Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-24

back To New York today like a spectre
| from the grave, and with a pardon
| from the President in his pocket testi-
| fled at the trial of Charles E. Heike.
secretary treasurer of the American
Sugar Refining Co., who, with five sub
ordinates, is charged with conspiracy
to defraud the government in under
weights of sugar imported. Splitter, as
superintendent of the company's Will
liams5nrg (Brooklym docks, was SEN
fenced to two-years Imprisonment at
Atlanta for his participation in the
frauds. but he was quietly pardoned by
the President last Thursday after serv-
ing only three months, and having
made full confession, he will from
now on aid the government in it's at
tempt to convict his former associates.
SpitZer's testimony on the stand to-
day did not directly connect Heike
with the frauds but his confession re-
suited ir one new arrest tonight James
@. BrZezinslli, formerly an employee of
the treasury department, and now
private detective, was locked in the
Tombs charged with perjury Splitter
| confessed that he attempted to bride
Brzezinski to conceal the frauds and
the latter is alleged to have denied this
before the federal grand jury
Splitter told an amazing story on the
stand today under direct examination
and hurried from the court to the fed
erai grand jury room This led to the
rumor that his full confession would
result in another batch of indictments.
| He was not crosS-eXamined by the de-
fence because of the peculiar situation
| M ta1 I,yh hi
| government witness.
No promise of pardon brought about
Spitzer's confession, say the federal au-
thorties
When convicted in February last,
Splitter declared the Sugar Trust had
made MIN the scapegoat 1T bounded
and ruined me after l had served
faithfully for 20 years" he said then.
Today he described how for years he
| assisted in the alleged frauds.
Splitter went back to the years 1894
and 1895. when he said that an inves>
\ tigation he made developed the face
that the checkers were effecting the
| weights on raw sugar by placing small
bags of lead on the beams of the
scales, causing the recorded weights
| to drop below the actual, often as
much as 40 pounds on each draft.
| Splitter said it was also the prac-
| tice 70 stuff paper underneath the
| floors of the scales for the same pIIr>
| pose. He added that when Deputy
| Surveyor of Customs Vail took Office
| these devices We're abandoned and the
| use of the steel corset spring instead
YVES begun.
Splitter demonstrated in court the
| use of the bags of lead on the sample
| scale which was one of the govern
ments exhibits in the case.
Testifying regarding the use of the
wire spring, Splitter said that two
styles of spring were used, a heavy
one first and then a spring considera
| bly, lighter in weight
Spitzer's testimony regarding the
paper underneath the scale was an alb
solutely new development and the
| Jury as we'll as Heike listened to his
testimony with intense interest.
| Splitter talked freely about the
| frauds. He said the use of the steel
springs was stopped after the Sugar
| Trust had paid the rebate to the gov
eminent as a result of the federal
suit.
| Did YOU arrange a system of Sig
nal lights in the scale houses?" ask
ed the prosecutor.
Eyes, sir" replied Splitter. who Their
related that the signals We're used to
warn the weighers of any sudden dan
| ger.
| Glow were the lights worked"
"By a switch in my office replied
Snitzer. who said that the switch was
turned whenever government Official
| was seen to approach.
| Asked if he had ever reported the
weighing frauds to any one, Splitter
replied that he had informed man
named Leroy, who worked in the wall
street Office of the Sugar Trust.
Splitter told of conversation he had
with Former Cashier James F. Ben
ldernagel and disappointment Frank
w. Gerbracht two of the defendants
The witness said that when he wanted
to raise any of the checkers wages
he was obliged to put the matter pc
fore Bendernagel and Gerbracht. He
also confirmed the testimony of other
witnesses that other checkers OF the
igovernment weighers We're favorltes
over those of the city weighers in the
matter of wages. He said every effort
possible was made to conceal this from
the other workers on the dock.
Splitter said that in the fall of 1906
The received a certain telephone mes
sage which caused a letting up in the
frauds. He said he did not know who
lscnt the message, which warned him
to be careful of tie wire springs as
the government was watching the
docks. A
Splitter said that following the raio
-. Nyox,a,,,hor 1o0T NV tho oovarnmpnt