Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-26
RELATES WHY HE DIDN'T
FIRST TELL THE TRUTH
Oliver Splitter Says He Did Not Care
to Go 20 the Cemetery With His
Story-Admiss Now Having Acted
the Fool In perjuring Himself
Young Lady Stenosrapher Testifies.
CRY Associated pross.,

NEW YORK, May 25.-Oliver Spit
yer, former superintendent of the
docks OF the American Sugar Refnine
Company, I'm Williamsburg. Brook
lynn who recently was pardoned from
the penitentiary by President Taft,
explained today why he did MT con,
fess during the trial which ended
last February, with his being sentenc-
cd to two years AT Atlanta. Such =
confession. lie declared on the stand
today, would have carried him to 4
cemetery" in other words. he would
have implicated a dead man-Henry
@. Havemeyer, late head of the sugar
trust.
Splitter was under cross-examination
by the defense at the trial of Charles
r. Heike, secretary treasurer Of the
American Sugar Refining Company,
who, with five subordinates. is charg-
ed with conspiracy TO defraud the
government by underweighing sugar.
Eased His Conscience.
He gave his direct testimony for
the prosecution on Monday. he re-
peated that he had made his confes-
sion not with the hope of pardon.
but to ease his conscience and. added
that after his conviction, his at
torneys, now appearing for several OF
the defendants, had urged him tp tell
all he knew.
what did you say when advised
to confess?" asked Clarence Lexow,
Tor the defense.
Il said the only confession can
make will carry me into a cemetery
and Mr.. Stimson, the government
prosecutor. does not want that"
You are referring to Henry O..
Havemeyer?" asked the lawyer.
Yes, | am" answered Splitter.
Talks More Freely.
This closed the court incident. but
Splitter talked more freely after ieav-
ing the stand. He said he had met
II. o. Havemeyer two or three times.
and that Ernest w. Gerbracht, former
refinery superintendent. another of
the defendants. had made his reports
direct TO Mr.. Havemeyer. The frauds
he insisted. had begun before his
time. although he worked on the docks
twenty.nine years. He admitted thar
the steel springs, used 10 manipulate
the scales on the docks, were his in
yention.
why did you not tell the truth
N the first place." he was asked
Every time ] look in a mirror
see damn fool" was the answer
I was a fool not to do it. but was
ashamed to let anyone know that I
did these things. My credit was
good; ! did not get anything and ]
did not want people to know that
was fool enough 10 do these things
fer nothing. ! got nothing out of 1t.
Another reason why | committed
perjury. was because ! thought moth
ing could happen to the sugar trust.
We al thought the trust vas so strong
that the government could not do
anything with H.
Young Lady Testites.
Aside from Spitzcr's confession.
the government attaches most import
ance in It's cause TO the testimony
given today by Miss Viola G. Mer-
tens. a stenographer employed by the
rugar company. She said that she
made three copies of the So-called
technical statements concerning sugar
weights which have disappeared. and
that one copy went TO Heikc and
another to Gcrbrschf-
The government has eight or ten
witnesses. who. IL is said. will re
ceive these statcmess. They will be
put on the stand tomorrow and Mr.
Stimson will then rest the prosecution
tie expects TO close his case By
noon