Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1913-12-09

ny A~.s.Bcinted PreHs.)
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 9.-The case
of the goT ernment against the officers
and directors Of the Western Fuel |
company came to trial this morning |
in the United States district court be-
fore Judge Maurice 7. Dooling. Those
under indictment for criminal con
spiracy to defraud the United States
Of customs dues and fun weight on
imported coal are:
John L. Howard, president
James B. smith, manager and di.
rector
J. L. Schmidt, treasurer and direc-
tor.
Robert Bruce, director.
Sidney v. smith, director
Frederick Mills, superintendent
e. II. Mayer, weigher.
Edward }. Smith, weigher
The case leaped into national noto-
riety when John L. McNab, then
United States attorney for the north
ern district of California, resigned,
charging that improper evidence was
being brought to bear at Washington
/ to prevent the case from coming to
( trial. President Wilson accepted his
resignation Immediately but as yet
4 has named no successor The govern
ments case is being presented by
Matt |. Sullivan and Theodore Roche,
( special counsel who were also re-
tained for the Diggs- Caminetti cases.
on the evidence submitted to the
grand jury the government will seek
to show that by an elaborate system
Of short weights, a threefold fraud
was perpetrated.
First, that on all coal imported the
government received less than the
rightful customs dues
Second, that the government was
cheated by short weight deliveries oi
coal sold to it for the army transport
service and other uses
Third that the company kept al
engineers Of the Toyo Kisen kaish'
tthe Japanese line) and many engi
neers Of the Pacific Mail STEAMSHIP
company on secret pay roll, in re
turn for their consent to accept shor
weight fuel supplies, which the com
panies paid for at full weights.
In this way the government est
mates that ii bought coal which
never received worth 100000 a
Wholesale prices. and more than 81
600 900 at retail prices; that ther
were similar huge profits from pr
, vate customers, and that on all eoa
to whomsoeyer sold and whether Q
fun weight or short weight the go'
s ernment was cheated of sizeabl
?. share Of its customs dues
i. Testimony heard by the grand jur
q explained how these alleged frauc
d N we're accomplished Summarized, tn
/, ltestimony was to the following etfee
The company owned its own mlh'
and collers. These colliers tied !
v ,.along the companys pier to discharg
The coal was lifted from the hulls
mechanically operated scoops al
is dumped into tram cars, which ran
.e "a skeleton trestle to the scales.
k. Each car was filled heaping full
IL SO full that a large proportion oil Z
last bucket of coal always slipped
the heaped carload and slid throu
The open trestlework into the co
puny's pockets This spiIth escap
duties.
& In continuing TO the scales the
! missed under a iutting beam. adjust
q to such height that it wiped OIL
= load level with the car sides q
a again the spilth slipped into poek
. below
q Then. when the car finally reaef
O. The scales. there was support
. meath the scale platform which enc
a ed It's descent at predetermii
a level In addition, it was possible
a Aksblft the barrow of the car backw'
a or forward on the truck, SO that o