Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-28
STATE FUNDS
SQUANDERED
BY OFFICIALS
CONTRACTORS PROFITS fig
URED AT 1000 PER CENT
ENORMOUS SUMS PAID FOR
CHEAP FIXTURES
One Of the Indicted Men Is Expected
to Turn States Evidence
Against His Asso-
ciates

BY Associated Press.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Jan. 27.-Not
since the trial of United States Senator
M. Quay ten years ago for conspiracy
to wreck Philadelphia bank has there
been such interest in a trial as has
been manifested throughout Pennsyl-
vania in the proceedings being brought
today against the men charged with
conspiracy to loot the state treasury in
connection with the construction and
furnishing of the state capitol building.
Since the revelations of nearly TWO
years ago in which some of the fore
most men of the state were involved
the imposing white marble structure
on Capitol hill. with its ornate furnish
ings and frescoes, has been a point of
great interest to curiosity seekers and
citizens generally.
Excursionists have come from all
over the state inspired by a desire to
see the bronze chandeliers alleged to
be loaded with tons of lead, the COM
monplace furniture paid for at fab
ulous price per foot" and the painting
and frescoing for which there is said
to have been an overcharge of hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
The trial of the conspirators is being
conducted in the dingy, old-fashioned
court house and its resources have
been stretched to the limit to accom-
modate the defendants. attorneys and
newspaper correspondents.
1000 Per Cent Profit
Judge George F. Kunkle. once a
member of the legislature and now
scsfo Of flA l.
bench, is presiding.
The first Of the five conspiracy cases
listed for trial involves payments of
$49717 for sofas, tables and clothes
trees. The items were paid for by the
state at the rate of $3.50 per foot.
The commonwealth alleges that frauds
to the amount of $l9,s0S were perpe-
The defendants III these five cases are
| Chief Contractor John H. Sanderson.
Architect Joseph NJ. Huston, Former
Auditor General William P. Snyder
and James M. Shumaker, former su-
perintendent of grounds and buildings.
Neither Congressman H. Burd CasselI
of the Pennsylvania Construction COM
pany nor the remaining eight defer-
dants in the prosecution figure in these
conspiracy cases.
Sanderson supplied most of the fur
nishings of the capitol. His contract
amounted s5,4S7. .S99, and his profits in
some instances are alleged to have
been as much as 1000 per cent.
Huston designed the building and
furnishings his commissions amount
ing to $415631.
Shumaker is accused of having failed
to audit the bills Of Sanderson. and is
also charged with having accepted
Huston's certification that the work
was up to the specifications and con-
tract. Matthues is adjudged to have
paid the bills for the contractors with
out having them audited. Snyder is
charged with non-performance Of duty
in not auditing the bills.
The feature of the first day Of the
trial was the argument of the common-
wealth for a separate trial for Archi-
tect j. H. Huston. The state objected
to the motions of Huston's four CO.
defendants for separate trials, which
motions were overruled by the court.
May Turn States Evidence
The action by the commonwealth in
agreeing to a separate trial for Hus-
ton has given rise to a rumor that
the architect will turn states evidence
and tell all he knows of the alleged
frauds in furnishings for the new cap
itol Counsel for the commonwealth
decline either to affirm of deny this
rumor.
monwealth agreed to a separate trial
for Huston evidently was a surprise
to the attorneys for the other defend
ants. The attorneys for these defend
ants Immediately asked that the court
take a recess for fifteen minutes to
give them an opportunity to consult.
The entire day was taken up with
the futile efforts of the attorneys for
the four defendants to obtain separate
trials and the selection of the Jury
The jury was completed late in the
day.
In the case which is being tried
first the commonwealth viii try to
show that the defendants conspired to
cheat and defraud the state by paying
for the furniture in excess of the con-
tract price and by falsifying measure
ments.
There are thirty-seven cases against
the fourteen defendants, in thirty of
which the charge is conspiracy, and in
seven the charge is false pretenses.