The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-28
Rise and Fall of Sam Parks
Life Story of Man Who Has Been Indicted for the Fifth Time
for Bribery and Extorton IN New York

him. IN many cases the vanQuished be-
came his stauchest supporters. He sur
rounded himself with the most reckless
members Of the union and soon had
personal following known as SAN Parks
Entertainment Committee" One union
after another was absorbed by the organ
ization OF which he was chief, until final
~ an the union ironworkers in New York
had been Joined together. This great
work accomplished. Parks, its author,
was made walking delegate and then he
began 10 live.
Parks, the Dictator.
The new Sam Parks dates from the
time he became the virtual leader Of New
York ironworkers and had 5000 men at
his beck and cali. He commanded the
building situation in city which has
erected more buildings than any other
city in the world. in the same space of
time The gold mine lay open at his
feet. He was not slow 10 help himself.
His methods Of extortion We're crudity
itself. Any preteXt for a strike was good
enough Tor Parks. II the slightest ex-
cuse were lacking he invented one. and
called out the men, At first some Of
them rebelled and went back to work
the next day On their way home they
would be Waylatd and beaten by the EN-
teFtalnment committee one experience
was enough, for they would be handled
after the style of the lumber camps.
Then Parks would call on the employers,
and offer 70 send the men back for a
certain amount. His price, il is said.
ranged from 5000 to 500. and it is sig
smallest bride that landed him in the
courts. The contractor had no choice but
70 comply with the tyrants terms. If he
employed other men they would be half
killed So they put up the money. and
the men would go back to the job. 1t
was alleged at Parks trial that he re-
ceived large annual salary from an
Important building and construction con-
Germ for tying up the operations of trade
rivals at critical times. This was denied
with much violence, but if il is true,
Parks certainly earned his fee.
Lived Like Prince.
The walking delegates salary was
SIS week. He spent $4,000 a year. and
had bank account of $4,000. In the
lumber camps whisky was good enough
for him. In New York he drank nothing
but champagne He gave 81, 900 for a seal
skin Overcoat. covered his fingers with
diamond rings, and wore valuable gems
in his shirt front. A smart carriage con-
veyed him to the meetings of the union
and l,oo a gofn 10 bsg ov,,rf,,,Ci,f,. A., n
stylish private hOiel He always had
some hundreds of dollars in his pockets
Opposition I'm the union was no longer
met with cunning Sans fists, though
-bedizened, were still large and
knuCldy. His committee too, was in rude
health. The great majority Of the men
were his admirers. for had he not in
creased their pay by So a day since be-
coming their representative The tens
of thousands of dollars they had lost in
Parks 1nnumerable strikes were forgot
ten, and they regarded the man as a
benefactOr. A few weeks ago the crash
came. Josephus Plenty, a maker of sky
lights in Jersey City, swOre out an in
formation against Parks. charging him
with eXtOrting 500 from Plenty for cali
ing off a strike. A long and sensational
trial followed but finally Parks WAS con-
victed and sentenced to two years and a
half I'm Sing Sing. He had good lawyers
however, and they secured his temporary
release by means of a certificate of
reasonable doubt AS half a dozen
other charges hang over his head il is
likely that he will soon put on the stripes
again, and take his place with the other
robbers and desperadoes Of the big city.