The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-29
PLANS HAVE
BEEN CT .NGED
Defendants Counsel Up
| INF { Air.
CAPITOL I AFT PROSECUTIONS
Architects Assistant Appears as
Witness for State.
-s-
Yesterdays Sessions Of the Court Were
Devoted By Commonwealth to
Lsyiag Foundatiea
Of Ita Csse.
CAPITOL AFT PROSECUTIONS

Harrisburg. Pa. Jan. 2s.--The plan OF
defense in the capitol prosecutions has
been changed completely by the action
OF Architect Jos. M. Huston OF Phiia-
delphia In securing a separate trial,
with the consent OF the commonwealth.
Illusions action would seem that he
had an agreement With the common
wealth and will be one Of its principal
witnesses. The attorneys on both sides
will not discuss this phase OF the case,
only to say that Huston has been sub
poenaed as witness for his co-defend-
ants. Contractor John II. Sanderson,
Former Auditor General VIM. p. Sny-
der. Former state Treasurer VIM. L.
Mathues.s and James NJ Shumaker,
former Superintendent Of Grounds and
Buildings.
Huston has. been in Harrisburg since
Saturday with his attorneys, Geo. g.
L Clement. Jr.. but has not appeared
In court. Owing to the physical con-
ditton of Shumaker, who has been III
since last spring. he has been excused
from attendance at court.
The other three defendants were in
court again today and. naturally took
an active interest in the proceedings,
Should Huston be called as wines
Tor the commonwealth. the defense viii
tryato break down his Testimony by at
tempting to show. that . certifled 10
the quantity and qua1iy OF Furnishings
supplied by SAnderaon ana that the
bills were approved by Shunaker ana
Snyder and paid BY Mathues on the
strength OF the architects certiflcate.
and that II there was anythins wron@
ne L. responCible Illusions action has
intensified the public interest IN fha
trial and theicourt] room was crowded
with lawyers and spectators today soo,
after the doors were opened.
Payments Invelvea. ,s4.@
Inc case now on trial involves nav
ments by the State of .s4e.4l7Y to san
derson for SOFAS tables and clothes
trees. The articles were paid for 81
the rate OF s1s.40 per foot ana il Il
alleged BY the common wealth that
frauds to the amount of sis.sos were
JamaH Searielet. III sossss,.
ing for the prosecutions today. outlined
ths commemorative case and what a
expected to prove.
The appearance Of Stanford b. Leads.
active assistant OF Architect Jarnea NJ.
HUSTON as q witness for the common, :
wealth at the trial of the Capitol craft
prosecutions in the Dauphin County
Court today. tends to condrrn the m
NOR that Huston had an understand.
Ing with the commonwealth end win
be one Of It's witnesses. Lewis was
called to7identify the plans and speci-
lcations prepared by Huston for the
Of the Capitol and also to
explain the Quantities plan" upon
which orders were given for furnish
Ings. .sl .9
He was cross examined by p. r.
RothermeI Of counsel for Sanderson,
and was on the stand when court adj
lohrned for the day. Lewis is under
on two charges Of con-
spiracy in connection with the alleged
Capitol frauds
Illusions brother. the Rev. Samuel
9. Huston, came here today from Phil
and will be called as a
witness tomorrow. The architect Is
still here but was not in court today
and will probably stay away until he IL
called as a witness. His attorneys
we're in court all day but took no act
We part In the proceedings. Counsel
FOR the commonwealth decline to dis
,uss the action Of the architect In ask
ng for a separate trial or to say |
Laying the Foundation.
Todays' sessions of court were devot- |
ad nv the Commonwealth to laying the |
OF its case. James Scarlet, |
In his opening address to the jury, |
said the Commonwealth expected to |
prove that the defendants contractor, |
John H. Sanderson. former Auditor !
General William p. Synder. and former !
state Treasurer William L. Mathues. |
and James M. Shumaker, former SUI |
of Grounds and Buildings, |
.onspired to defraud and cheat the State |
in the payment OF the. bills for the |
Capitol furnishings.
John E. Scott. former Secretary Of
The Board of Public Grounds and |
Buildings, who was on the stand for an
hour under examination by the Com |
seemed reluctant to iden-
INV certain plans and specifications |
prepared by Huston. He could not rec
ognize them as having seen by him be- |
fore, Thees plans were in the posses |
zion OF the Board and II appeared to |
Inc prosecution that Scott as Its secre-
tary should have had access to and
been familiar with them. Scott was also !
examined as to the offlcial signatures |
10 Capitol furnishing contracts in or
der to legally establishthem as exhib-
Its during the trial.
~1-nNAWn MaUTRnBCR TRIAL