New-York tribune., 1908-03-14
FOUR FOUND GUILTY.
CAPITOL TRIAL ENDS.
Huston, the Architect, Among FiUe
To Be Tried Marck 29.

Harrisburg Penn, March 13.-After six hours
deberation the jury in the first of the Capt.
tol conspiracy cases TO be tried rendered ver-
dict of guilty tonight to every one of the
four MEN who Nve been on trial here for the
last seven weeks. There were two ballots taken,
but the jury did come into court until two
hours after reaching conclusion.
The found guilty are John II. Sanderson.
contractor; William P. Snyder. former Auditor
General: w. L. Mathues. former State Treas
urer and James NJ Shurnaker, former Supertn-
tendent OF Public Buildings and Grounds.
Motions for new trials were made in each
case
The jury came into court at S:52 o'clock. and
a minute later Mr.. DunkIe. the foreman in re-
ply to the warden Of the clerk of the court.
announced that they had agreed upon YER
dict 1t was read to the court and then aloud
The Jury was not poIled. but when the clerk
read the verdict convictins all of conspiracy
each man gave his assent by nod.
Judge Kunke1 thanked the jurymen for their
patience and the care given to the case and dis
missed them The entire proceeding occupied
ten minutes.
ONLY Sanderson and Snyder were in court
when the verdict was given, and neither would
talk None of the counsel for the defendants
would say anything about the The states
attorneys. when questioned said that they were
pleased at the result of the hard work
The maximum penalties for each defendant
| in this case is two years imprisonment and
$1,000 fine.
The jury retired at 12:19 o'clock p. m. to-day.
The judges charge lasted one hour and nineteen
minutes, and was regarded by lawyers who heard
it favorable TO the prosecution
When the jury retired all other cases In which
the same defendants figure continued until
March g. the day upon which the next trial will
begin
1t was announced that the next case TO be
tried is one involving an alleged fraud of s17,
78s 20 in bills for metallic furniture In this
action, which is a charge Of conspiracy, Con-
gressnan II. Burd Cassell. ]. M Huston. the
Capitol architect, and Snyder, Mathues and
Shumaker are named as defendants with Frank
Irvine q travelling auditor. who made the meas
urements OF the metal casing
This trial will be followed, some time in April,
according TO present plans, by false pretence
case involving Charles G. Wetter. the partner of
George F. Payne, the builder Of the Capitol.
The Capitol conspiracy case charged the four de-
PENDANTS with having defrauded the State Of Penn
sylva1lia In furnishing the Capitol The arguments
were finished Thursday and yesterday Judge
KunkeI gave the final instructions to the jurors.
who had patiently listened 10 testimony and
speeches since January e.
in the history OF Pennsylvania courts and attracted
much attention throughout the state
The prosecution OF the Capitol frauds is the indi-
rect outcome OF the great political upheaval in
Philadelphia IN 1906, which resulted in the autumn
OF that year in the election of W. H Berry. 4
Democrat. the office of State Treasurer. After
Berry took office he startled the people Of the state
by charging that the books of the State Treasury
showed that the Capitol. instead o. costing s4.00o
Coo had actually cost s13 100000 legislative in
vestigatfon followed, and the findings Of the in
vestigators the effect that there were great
frauds committed in the furnishing and decorating
of the building. The case laid before the At
torney General, who began proceedings which re-
suited in the indictment of fourteen persons