The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-30
CONSPIRACY TO
CHEAT THE STATE
Commonwealth of PennsN-
vania Making Out a Case
Against Capitol RaScaIS.
HUSTON PEACHES ON GANG
ARCHITECT BENT ON SAVING
HIMSELF.

Harrisburg, Pa, Jan. 29.-That Ar
chitect Joseph NJ. Huston means to
take care of himself at the expense of
his four co-defendants in the conspira
cy cases now on trial in the Dauphin
county court is apparent from the tes-
timony today of his brother, Rev.
Samuel G. Huston of Philadelphia,
retired Presbyterian clergyman, who
was called as a witness for the COM
monWealth
Stanford b. Lewis, the architects
active assistant while the capitol was
being constructed and furnished, and
who is under indictment on two
charges Of conspiracy to cheat and
defraud the state in the payment of
bills aggregating $92, 795 for capitol
furnishings, was also a witness for the
commonwealth.
Fraudulent Bill Presented.
Rev Mr.. Huston testified that when
his brother went TO Europe in the
spring of 1906 on business for the
state he left with him signed blank
architects certificates and power of
attorney. Soon after the architects
departure Contractor John H. Sander
son, one of the defendants, appeared
with a bill supported by an affidavit
purporting to be in proper form. for
which he asked and obtained certifica-
tion of the architect by the brothers
signature.
The commonwealth expects to prove
that this bill was fraudulent in that
Sanderson was given the contract for
certain furnishings under one item in
the special capitol furnishings sched-
ule and billed these articles to the
state under another item, the amount
of which is in excess of the item I'M
der which he was given the contract,
and also that some of these articles
were invoiced to the state and paid for
as containing three times as many
feet as they actually contained.
Exhibits in Court.
Following the testimony of Rev. Mr.
Huston and that of Lewis to the effect
that the architect was expected TO
certify only to the quality and not to
the quantity of furnishings, the COM
monwealth had brought into court and
exhibited to the jury two of the sofas.
a table and two clothes trees supplied
by SandersOn for the capitol under the
''per-foOt system" One of the sofas
was measured for the information of
the jury, and was shown to be six feet
long. SandersOn billed this sofa to the
state at eighteen feet, and was paid
for il at the rate of $3.50 per foot"
The other sofa also measured six feet
and was billed and paid for as con-
tanning nineteen and one-half feet. The
table had been billed under item % in
the schedule at $3.50 per foot" in
stead of under item "a at 5000, as
called for by Sanderson's contract. The
clothes tree was billed as containing
one and one-half feet at $3.50, and
should have been furnished. the COM
monwealth claims, for $3.50.
Pennypacker to Testify.
Former Governor Samuel w. Penny
packer, who was president of the board
of grounds and buildings while the cap
itol was being furnished, is here 10 tes-
tify for the defense. and will probably
be called on Friday. Pennypacker's
colleagues on the board were former
Auditor General William P. Snyder and
former State Treasurer William L.
Mathues, defendants in the case now
on frial. James NJ. Shumaker, former
superintendent of grounds and build
ings, also a defendant, was executive
officer Of the board during the time
Pennypacker was president.