sugar trust
had made him the scapegoat 1T
bounded and ruined me after I had
served faithfully for 80 years." he said
tlA,. IN
had assisted I'm the alleged frauds
Brzezinski has had "a prominent part
In the sugar fraud disclosures. lie
was with Richard Barr. the special
agent who first discovered the steel
spring frauds I'm 1907. Then, II is al
legged, Splitter attempted to bribe them
This led to Spitzer's being charged
with attempted bribery. and although
Brzezinski gave evidence on which the
indictment was based, when tho rat
ter came to trial In Brooklyn he testi-
fled that Splitter had not approached
him or Parr. The prosecution of
Splitter on this charge. therefore.
proved fiasco. and after an open
quarrel with Parr and subsequent
investigation Brzezlnski was dismissed
from the government service Appear
Ing before federal grand jury later,
II Is charged. he again exoneratcd
Splitter and gave evidence discrediting
the account given by Parr. Spitzer's
confession, therefore. caused the gov
ernment to charge perjury
Confederation.
Allan t. Hawxhurst. an employe of
the sugar trust for 1s years az On as
sistant cashier under BendernageI cor
roborated Splitter by testifying that
Gerbraicht ordered various raises In !
the pay Of the government checkers.
II had been testified earlier In the
trial that the government checkers got
s3 extra per week over and above the
sum noted nthe pay envelope. Ben
dernagel sometimes ordered the ad-
sum noted on the pay envelope. This,
too was In confederation OF Spitzer's
testimony