Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-30
JUR Y SEES
EVIDENCE OF
BIG GRAFT
/ PENNSYLVANIA CHARGED TRI-
PIE PRICE FOR SOFAS
ARCHITECT TURNS AGAINST HIS
ASSOCIATES
Joseph Hueston Hopes to Escape by
Laying Blame on Others-For-
mer Governor to Testify
for the Defense
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Jan. 29-That
Architect Joseph M Hueston means to
take care of himself at the expense of
his four codefendants in the con-
spiracy cases now on trial in the
Dauphin county court is apparent
from the testimony today of his broth
er, Rev Samuel c. Hueston of Phila-
delphia, a retired Presbyterian clergy
man, who was called as a witness for
the commonwealth.
Stanford b. Lewis, the architect, ac-
five assistant while the capitol was
being constructed and furnished and
who is under Indictment on two
charges of conspiracy to cheat and de-
fraud the state in the payment of bills
aggregqting $92,705 for capitol fur
nishingg. was also a witness for the
common wealth.
Certificates Signed by Brother
Rev. Mr.. Hueston 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 a power of
attorney.
Soon after the architects departure
Contractor John II. Sanderson, one or
the defendants, appeared with a Dill
supported by an affidavit purporting
to be In proper form, for which he
asked and obtained certification of the
architect by tine brothers signature.
The commonwealth expects to prove
that this bill was fraudulent in that
Sanderson was given the contract Tor
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 uilueI
which he was given the contract ana
also that some of these articles were
invoiced by the state and paid Tor as
containing three times as many ieeI as
'hey actually contained. ~.
FOLLOWING the testimony OF MT
tIueston and that of Lewis to the et-
feet that the architect was expected 70
certify only to the quality ana not 10
the quantity of furnishings, the con-,
,onwea.th had brought into court am. anu
exhibited to the jury two or the soias, 'i.lS
table and two clothes-trees supplieu
bv Sanderson for the capitol ulluer '"e
per foot system. ..,,5 for
one o; the sofas was measurSu 10
the information of the jury diio G,,der-
.i,o,,,,, si,o to he six feet long. Sander
sn,, Killed this sofa to the state at 10
feet and was paid for at the rate o-
s1S.40 "per foot.
Charged Triple Price
The other sofa also measured slS as
feet and was billed and paid for as
containirg nineteen and a half feet;
The table had been billed u.iuer nue.
item ~ % in the schedule at $1s.4O per
footo instead of under Item "a a.
s10. 40" as called for by Sanoersoh
contract. ,-.,,od os con-
The ciothes-tree was billed as e1a eon- 10
tanning one and one-half feet at Sle.to'
and should have been furnlsneo' INC
comnnor.w wealth claims, for 5000
FORMER Governor Samuel w. Penny,
hacker, who was president of the poaru
of grounds ard buildings While tne
can;tol was being furnished is mere 70
testify for the defense, and Will proo-
ahlv be called upon Friday. 49,.
Pennvpacker's colleagues on the
hoard we're former Auditor General
William P. Snyder and former State
treasurer William l.. Mathues ae-
PENDANTS in the case now on lriai'
Tames NJ. Shumaker, former superin-
tendent of grounds and buildings also
a defendant, was executive ott1cer OF
The boaid during the time Pennypack-
or was president.