The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-05-24
BY Associates Presa

new YORK, May 23.-COnsc1ence-
stricken because of his connection
with the gigantic frauds, Oliver Spit
ger, sentenced to two years in the fed
eral prison in Atlanta, today returned
to New York and testified in the case
OF Charles Heike, secretary of the
American Sugar Refining Company.
! His testimony resulted in the arrest
of James Brezinski, a former employe
OF the treasury department, and fur
ther confessions of fraud will proba-
bly, result in another batch of indict-
ments. Splitter was pardoned Thurs
nay by President Taft in order to re-
btore citizenship and allow him to tes-
fify. Developments will be sensa-
Sional
THE TRUMP CARD.
The trump card in the prosecution
Of Heike was played at the opening of
the sugar trust underweighing con-
spiracy trial when Prosecutor Stinson
Called Mr.. Splitter as the governments
FIRST witness.
John B. Stanchfield, for the defense,
claimed that under the federal statute
Splitter, as a convicted man, could not
testify.
1t was then announced in court that
Spitzer had been pardoned by Presi-
dent Taft.
Heike is on trial in the United States
circuit court with five former en-
ployes of the American Sugar Refining
Company, on the charge of conspiring
TO defraud the government by under
weighing cargoes of sugar imports.
On evidence of Richard Pharr, gov
eminent expert, splitter was convicted
with four checkers employed under
nf y1yit no
to perpetuate frauds whereby the gov
ernment was cheated out of millions
of dollars in sugar duties. The four
checkers, Boyle, Coyle, Kehoe and
Hennessy, were sent to the Black
wells Island penitentiary for a year.
Splitter protested ignorance of frauds
on the docks.
Men higher up" were sought and
Heike. the secretary of the trust, and
Ernest f. Gerbacht, the refinery super
intendent, were indicted. With them
on trial now, besides four other for
mer company checkers, is James F..
Bondernagel, the refinery cashier, who
was tried with Spitzer and the other
checkers. The jury disagreed as to
whether Bendernagel had a part in
the conspiracy and it was decided to
retry him.
A CLEAN BREAST.
: 1t was reported that Splitter would
make a clean breast of the alleged
frauds.
He described the use, about 1894
and 1895 of small bags of lead on the
Sbeams of the scales, causing the re-
corded weights to be sometimes 40
pounds short to a draft and also the
stuffing of newspaper underneath the
floors of the scales for the same pur-
pose.
This use of paper was an absolute
ly new development in the fraud in
vestigation. Heike listened to Spit
Zer's testimony with tense interest.
Splitter demonstrated in court the use
of bags of lead and testified about the
steel springs, says that first heavy
ones were used and later light ones.
The springs. he said, were substituted
for lead and paper when Deputy Sur
veyor of Customs Vail took office,
while the use of springs was aban-
doned after the sugar trust had paid
.. the rebate to the government as a re-
esult of the federal suit.
SYSTEM OF SIGNALS.
Did you arrange a system of signal
lights in the scale house?" suddenly
asked the prosecution.
Yes. sir" replied Splitter, who then
related that the signals We're used to
warn the weighers of any sudden
danger.
How were the lights worked?"
by a switch in my Office replied
Splitter, who said that the switch was
turned whenever a government off
cial was seen to approach.
Splitter said that an electric light
had been used in the scale houses fol
many years, but that he made {