The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-19
PARKS ON TRIAL
FOR ExT0RTION
-Four indictments Must Be Ans.
WsTed by Delegate.
VERY INTERESTING TESTIMONY
Contractor Plenty Told How He Paid Over
$500 to Settle Strike at
Bad Time.
VERY INTERESTING TESTIMONY

Housesmiths' ana Bridgemens union, on
| nest yesterday before Recorder Con ana
jury in Part | OF general sessions.
There are four indictments against
Parks, but the particular act alleged III
/ the indictment under inYes tigation is that
I he extorted $500 from Josephus Plenty
| Hoboken skylight contractor, 10 call on a
strike and 10 stop any proceedings against
| Plenty for employing non-union labor.
Parks sat with his counsel. Col. Robin
| son, j. p. and A. G.. Eustace and ex-
in Whispering to his brother. who had a
/ chair just behind him. Assistant District
Attorney Rand. with Mr.. Corrigan 10 help
| him. represented the prosecution.
Before beginning his opening. Mr.. Rand
called the names OF the IL witnesses upon
whom he depends for the peoples case;
All answered Present" Then Mr.. Rand
turned 10 the jury. and told them he
hoped they would not consider the case
Of exceptional Importance because Of the
care exercised in selecting the jurors.
| THE fact that the defendant has been
an important figure in other proceedings"
| he said. should count for nothing. We
have nothing to do with that. This man
is to be considered here as II he were
the street under suspicion Of larceny or
| extortion.
II am going to take W, only a few min
utes OF your time in explaining this case.
| No labor organization is on trial here.
There is no question OF the rights or
wrongs OF labor offered TO your consider
|
trial. not as walking delegate, but as
| a man-Samuel Parks"
| DEFINED ExTORTION.
Mr.. Rand defined extortion in all its
| forms, and declared 10 get money by
| threatening financial ruin Is as much
robbery obtaining the money by
threat OF personal violence backed up
| by loaded pistol Then he outlined the
case as he expected TO prove 1t. He
described Josephus Plenty as "a man
| pursuing the honest and honorable call
| ing OF a manufacturer OF skyiights" and
showed how an employer of labor he was
TO certain extent IN the power OF
| Parks organization. the Housesmiths'
and Brfdgemen's union.
| The assistant district attorney said Mr..
| Plenty secured contracts for skynghts
on the Hamburg American piers in Dec.
1902. Four OF his men were non-unton.
| a strike was declared against Plenty on
Dec. Is. 1902 and aGi the union men on
the pier were called out
Then Mr.. Rand told how the strike
| was settled by the payment OF a check
for 5000 made out TO Parks.
Mr. Rand finished with a compliment
to labor men generally.
II expect" he said "to convince you
| by witnesses. that this defendant, to fill
his own pocket with dirty money. made
those union men stop work TO threaten
| with ruin the contractor. Plenty"
1t was evident that Mr. Rand's open
ing disturbed the defendant somewhat
Although Parks appeared cool and com
| posed, and for a while listened calmly
I to the prosecutors oitiress. his usual pal
| lor became deeper still as the details OF
the actual securing OF the $500 alleged
blood money was unfo1ded.
When Mr. Rand was explaining the
| difficulty of obtaining the cash after
Parks had refused a check from Plenty
1 o lAlA -
cuser and whispered ani.natedly and
! often TO his counsel.
AS soon as Mr.. Rand had finished
! speaking Joseph r. Eustace Of counsel
! for the accused man read a long address
10 the court. demurring To the indictment
| of Parks. and asking for its dismissal
| on technical grounds. The recorder
stated that he found the indictments
! properly drafted, ana he would deny the
| motion.
Josephus Plenty, $50 Arlington avenue.
Jersey City, n manufacturer OF skylights
! for SO years. was the first witness He be-
| gan his story in line with Mr.. Rand's ad-
dress. In reply 10 the district attorney,
| witness described the character of work
within the scope OF the Bridgemens
union.
| AT or about the middle OF December
were there a number OF men not OF this
union who stopped work on the pierP''
t-f HI r II r -A-fAf
Counsel objected and the recorder sus-
! Q-How long were your men idie7 A
About half n day. The work ceased on
Dec. Is, and they were at work again
| Witness describing his first talk with
! Parks said he went up TO the Bridge
mems union and saw Mr. Hannen. the
! secretary. who referred him 10 Mr.. Parks.
/ He subsequently saw Parks. and asked
] him whether there was any way TO settle
the strike. Parks said TO him that there
/ was n way. ~ was 10 meet him the next
day" said Plenty. "at Greenwood hall. $40
l Third avenue He said Delegate Dolan
would be there. and all there was was TO
would be settled and the strike called of.
/ ! told him 7 was more anxious TO have
/ the other men in than my own, because
my work depended upon st."
/ Coming down TO his interview the next
day with Parks, he said Parks repeated
/ I'm substance what he had said before.
/ Parks then told him that he had that
day settled case. and pulling out
roll OF 30 or 20 bills the outside one being
n $500 gold certificate. said tnat this roll
was his share of the days settlement.
/ Then the witness told how the check was
drawn payable TO Parks. Witness said
that he and Henry Farley went 10 the
| Nineteenth Ward bank TO get the check
cashed. The bank officers refused 10
. TO Bernard Lynch's saloon, AT the corner
OF Fifty-nlnth street and Third avenue.
Q.-What happened there? Ave saw
| Mr.. Lynchs man.
Counsel here got into warm argu-
ment about Identifying witnesses IN
court Lynch. the saloon keeper, and
] Silvideo. the man who ultimately got
the check cashed AT Bloomlngdale's, were
I'm court. Mr. Rand asked Lynch 10 stand
up
Don't stand up. Lynch shouted Mr..
/ Robinson. counsel for Parks
Mr. Rand. do you see Slvideo IN
court?" said Mr. Robinson.
II object" said Mr.. Robinson.
Some one in the court room had n
: newspaper -ir-f-c-r+- hts facr, urt- tfrr
district attorney shouted Put down
/ that newspaper"
The feeling between counsel became
further intensified and the recorder call
/ ed 20 order
Witness the- described how the money
was obtained AZ Bloom.nedale'a. how
Parks and Farley got the cash and d.
/ vided. how Parks promised that there
would not be trouble for year and
\ how the men came 20 work promptly
i affer "a rash naiA