Milford chronicle., 1908-02-14
hint AT RAKE OFF
IN CAPITOL JOB
Sanderson Had to Put Up Big
Wad For Others"
he WOULDN'T LOWER BILLS

Harrisburg. Pa, Feb. IL. - The
climax in the state capitol conspiracy
trial was reached just before the com
monwealth closed, when Stanford B
Lewis. assistant to Architect Joseph
NJ Huston. declared on the witness
stand that Contractor John r. Sand
erson. one of the defendants, com
planned that he did not want to cut
down his bills because he had to put
up big wad for other people"
Lewis also testified that the letter
which he produced Monday. with the
explanation that it was responsible
for his being indicted for conspiracy
in the capitol prosecutions had been
written and brought to him by former
Auditor General Snyder, defendant
in the present case. for his signature
in which Lewis was made to say he
had certified to a bill for $1S7,7S5-2O
paid to the Pennsylvania Construction
company for metallic filling cases
which he had found correct.
The letter is as follows:
az have examined the bill Of the
Pennsylvania Construction company
for metallic furniture amounting to
S1S7. 735 20. and find the same to be
correct. The goods have been deliver
ed in their place in the state depart
ment and according to plans and speci-
fcations."
These sentences were written on a
Typewriter and the following manu-
script was attached
.oThe amount of the bills is according
to the price the contract awarded.
STANFORD B. LEWIS,
Approved, Joseph NJ. Huston, Archi-
tect"
Lewis testimony came like a shock
TO the defense following as it did the
Introduction of a great amount OF doc
umentary evidence to show that thou
sands of dollars were paid to Sander
son for capitol furnishings months
before their delivery, in spite of the
fact that certificates of receipt in good
condition were required by law before
bills could be approved by the board
of grounds and buildings.
The testimony of Lewis was direct
and unqualified and was not attacked
nv the defense. The commonwealth
was able to put in this evidence by
calling Lewis to the stand to offer the
letter which he had endeayored to IN
troduce Monday.
AS told by Lewis, Sandecson's state
ment was made in the spring of 1906,
when the contractor paid visit to
Huston's Office during the absence OF
the architect in Europe. "Mr. Sander
son came to our Office with bills which
he requested architects certificates, y
Lewis said. "The board of public
grounds and buildings had ordered &
reduction in some of these bills.
81 told Sanderson what instructions
had been issued and he protested
against any cut in his bills. He said
he 'didn's see why he should have to
lower his bills when he had to put up
a big wad for others.
His statements were the first direct
evidence introduced into the case to
the effect that "rake-off" was being
paid to some one in the capitol job.
The attorneys for the defense were
greatly surprised at this statement and
after a whispered consultation, Mr.
Gilbert cross-examined the witness
briefly and then he was allowed 70
leave the stand. No reference was
made by Mr.. Gilbert in his cross-eX-
animation to this statement by Lewis.
After the commonwealth had closed
the defense made a motion to strike
certain testimony from the record,
which Judge Kunkle took under ad-
visement.
The commonwealth secured the ad-
admission of letter from Shumaker
acknowledging the receipt of twenty
five senate chairs from Sanderson on
Ian. 1. 1905. which are declared to have
been paid for the following day and
which were not delivered until Jan. 80.
The states lawyers claim that the fact
that the chairs were certified to AMI
delivered and paid for before the actual
shipment is a strong evidence of con
spiracy.
In the redirect examination of
Lewis the commonwealth showed that
two certificates which Snyder took to
the Office of T. Larry Eyre in Philadel-
mia for Huston's signature were dated
hack to conform with bills rendered by
Sanderson for goods which had been
pald for before delivered; that the
money was advanced to Sanderson
without any consideration of the
amounts of his bills, and that after the
election of State Treasurer Berry in
November. 1905, Snyder and other state
officers added big amounts to old bills
10 make Up the deficiency and hHa
Huston issue new certificates.
Law 70 Regulate Hotels.