Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-04
CAPITOL GRAFT BOOK SHUT
Architect Of Pennsylvania "HouSe Of
Scandal" Goes to Jail.
CONVICTION SEALED BY COURTS
How Justice and Death Pursued the
CoRsDiratOrs who Robbed the
Quaker state of MnIioas
of DolIars

OF DOLLARS.
What is regarded as the last chapter in
the Pennsylvania capitol frauds closes with
the imprisonment OF Joseph NJ. Huston,
architect Of this great house OF scandal.
whose conviction on charges Of conspiracy
were affirmed ON May ~ by the state SUI
preme court The case Of Huston was
the last Of the criminal trials in connec-
ton with the conspiracy by which the
state OF Pennsylvania was robbed OF mil
lone. -Four other men were convicted and
sentenced TO jail John H. sanderson. the
contractor, and William II. Mathues, ex.
state treasurer, died before their sentences
became effective; two OF their oonfederates
James II. shumaker ex-superintendent
OF public grounds and buildings, and VII.
liam p. Snyder. ox-auditor generaL--are
serving terms in prison. Another defendant
pleaded nolle contendere. and reimbursed
the state TO the extent Of $4,000 In civil
suits the state recovered approximately
t1,50oOo0
1t Is improbable that much sympathy
will be wasted on Huston. The time has
passed for that. for Pennsylvania has had
enough Of it's capitol scandal, which came
to light nearly five years ago In October,
1906, In the course of the stuart-E Emory
gubernatorial campaign. The people want
to forget the grating and the greed that
made II possible. They want to turn down
the leaf and begin with a new sheet.
Huston declares he was convicted by
malice and public clamor, but the facts
were against him, and the republican ma
chine which countenaneed hts acts was
powerlesS to save the young architect.
Tried Alone Three Times.
Huston actually had three trials. Hav-
ing obtained a severance, he was not called
to the bar with the other four defendants.
On the first trial he was acquitted OF the
charge OF conspiracy but was again called
to plead 20 an indictment based on his
certification OF bills for work and ma
terial in which overoharges had been made.
The second trial was delayed by Sander
sons death, and when called in January,
1910, It was postponed because the family
of Juror had been quarantined on ac-
count Of scarlet fever. The third trial re-
suited in the architects conviction in the
Dauphin county court, on April 20 OF the
same year. after bitter legal fight OF
four weeks. After being sentenced to the
Eastern penitentiary for not less than six
months or more than two years, and to
pay fine OF $500 and costs, he took an
appeal to the supreme court. his last re-
sort. That body decided that he had been
legally convicted.
One curious feature OF the trial was the
jury's action in first reporting that they
had found Huston guilty OF "defrauding
the commonwealth" They were informed
by Judge Kunkel that this was not a
proper verdict, inasmuch as Huston had
been indicted for conspiracy. He sent them
hack to their room. and finally they re-
turned with a verdict In accordance with
the indictment. They deliberated twenty
six hours. Naturally. Illusions lawyers
made the most Of this singular phase in
their efforts to obtain a new trial. The
superior court. however, was satisfied that
the trial Judge had not acted improperly
IN advising the Jurors.
TeIItaIe Mahogany Desks.
Perhaps the most damaging evidence
against the architect concerned four big
mahogany desks which were brought into
court from the capitol as exhibits. The
prosecution offered them In proof of its
declaration that the desks had been incor-
rectly measured; that the state had been
defrauded by being overcharged for them,
and that, furnished by Sanderson and GER
titled by Huston. they were excellent speci-
mems Of the fraudulent material which
went into the capitol building.
According to witnesses. these desks were
selected out Of regularly listed and cata-
logued stock Of the Derby Desk company
of Springfield, Mass, and 1t was shown that
only slight alterations from the stock de-
signs had been made in them.
Huston, as capitol architect, received a
commission OF per cent for the buildings
specially designed" furniture. Yet the
desks on exhibition were made. with few
alterations at Sanderson's order, and with
out any plans or specifications being fur
nished to the Derby company. For these
four desks the state paid 81. o65. 90, and they
were billed by the contractor and paid for
as containing fifty-eight and one-half feet.
The desks were measured In court and we're
found to have a total length for the four
OF twenty-five and one-fourth feet.
To show Illusions part In the controversy
the state introduced two letters from Hus-
ton to Hampton L. Carson, the attorney
general Of Pennsylvania, in these the arehi-
tect made himself personally responsible
for the correctness of the measurements of
the capitol furniture as they were set forth
in the bills which he had certified. His
statement. In addition. virtually formed
denial that there were any falsely meas
ufed articles in the building,
Death ON the Trail.
A striking feature of the capitol affair
was the extent to which death thinned the
addition 10 Sanderson. tho contractor for