The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-02-13
LEWIS RETRACTS
Clears Carson ofAll Blame For
Capitol Frame-Up.
MEANT AUDITOR GENERAL

Letter From shumaker Shows Bill For
Furniture Was Paid Thirty Days BE.
fore Goods Were ReeeIved-Padded
Bills to Make Up Deficiency.
Harrisburg. Pa. Feb. II.-Nervous
and excited FROM a severe cross-eXam.
inetion by =. r. Rothermel. of counsel
for the defense. stanford b. Lewis, as.
sistant II Architect Joseph NJ Huston.
caused a sensation az the trial of the
state capitol conspiracy suit agaln st
Contractor Sauderson and former state
officials Snyder. Mathues and Shu.
maker.
At al intense moment when Mr.
ROthermel was trying 10 force Lewis
10 admit that certain statement con-
tanned in the Huston letter to former
Attorney General Carson were false.
the witness arose in his seat and pro.
duced a letter which. he said would
show why he had been indicted In the
conspiracy suits and asked permission
OF Judge Kunkol 10 make statement.
Mr.. Rothermel instantly objected.
Deputy Attorney General Cunning
ham sprans 20 tho witness. seized the
paper. gave IL a hurried glance and then
turned # over TO Attorney General
Todd who carefully slowed It away
without disclosing its contents.
Meanwhile Lewis was on his feet de-
claring TO Judge Kunkel that Mr. Roth
ermel had impeached the veracity Of
his statements and dragged in the fact
that he was a defendant 10 discredit his
testimony and that he be allowed 10
put the letter in evidence.
Il wish to Introduce evidence. your
honor. which will show why I was in
dicted" pleaded the witness. pale and
nervous.
THAT Is not relevant to this case. -
said the Judge. calmly.
"rll find that out later on In my own
way" remarked Mr. Rothermel. who
resumed his discrimination as TO
the truth or falsity Of the Huston letter
TO Carson. Mr.. Rothermel tried to
force the witness 10 make an unquali-
fed answer. but Lewis would not make
a direct answer and insisted that the
statements in the letter were partly
true with qualifications" and partly
false with qualifications"
Lewis was on the stand from last
Thursday. The defense admits that he
was a strong witness for the common
wealth and that without his testimony
the state wonld have been unable to
make out. a semblance Of a case.
Lewis was allowed TO make n state
ment correcting his testimony concern
ing Mr.. Carson's alleged participation
in the conference at which Huston's
etter was prepared.
when l said the letter was gotten
up with Mr.. Carson" explained the wit
ness. II was confused and should have
said in conference with Auditor Cen
eral Snyder
81 have another correction 10 make"
he continued The testimony reads TO
the effect that I went TO Harrisburg
myself and saw Auditor General Snyder
and Governor Pennypscker in confer
ence and also Hampton l.. Carson and
went over this subject In detail. de-
sire to change that reference TO Mr.
Carson 20 read that | saw the attorney
general about that time and told him
was getting up a letter on the subject
to send to him and he said need not
be in a hurry about II; that l should
take my time"
The commonwealth secured the ad-
admission of letter from Shumaker
acknowledging the receipt of twenty
five senate chairs from Sanderson on
Jan. l. 1905. which are declared to have
been paid for the following day and
which were not delivered until Jan. 30.
The states lawyers claim that the fact
that the chairs we're 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-
phia for Huston's signature we're dated
back to conform with bills rendered Dy
Sanderson for goods which had been
paid 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
to make up the deficiency and had
Huston issue new certificates.