The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-06
DEMAND IS MADE
FOR CONFESSION
Delaney May Be Forced to Give
Up Document Left by
Sanderson.
GIANT STEAL INVOLVE D
Paper Likely to Clear Up All
Details of Harrisburg Capt.
tol Graft.

nor John Il Tener and Attorney-Gen-
eral John c. Bell shortly viii hold
conference for the purpose Of discuss
ing ways and means TO force state
Factory Inspector John c. Delaney 20
give 20 the Commonwealth the con
fession made by John Fl. sanderson
through whose contract TO supply the
State Capitol here with interior fur
nishings. $1,000. 900 was stolen from the
State.
In a statement made by Delaney ne
declared that SandersOn. before he died.
made a written confession, in which
J he implicated some very big men
whose names never were mentioned IN
the gigantic steal who never were
arrested or brought 10 trial and VINO
prohted more than any Of the men
who served prison sentences. or, IKE
Sanderson and former state Treasurer
| William l. Mathues. who died while
under bail pending an appeal OF their
J convictions. and George r. Payne. the
/ building contractor, who died befors
| he could be placed on trial The men
who paid the penalty with prison SEN
| fences were former Attorney-General
William z. Snyder, James Nj Shoemsk-
er. superinte ndent of the building, ana
Joseph NJ Huston. the building aren't
| tect.
| Delaney further declares that the
confession made by Sanderson also re
veals the name of the man who engi-
neered the entire gigantic steal, and
whose name never before has been
mentioned in connection with the theft
AS proof that certain persons think
| the confession Of immense value. De-
| fancy declares he was offered 100000
| II ne would give the confession 10 GER
! tain persons. To-day he asserted this
money offer was not made by any per
son in the State OF Pennsylvania
| was the offer made BY any news
paper" ne was asked
Nov you are getting nearer 10 the
real facts in the case" pas his reply
/ but he refused 10 elacidate furtner
along those lines
That the confession really is in ex-
I istence was vouched for further by
James Scarlet. the attorney who pros
( ecuted the capitol grafters.
! AT the time of the trials" said At
/ torney scarlet I'VE knew that some
such paper was in existence, and we
knew that II gave the namse OF great
big men. who managed to escape
through the holes IN the net. We mace
every effort 20 get the confession az
that time 1t is a surprise "a me that
Delaney should make public any stat~-
nent There seems 10 be much con-
lecture as to why Sanderson should
have given the confession into the
xeeping Of Delaney Mo% people are
not aware that Sanderson and Delaney
were ,eose personal friends. but such
is the case
While the publication OF the story
that Sanderson had made a confession
trnpucating big men" caused Snsa-
ton for a short time, local politicians
soon began 10 speculate as to who the
I big men" were. and as TO Delaney
reason for making pubic the story OF
the confession al this time. Some OF
them made what they thought to be
pretty shrewo guess that the big
men" might be certain big politi-
clans perhaps with national reputa-
tons
Al the present time Delaney IS under
fire Charges have been preferred
against him by the Consumers League
and Governor Tener has confidential
assistants investigating these charges
Their is a report that this fact may
have had a great deal TO 40 with the
making public az this tine the fact
that there is a SandersOr confession
In existence and that il duplicates
4 big men"
: Inspector Delaney added another
{ chapted 10 the cOffesion story when
I ne told that the confession absolutely
exorerates one man. That man, he
SAYS. is former Governor PennypacAer-
chief executive OF the state at the time
IN. Capitol was partially erected and
IA - or - z Z -
packer never. e~s~ - his worst enc
niles. was accused Of knowing anything
. about the steal. hut in the SandersOn
, confession Delaney says Governor Pen
: ny-packer IS given clean bill OF health.
and is described as the most honest
man that ever lived
] Governor Pennypaol1er pricked up MS
, ears when he heard this. and p-acti-
caily demanded that the entire confes-
sion. even though the men accused are
/ protected BY the statute Of limitations.
; be made public. He declared that II
was In the province OF the Attorney
J General to force Inspector DELANEY 1"
make the confession public. or at lease
to allow the officials OF the common
/ wealth TO See il.
To .his Delaney gave a defiant reply
! TIA. he did not propose 10 make the
confession public until he got perInis-
/ sion to do so from Mrs. Sandc-son.
widow OF the contractS who Delaney
saws Is the only person other than him
: self who has seen the confession
( Mrs Ssnderson IS almost as uncom-
r,unica-ive as Delaney. she connrbed
; the statement that the rVufession was
7 IN the possession OF Delaney. and was
surprised TO learn that ne had made
public the fact that II existed. Furtner
rrf-r IN
+ formation.