The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-18
Probing of Pennsylvania Capf.
tOl Graft to Begin.
Those Accused Include a Mum.
Der of Prominent Persons.
CONGRESSMAN.
Several Active and Former Of
ficers of the State.
Alleged Steal Amounts to sew.
eral Million Dollars.

Harrisburg. Pa, Sept 1s.-war-
rants for the arrest of fourteen per-
sons involved in the state capitol scam
dal were issued today by two Harris
burg aldermen on information fur
nished by Attorney General Dodd-
Each of the defendants is charred ON
several counts with conspiracy to
cheat and defraud the state by max
ing false invoices and four of them
are also charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses.
Following is list of men for whom
warrants were issued:
Joseph NJ. Huston, architect and
MS active assistant, Stamford b
Lewis, both of Philadelphia; John II.
Sanderson, Philadelphia. chief con-
tractor for furnishings; Congressman
H Burd Cassel, Marietta, Pa, treaSur-
er and executive officer of Penn Con-
struction company. contractor for
steel filing cases; James H. Shumaker
Johnstown, Pa, former superintend-
ent OF public grounds and buildings.
who receipted for the furnishings.
George F. Payne and his partner,
Charles @. Wetter, both of Phfladel-
phia, builders of the capitol and con-
liam p Snyder, Spring City, Pa, for
mer auditor general. who approved
the warrants of the contractors. WYl-s
liam l. Matthews, Media, Pa. formers
state treasurer, who paid the bills of
contractors Charles F. Kinsman,
Wallis Boileau. John G.. Neider-
er and G. X Storm, all oe
Philadelphia. stockholders in the
Penn Bros company. organized by
Sanderson for the manufacture of the
$2.0O0.0O0 lighting fixtures. Frank
Irvine. auditor in the auditor generals
office, who audited the accounts of the
contractors
The men for whom warrants were
all aF
and firms mentioned by the investiga-
ton commission in its report to Cow
ernor Stuart as being involved in the
capitol contracts, with the exception
OF Frank G. Harris. former state
treasurer, and Edward B. Hardenberg,
former auditor general, both of whom
were members of the board of grounds
and buildings that awarded the Cassel
contracts; George C. Kefm, bookkeep-
er in Shumaker's office, and the pres
ent deputy superintendent of grounds
and buildings, and the international
Manufacturing and Supply company,
an alleged dummy" bidder against
Sanderson.
Philadelphia, Sept 1s.-John H San
derson and Joseph H Huston of this
city, left for the state capital at 1890
a. m, to appear before a magistrate.
Both were accompanied by counsel.
Both had spent the summer away from
home during the investigation Of the
fraud charge and only returned to this
city yesterday to await the summons.
The men involved in today's action are:
Joseph NJ Huston, of Philadelphia,
whose commissions as architect of the
capitol commission for the construction
of the building and for the board OF
public grounds and buildings, by which
it was furnished and equipped amount
ed to $525. 900. Huston collected all OF
his commissions, except $104. 900 which
State Treasurer Berry refused to pay
on the ground that there were evil
dences of fraud and collusion in his
transactions with the board. Hustoni
was one of the most prominenk archi-i
tects of Philadelphia