The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-02-15
HALTS CAPITOL TRIAL
Court Adjourns Until Monday
Owing to Illness.
MATHUES DID NO WRONG
Former State Treasurer's Counsel
Refers TO His Client As An ~Inex.
perieneed Stranger In Harrisburg"
Who Relied On Huston.

haffiSourS. req. IA. - Owing 70
serious illness in the family OF Charles
Il. Bergner. counsel for James Nj.
Shumaker. 4 pOstponement until Mon.
day was granted in the capitol con
spiracy trial
As an Offset Of this delay the court
viii sit on election day The post
pcnement viii make IL practically i'm
possible for the case 10 so to the jury
before the end Of next week and the
trial may go over into the succeeding
week.
The defence outlined for Mathues
by Mr. Schaener was summarized
principally under two heads. He FIRST
made an emphatic declaration that the
commonwealth had signally failed to
connect Mathues with the case at all
His next point was the contention that
all the responsibility in capitol affairs
rested upon Joseph NJ Huston. the
architect. and state officials other than
the former state treasurer.
In substance Mr. SchaeGer's plea
was that Mathues. the inexperienced
stranger from n far corner OF the
state came TO Harrisburg ignorant
OF capitol affairs and had to place re
lance on others whom the state had
charged with the responsibility for
all features Of the work.
Mathues. according % his attorney 5
contention. was forced To rely on Hus-
ton not only for certifcation that work
had been done OF materials furnished
but ne also must depend upon the
architects word for the amount OF
money 20 be paid.
TO convict the man OF crime In
this case would De worse than doom
ing him to DEATH" declared M
Schaeher.
Mr.. Schae0er sneoved at the com
monweaith's suspicious circum-
stances" He argued that the states
case was based on nothing but sus-
picions that there had been no evil
dence produced 90 show that Mathues
knew of any classifying or corrupt
practices or had entered into an agree
ment 70 commit fraud
He contended that there was nothing
suspicious about the fact that Mathucs
had offered the resolution before the
NNAi u NA IAnNAN NANNNA- anu NAAAWAl-r
under which Huston was made respon-
sible for an measurement civilizations.
The resolution could only be offered by
Snyder or Mathues. Mr. Schaener as
serted
As 10 the state ursing conspiracy
such conspiracy II one existed. must
have been formed before Mathues came
into Office. the attorney continued.
The fact that all the records We're
Available and had been offered by the
commonwealth was an evidence that
there was no conspiracy on the part
of Mathues he argued
Would he have not suppressed such
records as far as possible If he had been
a nspirator?" Mr.. Sthaeffer asked.
In conclusion he declared that Math-
ucs had acted under the light al his
command. TO the best OF his ability.
During Mt. Schaener's plea Mathues
became considerably moved when the
attorney said that TO convict his client
would be worse than death" Former
Attorney General Snyder's son. who
has been sitting with him daily
throughout the trial. had his arm about
his fathers neck. the elder Snyder
| caressing the sons hand Sanderson
leaned over the counsel table in eager
attention. while Shumaker consulted
with a friend.