Smyrna times., 1907-04-10
BIDDER HINTED
AT CONSPIRACY
Penna. Capitol Probers Hear Accusa-
tion and Denial.
PAID s172S FOR TWO $40 DESKS

Sanderson & Company, of Philadel-
phia, contractor for furnishing the
new capitol, collected $1728 from the
state for two ordinary eight-foot ma
hogany tables, for which he paid a
sub-contractor only $40 EACH accord
ing to the testimony of James Cam
eron, auditor of the capitol investigat-
ing commission, at the hearing.
After George w. Holton, president
of the Derby Desk company, had fur
nished the prices that concern was
paid by Sanderson for lot of furni-
ture, Mr.. Cameron was called and pro-
duced the bills showing the payments
by the state to Cameron for this fur
niture.
The bills show that two tables in
the house appropriations committee
rooms, eight feet long, four feet wide
and two and a half feet high each,
were certified by Sanderson as con-
tanning 80 feet each and were sold to
| the state at $1O.S0 a foot, or $172S for
| the two tables.
The commission made a futile at
tempt to show by Stephen DeKonsen-
ko, of New York, that there was col
lusion between Architect Huston and
| John H. Sanderson. Mr. DeKonsenko is
connected with the Sterling Bronze
| company, which absorbed the Pennsyl-
vania Bronze company organized by
| Sanderson TO supply him with the
electrical fixtures for the capitol after
the latter concern had completed its
| contract.
| The witness admitted that three
months before Sanderson was given
the contract he prepared designs for
| certain chandeliers in the building
and that he expected to get half of the
contract. He denied having told Har.
vey M. Watts, managing editor of the
Philadelphia Press, in the presence of
a witness at the University Club, Phil
adelphia, some time ago that there
was collusion between Huston and
Sanderson and that he, DeKonsenko,
was to get the entire sub-contract with
Sanderson for the chandeliers, and
that the entire job would be worth
100000
The witness also denied having told
Mr. Watts that the specifications were
purposely vague and of such charac.
ter that he could not make an intelli.
gent bid, that the per pound" method
by which the chandeliers were paid
for by the state was adopted to make
them as costly as possible, or that he
had an understanding with Huston
and Sanderson prior to the letting of
the contract that Sanderson was to get
the contract and that the witness was
to get share of it.
The next witness was Harvey NJ
Watts, managing editor of the Phila
delphia Press, who held the interview
with Stephen De Kosenko.
Mr.. Watts testified that in October
1906, he talked with De Kosenko al
the University Club, Philadelphia re
garding the bidding and probable cost
of the chandeliers for the capitol, in
the presence of a third person.
''He told me-" Mr.. Watts said, "tha
it was the general talk among the trad,
that Sanderson had been picked out a.
the general contractor, and that hi
prepared plans long before the con
1 NlGCt was i(bs Nlltl hC SuDlnlllCu u
Sanderson. He said he expected to ge
part of the contract, and my impress
sion was he expected to get the Who'll,
! contract for. 100000 to $500,O0O. HI
had to go south froh is health. Hustol
| told him it was all right to go. Whil
in the south he got a telegram from
| Architect Huston saying that the dea
| was off.
? de Kosenko had his designs re
! turned 10 him." Mr.. Watts continued
'but said that Architect Huston ha
appropriated their ideas. He told m
the specifications were very vague an
indefinite and gave no satisfaction. H
n said the per pound method, unde
which Sanderson was paid for tn
] chandeliers, was not used in the trad
b at all and was absurd. He'll said
I was a very unfair method. The usus
Q way of making chandeliers was t
D make them as light as possible col
. sistent with durability. Another ma
2 in our Office, Colonel George Nox NJ,
6 Cain. went to see De Kosenko severe
@ weeks later and had practically th
9 same talk | had with him."