The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-08-15
REPORT OF CAPITOL INVESTI.
eating COMMITTEES.

of criminal and civil prosecution,
of all persons involved in the S13,
900, 900 capitol scandal, the report
upon the exhaustive inquiry into
lgraft case has been finally anc
unanimously approved by the Penn
lsylvania capitol Investigation com
mission, and is ready to be sent to
| Governor Edwin S. Stuart. This
action virtually completes the COM
missions work. Now begins the
legal work preliminary to the pros
ecutions, which will be conducted
by Attorney General M. Hampton
Todd, with James Scarlet as chief
special counsel for the commons
wealth, against the grafters.
OUTLINE OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
Briefly, the report to Governor
Stuart as finally and unanimously
approved, contains these recom-
mendations:
First-Criminal and civil prose-
cutions against all persons implicat-
ed in the SI3, 900, 900 capitol scan
dal as indicated in the report and
as warranted by the evidence and
legal conclusions.
Second--The actual naming of
the prospective defendants and the
exact definition of the crimes for
which indictments will be brought
at the discretion of the attorney
general, acting upon the commits
sion's findings.
For report of its character, the
document drafted and approved by
the capitol investigators is drastic,
even sensational, being virtually a
Legislative indictment involving
suggestive criminal prosecution of
eight, at least, of the men who had
part in the capitol trimming" and
civil proceedings to recover between
So, 900, 900 and S., 900, 900 collected
illegally as profits.
DEFENDANTS IN PROSPECT.
AS found in the testimony taken
by the investigation commission,
these are the men who were con-
spicuous in the scandal, most of
whom will figure in the contemplat-
ed prosecutions:
Joseph M. Huston, the half mil
lion dollar architect, who acted for
the capitol building commission in
the construction of the building for
the Pennypacker board of grounds
and buildings in the trimming"
work. Huston not only certified
to the correctness of John H. SAN
derson's enormous accounts, but,
as testified, actually co-operated
with Sanderson in planning for the
contract.
John II. Sanderson, chief trim
mer," who collected S., 500, 900
from the state for trimmings" sold
at fabulous profits. Sanderson's
collections, it is alleged, were S3,
900, 900 too high.
Congressman H. Burd Cassel,
whose Pennsylvania Construction
company disposed of metallic fur
niture and collected 81, ,ooo, 900 for
filing cases and lockers, the actual
cost of which, as appraised by an
expert, should not have exceeded
$500, 900.
James M. Shumaker, superin-
tendenr OF public grounds and
buildings during the secret trim
mings" of the capitol, who approx
ed the receipts for Sanderson and
Congressman Cassel's concern.
DR.. William P. Snyder, who as
auditor general, approved the bills
submitted by Sanderson and Cassel's
company.
MATHUEs' PART.
William L. Mathues, who as
State Treasurer, paid the money
demanded by the "trimmers" with
out question, and who, with Sny.
der and Governor Samuel w. Pen
nypacker, composed the board of
grounds and buildings which let
the Sanderson contract.
E. B. Hardenbergh, who, as au-
ditor general preceding Snyder, ap.
proved the alleged Cassel contract
for filing cases and lockers.
Frank G. Harris, who as State
Treasurer and member of the board
of grounds and buildings. approved
of the Cassel company's contract.
George F. Payne & Co., builders