Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-12-06
Robson VS. Wanamaker.


The trial of the case of Thomas Rob
! ison VS. John Wanamaker, began at
/ Beaver yesterday.
The plaintiffs statement in the case
| was filed March 15. 1898. and docketed
as No. ON the trial list for the Decem-
/ Der term of 1898. The trial has been
! several times postponed. Mr. Robinson
says in the statement that he is good,
true, honest, faithful and upright citizen
and has not been guilty of conspiracy
/ to defraud the State or of perjury by
violating his official oath while superln-
| tendent of printing and binding. He
SAYS he was appointed on May l, 1895, by
| Gov. Daniel II. Hastings, who is one
of the witnesses, with the approval of
| the Senate; served until July l, 1897;
was re-appointed and served until May
| 1898 1t was his duty to issue orders
| to the State printer for work required
| by law, to receive, examine and pass
| upon all bills. He says the defendant,
With intent to deprive him of his good
name and blacken his character, made
| a public statement at Willlamstown,
| Dauphin county on the evening of Oct.
| l, 1898, charging him with the COM
mission of grave crimes and mlsdenean-
ors. Mr. Wanamaker is quoted as
saying;
Il will briefly submit to you some of
the glaring frauds that have been un-
earthed in the State printing depart
ment. First came the disclosures rela-
tive to the printing of harmless little
pamphlet treating of the diseases OF
poultry, that originally cost 5000. The
J last Legislature authorized the publish
ing of $1,000 additional copies of the
work that were to cost 13 cents a copy,
or total of 81, $50 The accidental
discovery by an anti-Quay official of a
| bold conspiracy, between the State
printer, the State zoologist and others,
to print an elaborately illustrated book,
with highly colored pictures of owls
Virginia deer game birds and bats,
brought the attempted steal to light
The cost of the new book was So. 30 per
copy and the total bill rendered the
State was $4,000"
The plaintiff alleges that Mr.. Wana-
maker meant that Mr. Robinson was in
cluded in the ''and Others" and that
Mr.. Robinson had entered into a criml-
nal conspiracy with Warren and Z. Nj.
Busch, the State printer, to cheat and
defraud the Commonwealth. In an
other part of his speech Mr.. Wanna
maker is quoted as saying that State
Printer Stanley Ray, who succeeded
Busch, presented as his first bill for
printing a claim for S12, 600, $1,000 of
of which was declared by the Deputy
Attorney General to be made up of IL
legal charges, and was not paid. The
plaintiff alleges that Mr.. Wanamaker
meant that this illegal bill had been
presented to and approved by him as
superintendent of printing and binding
with intent to cheat and defraud the
Commonwealth.
Another item mentioned is Mr.. Wan
amakers alleged statement that al
though the last Legislature had made
appropriation for the State fish COM
mission, which was forced to beg mon
ey, the State printer presented bill OF
$26, 600 for printing a report showing
how the commission had expended an
appropriation of $4,000 made at the
previous session" This, the plaintiff
contends, Mr.. Wanamaker meant, was
another charge that the superintendent
of printing and binding.was party to
conspiracy to defraud. The statement
quotes other parts of Mr. Wanamakers S
alleged speech.
Yerterday jury was secured, and
plaintiffs case opened, after which tie
defence asked for non-suit, but We're
refused.