The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-14
SLUG WEINSEIMER'S ACCUSER.
THREE MEN ATTACK ESSIG AND
ONE GETS HURT.
Guards Now Escort the Complaining
witness To and From the Welnseimer
Triai-Defence Opens with Charge
or Conspiracy Among the Employers.

1t came out yesterday that George j.
Essig, the plumber, on whose charge Dia-
mond Phil Weinseimer il on trial before
Judge Newburger in General Sessions for
the alleged extortion Of 81. 700, was assaulted
by three men as he was entering his shop
at 20 Hancock place two weeks ago. He
hit one OF his assailants over the head with
foot long brass valve on which now re-
main certain bloodstains and some red
hair, but the trio got away. Since then
Essig has received threatening letters and
on Wednesday he appealed for protection
to Assistant District Attorney Rand, who
is prosecuting Weinseimer.
That night George Hammond and an
other guard from the District Attorneys
office accompanied Essig to his home and
stayed there. Hammond brought Essg
to court yesterday, and last night two men
from the District Attorneys Office took
Essig home and remained at his house all
night. Essig thinks that the men who
tackled him are members of the wreck
ing crew." az the plumbers call the men
who do work of the kind done by Sam
Parks entertainment committee"
The story of the assault on Essig did
not get to the jury that il trying Weinseimer,
Essig came to court under guard, He
told the story to the reporters himself
after he had left the witness stand.
Il left my home at 81 Hancock place.,
he said, "to go to my shop, a few doors
away. 1t was about 80 O'Clock and it ia
my practice to go to the shop every even
ing for any mail that may be there. There
is a light in front of the shop but that night
f,a al
having trouble with the gas there. As got
in front of the shop l noticed three men
coming up the street. but didn't pay any
particular attention to them, l took my
key out to open the door and just as put
it in the lock the three men were behind
me. Iheard some one say: That's the -
and then one Of them hit me with his fist.
The blow landed right under my eye, the
door swung open and reeled inside.
Il think that the object of the men was
TO get me inside, but thefirst thing thought
of were the valves and other plumbers
things that you will see in the window of
any plumbing shop. l reached around
the easement of the door to the show win
dow and grabbed a valve. l swung it
and hit one OF the men. He ran and the
other followed. There was no policeman
around and could do nothing.
THE man hit l cut, for there was blood
and patch OF red hair on the valve. 1t
just happened that that night had left
at home the revolver always carry (here
he pulled one from his hip pocket). /
didn't recognize the men. but II could
only find them wouldn't Use valve. I've
got two fists here and they would be enough.
Il told Mr.. Rand about 1t the next day,
but didn't say anything to any one else
because ] didn't want my wife, who is
very nervous, to know anything of it.
When l was walking in the hall near the
court room yesterday heard man behind
me say, There's that - now
When the prosecutions evidence was
all in yesterday, George Raines made sew
eral motions for the dismissal of the indict-
ment and the exclusion of the testimony
of George johnson of the Johnson Kahn
Company. All were denied. The main argyll
ment for Diminishing the indictment was
that Essig was only dummy and that the
money that went to Weinsemer came
from the Johnson ahnCompanyand did not
belong to Essig. For that reason, Mr..
Raipes said, Essig could not have parted
with the money through fear.
Mr.. Raines's fame al an orator had pre-
coded him from western New York, and
when he opened the defence the court room
was crowded. District Attorney Jerome
came in to hear Before Mr.. Raines got
fairly started, however, it was 4 o'clock
and an adjournment was taken.
He ind Gated IN the little he did say that
his appeal to the jury would be that Vein
seimer was the victim Of conspiracy on
the part of the employers in the building
trades-men with $7O,0Oo,OOo OF capital
and vast intelligence. When the case
against Weinseimer was born, he said,
there was lockout that impaired the
operations Of the employers. Weinseimer
by his native energy had become a leader.
He was president Of his organization, which
was represented by two walking delegates,
who were practically the arms of the or
ganization. Weinseimer was not con-
suited except for direction or advice.
He had nothing to do with the ordering of
the Randall strike on the Chatsworth ex-
cept as member Of the board Of governors
OF his union.
When Mr., Raines got to this point the
adjournment was taken. Mr.. Raines took up
most OF the morning with the CROSS
examination OF Essig. Telling Of the day
of Weinseimer's arrest, Essig said:
Il gave him $3.50. I asked him what
he had done with the corresponding note,
and he said he had destroyed it, because
he had heard that / had made a squeal to
the District Attorney. He left the room
and locked the door, | sprang after him
but couldn't get out In a minute Vein
seimer came back. He said: I've got a
lot OF friends and II anything happens to
me they'll make the people sweat who are
responsible for it, and, remember. l can Use
a gun as well as Leopold Kahn can so
can I. Weinseimer I said"
Essig kept private check book for the
Chatsworth job, and that was introduced as
evidence by Mr.. Raines, MIR. Rand hadn't
tried to get it n. 1t show d that on each
day that Essig paid the notes he gave to
Weinseimer he went to the bank and
drew the exact amount for each note.
A number of witnesses will be called by
the defence. They will include walking
delegates and employers, among the latter
Charles and Otto Eidlitz of the Building
Trades Employers Association.