Milford chronicle., 1907-05-03
WAS PAID $4,000
TO KEEP QUIET
Pennsylvania Capitol PrObsrs Hea
More Sensational Testimony.
PENROSE IGNORED BY HUSTON

pOilLlCldus, was produced curing the
examination by the capitol investigat.
ing commission Of ex-Representative S.
Marshall Williams, of Pittsburg. who
is alleged to have accepted $4,000 to
keep quiet after he had been refused
by John H. Sanderson, of Philadelphia
general contractor for the capitol fur.
nishings. a share OF the s2,000,000
award for electrical fixtures for the
building.
The FIRST part of the testimony Of
Williams was of a mild character and
referred to the various interviews he
had with Sanderson and Joseph M.
Huston. architect of the capitol, and
designer for the board of public
grounds and buildings, by which IT
was furnished These interviews re
lated to the personal influence Will
liams brought to bear in his effort to
secure some portion of the transaction
and included the name OF Senator
Penrose.
Williams was pertinently asked by |
Senator Dewalt, of the commission, to
reveal the name Of the party or parties
who had given the $4,000 in question.
that the money was presented to him.
He declared that he had secured it
from a person in New York on a note
which he had given last August, and
which he declared is due in August
next.
Senator Dewalt thought it was
strange that the money transaction oc
CURED at the same time Williams met
with his disappointment at not secur
ing part of the contract. During the
examination Dewalt asked Williams il
he had not instructed the PennsylVa.
MIA State Board of Trade, of which he
is secretary, to pay Congressman Cas- !
sci 1926 the amount of money that |
had been previously referred to as Sc
cured by witness from the unknown
party.
Williams admitted that It was true 4
as to the $425 reference.
SIS Congressman Cassel the man
who advanced you the $10,000?" asked e
the senator. v
'I refuse to answer" replied the wit n
ness. [
But it was a national official who n
did so, was it not?"
"Yes" le
''Will you deny that it was Congress Fl
man Cassel who did so?" cl
Il refuse to answer"
In no way could the commission get W
Williams to admit that Cassel was the T
party in question Il
Fl. Burd Cassel is a member of con DC
gress from the Lancaster district and I'll
is president of the Pennsylvania Con 81
struction company, of Marietta, Pa, hi
which furnished the S2,000.000 worth es
Of metallic furniture for the capitol. an
A letter under date of July 2, 1906,
the contents Of which were not di.
vulged, was shown to Williams and he
was asked if he had not written it to WI
Charles J. Grady, of Marietta, general
sales agent of the CasseI concern. -.
said that the letter had been Al
stolen from him. and while he recog. w
nized his own handwriting he refused lol
to go on record as admitting all that it ca
as he feared it might have no
been tampered with. We
Williams said he asked Senator Pen. slu
rose to assist in getting the sub-con-
tract under Sanderson. The senator
promised and saw Huston, who told
Williams that he should have one-third mi
IF the contract. But Huston did not cal
keep his word. and Williams, after BILE
waiting some time, again took It up ag'
with Penrose, but the senator did moth hel
ng for him Williams explained that tur
ie felt Penrose could do something for A
lin, and he began to gather data to be in
ised as campaign material. He wrote a Sh
etter to Grady, who advised him not ing
o drag the matter into the campaign. bo!
1t the suggestion Of Grady he went to Du
and while there received seV
word that Huston wanted to see him. all
lie refused to see Huston until after
Ie had received a letter from the archi-
ect inviting him to his Office Huston
old him than that Penrose did all he anC
Ould for Williams, but he SANDER ty,
on) would not give him any part ira
f the contract. Huston told Williams els'
hat Sanderson "hogged the whole visi
usiness." and refused to divide his he
ontract with anybody. Williams said VOL
e felt "sore at Sanderson," and that lea'
'enrose had done all he could for
i'm.
Under further examination about the
10000 transaction, Williams declared mel
ne money was secured for use in the pop
ampaign by the board of trade and to g
le Homeless 26. - of which he is also fam
acretary, organizations that were ar tici
lyed in the fight for the two-cent fare or '
nd trolley freight legislation. the
That Sanderson ~ % per cent. off gull
lie maximum price for the electrical
xtures of the capitol, but was finally
hid by the state at the rate of only H
per cent. of, was one Of the import Stu
1t features brought out during the tion
,f,,,4f-v, - vrvt1rf,... nh. Ill., y,bfa