The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-23

must be paid before any stonecutter could
go to work.
The employers protested that their men
were now union men and that they were
ready to hire them as such. The COM
mittee said that that made no difference;
they had hired them when they were not
union men and had, accordingly, been fined
$4,000 by the union Most of the EN-
ployers were tied up with contracts and
protracted strike was serious matter for
them. So they decided to dicker They
said it was impossible to gay out so large
sum of money. The committee held a
conference and decided to come down to
$500 Later they came down to $50 ,OCO,
then to SCI 900, then to $4,000 and finally
to $4,000. at which figure they stopped
and declared they couldn't consider any
less amount. The employers agreed to
give this amount. and in speaking of it last
night, Mr.. Baird said
"On March -, 1902, we gave the check
for $4,000 to this committee of four men.
At their direction we made it payable to
Lawrence Murphy, the tire asurer of the
union. OF the four men who called and
got this money I knew but two. One was
named Cauld and the other Mc(iovern.
My name. the name of Mr. Rankin and
the name Of a Mr.. McLaren were signed to
the check the amount Of which was ap-
portioned among the employers. All three
of us have been subp9naed to appear as
witnesses on Murphy's trial by Mr.. McIn-
tyre. the attorney for the defence. from
which l Judge that the facts of the trans
action are now to be made public by
member OF the union that profted by it.
Mr.. jerome has got an order from the
, court for me to produce this check and
have turned it over to him
The Baird transaction accounts for
$4,000 Of the money Murphy is accused Of
| embezzling. Murphy will allege that the
rest of the money was obtained in the same
way and will give specific instances in his
| defence. He says that s825 was obtained
! from Thomas Rubenstein, a Brooklyn
builder not associated with the other en-
, ployers. Ruhcnstein was visited by the
! same committee that visited Mr., Baird, just
| after his stonecutters had been brought
! into the union and then called out on strike.
He was informed that his fines amounted
| to 1925 As he didn't have the money the
committee accepted 800 in cash ard took
| the rest in notes Rubenstein, who is also
| to be subppnaed as a witness for Murphy,
will testify, il is said. that every time the
committee called on him TO get the rest of
! the money the members fined him $40 or
$40 more, which they took in cash for
! themselves.
Murphy says that there was ring in the
Stonecutters Union. made up Of powerful
members who grabbed on one pretext or
another all the money that was obtained by
extortion. As treasurer. of course, they
| had to get the money through him, and he
gave il TO them, or spent it with them in
| various ways For instance, the John
Black mentioned by Mr.. Mcintyre in his
question to Talesman Scott got. according
to Murphy. o. 900. with which he bought a
farm in Scotland and settled down. Muir
| ply says ne is there yet Evsy member
! of the union who knew anything about tho
money got at him for some Of It, if it was
only $40. Murphy says,
One device to get money out OF him much
practised, says Murphy, was for members
of the union to get themselves appointed
| committees to confer with the treasurer.
| Under the bylaws Of the union members
| of committees are entitled TO 90 cents each
| for every call they make on an officer Of the
| union.
Murphy says that some Of these self
made committees would call at his house
a dozen times a day, each man demanding
his fee each time. In most cases, he says,
he gave the committeeman IS to $40 piece
not to call again. Much of the money, he
SAYS. ne spent with other officers of the
union on trips to Atlantic City and other
resorts.
Murphy is still a member of the Journey
men Stonecutters' Union. He has been
in the Tombs since he was arrested Some
weeks ago, and his absence from three
consecutive meetings, according TO pro-
vision of the bylaws. loses him his office
as treasurer. Murphy says that the case
against him is being pushed bv certain
members of the union because they dldn
get any of the money
Very little progress was made in Muir
| phys trial yesterday. Assistant District
Attorney Mott, who is prosecuting him,
opened the case by. saying that ne would
show that money given to Murphy to de-
post was never deposited AT all, but con-
yerted TO his own use. When accused Of
embezzlement, he said Murphy fled to
Europe, but finally came back to take his
medicine. After his arrest he offered to
give uD IN 10 Jlle ltllOu ~ Nv MhS I'L
prosecuted The union decided TO prose-
cute.
John McKeon, who was once treasurer
and recording secretary of the Stone
cutters Union was the only witness ex-
amined yesterday. Mckeon produced
records Of the union showing the trans
action by which $40, 600 was obtained from
the Brooklyn employers and gave history
of Murphy's connection with the union.
He was then cross-eXamined by Mr..
Mcintyre. Asked if it wasn't true that tho
Stonecutters' Union had collected large
sum of money from employers during
the past few years, he said he dld not KNOW
"Isn't il a fact that your union has col
lected 5000, 600 from employers IN THIS city.
county and State during the past few years.
asked Mr.. Mcintyre
IT haven't read the financial report
Don't you know your union mas c%ac'ed
more than 500, 900 from employers"
II have not read the financial report.
Didn't your union compel one contractor
TO pay $4,000 in fines?"
ii do not know.
number Of similar questions were
oskC of McKeon, but he said ne couldn '
answer them, and was finally excused.
The trial will go on to-day.
Col. Andrew ID Baird. who had the trans
action described with the stonecutters
committee. has been Republican candidate
for MAYOR of Brooklyn, an Alderman aud
president of the Williamsburg Bridge Com
mission -
cal.ED gTONEL BARRY MORE.