Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-29
4oApEs BOUND OVER.
Court Finds Probable Cause in Case of Contractor Accused of Fraud Against the State.


 Saturday the case of the state vs. Edgar Rhoades of this city, charged with an attempt to defraud the state of Connecticut by inducing Charles A. Capen of this city to have inserted in Q bill charge of s164 for painting at the Connecticut Agricultural college temporary dining hall, knowing that the claim was a false one, was taken up before Judge William A. Arnold in the police court.
 MT. Rhoades entered plea of not guilty. He was represented by Attor- ney Samuel B. Harvey. Charles A. Capen was the first witness called by the state and he said that he was a trustee of the Connecticut Agricultural college and also secretary of that board. In 1909 an act was passed by the general assembly appropriating money for the erection of cottages and 8 temporary dining hall. end by the terms of the act Colonel Jarvis, l.. J. Stcrrs and himself were made the building committee. The committee contracted with Mr. Rhoades for the erection of the dining hall. the contract price being approximately S17, ,000 and same had been paid upon order of the building committee When the con tract had been awarded the matter of it's supervision had been entirely left with Mir. Palmer of Meriden, who was the architect. Concerning the bill for $164, under consideration, MT. Capen stated that MT. Rhoddes had come into his office one day and said that he was q poor hand at writing and de- Dired witness to make out his (Mr. RhoadesD bill for extra work that he had done at the college MT. Capen said that he sat down at his typewriter | and wrote the items as MT. Rhoades l called them off to him from memOran- | da that he had The bill was then put l before the building committee and a | dispute followed and it recently came i up before the entire board of trustees 1 and had never been paid. On cross 1 examination witness stated that the architect would not give his approval ! to the bill for S164 for extra painting ! One interview between the building ] committee and Mir, Rhoades was held relative to the matter and Mfr. Caper said that he had personally had two talks with MT. Rhoades about the bill
 Bill Disputed.
 Judge L. J. Storrs. another trusted of the college and 0 member of tho building committee, testified that tht bill in question had been disputed anC that the architect would not approve it | maintaining that it was excessive fol i the amount of work done. Presiden C. L. Beach of the college testified tha after the dining hall had been com pleted there was some extra Worl done. On the top floor of the buildin! six additional rooms had been provid5t for a partition removed in the base ment and another partition removet and these partitions when removed ha, not boen painted. On cross examina tiou President Beach stated that tn appropriation for the building nal been exhausted and that the executiv committee of the college had agree
 to have the extra work done and tn
 cost If same paid for out of the regu lar funds and had so instructed tn l building committee to go ahead an
 complete the work.
 Arthur E. Atkins of Mansfield testi l fled that he had done the painting O
 the dining hall under a contract wit
 MT. Rhoades and was to receive S22
 for the job and as for what extr
 painting he did it was worth abou
 s39 s25 for the basement and s11 fo
 odds and ends. Edgar Rhoades ha
 wanted him to male his bill large
 telling him that others interested i
 the erection and construction of tn
 building were holding out their hand
 and wanted something and he kne1
 that they were getting it
 i, Mir. Atkins stated that he had tol
 Rhoa5es that he did not care to ge mixed up in anything like that as
 would eventually come out Rhoade had told him that it would not h EneWn, hut Nr Adkins naaintalnet ;ha
 as h hal been in Mansfield for th past 1 years he guessed that he di l T, nahra f.h A Thompson. who worked for Afr. At kiRs. testified that he overhear , Rboades tell Atkins thar they all ha
 their hands out
 Accused TestIkes,
 The defense started at I.15 D. n with MT, Rhoa6es on the stand. Il