The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-02-25
C0NTRADICTS LEWIS
Snyder Sought to Protecl State
In Capitol Contracts.
THE QUANTITY BOOK" AGAIN

Former Auditor General Denies Az
thorshIp Of "Frame-Up" to Shield
Alleged conspiraey-Trusted Huston
and Lewis.
Harrisburg. Pa, Feb. 22.-Former
Auditor General Snyder. a co-dcfenl-
ant with SandersOn. Shoemaker and
Mathues in the capitol conspiracy slit
now on trial in the Dauphin county
court. spent the day on the stand un
der direct examination.
Snyder's attorneys piled him With
questions that affected every tran ac.
ton with which the farmer auditor
general had to do in connection with
the capitol furnishing contracts lie
refuted in emphatic terms virtually
all the testimony OF Stanford b. Lewi5.
Architect Huston's associate as re-
garded any suspicious circumstance
that tended to establish that he had
entered into a conspiracy to cheat and
defraud the state.
Snyder declared that he hc4 tested
the correctness OF ell the cay .;ol fur
nishing bills and In every pos BILE way
safeguarded payments made to the con-
tractors. He said he not only required
Huston to certify and Sand.rson to
make afiideyits that the bills were cor
rect but that he had made It his busl-
ness TO write TO the architect end con-
tractor demanding an explanation OF
contract features that were rot clear
TO him.
Mystery still surrounds the prepara-
ton OF sample pages from which the
now famous quantity book" was com,
piled.
In the presentation OF the common
wealth's case the preparation OF the
sample pages was credited TO Snyder.
Stanford B. Lewis has testified that the
accused former official had dictated
every detail OF the compilation Of the
quantity book"
This is a book which the state asserts
was framed up" to shield operations
in the alleged conspiracy. The prose
cutions' contention is that the book was
intended to permit of price juggling and
other irregularities. and at the same
time protect the perpetrators Of such
alleged frauds by throwing all respon-
sibility upon Joseph NJ. Huston. the
capitol architect.
Lewis declared that Snyder had al
tered sample sheets submitted 10 MIN
and inserted the item numbers. In a
positive and explicit manner Snyder
denied absolutely the authorship Of the
sample sheets and laid new charges OF
falsifying against the commonwealth's
| star witness.
| Snyder's denial was made more con-
vincing by his reputation OF the hand
writing on the sample sheets. He de-
clared that It was not his. or Mathues',
or that OF any one who had been con-
nected with the auditor generals Office
during his term.
AS regarded advance payments to
Sanderson before certain furnishings.
Snyder stated that he had found prece-
dent for such action in similar advances
made to the Pennsylvania Construction
company for the metallic furniture by
the board OF grounds and buildings that
was in existence before he came into
Office He represented that these ad-
yances had alwayS been made with the
approval OF the board. of which ne was
a member. and that Mathues had intro
duced a resolution which was adopted
and carried with 1t authority for the
payment of money to the contractor
before delivery of furnishings. This
money Snyder explained was deducted
from the subsequent Sanderson's ac-
counts,
| A feature of Snyder's defense was
that he had called former Governor
Penaypacker's attention to payments
Of 81. 1856 900 to Sanderson and $S53, 600
to the Pennsylvania Construction COM
pany to relieve him of the impression
made by Huston that the furnishings
would not cost more than $500, 600 OF
$500, 900.
| Snyder reiterated his confidence in
Lewis and Huston at the time the capi-
tol was being furnished. He said he
had always understood that they meas
ured and weighed the supplies.
II relied as much on the certificates
Of Huston as the bank depended on
my warrants" was one OF his signifi-
cant statements. He said further that
he had never paid a bill to Sanderson
or to the Pennsylvania Construction
company unless the architects certif-
cate was attached. He denied that he
had ever deviated from this course.
| II was announced that none of the
other capitol suits viii be tried before
March g. 1t is doubtful If the pres
ent case will be disposed CT finally
much before the latter date.