The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-09
WE|NSE|NER CONVICTED
E~x-President Of Building Trades Al
lance Guilty Of Extortion.
END OF AN IMPORTANT TRIAL
Jury Was Out Over Six Hours Whom tho
Verdict Wal Finally Rendered-Prls-
oner's Wife in Court at the Time
Weinseimer Appeared to Weaken
Physically at the End.

New York City.-The jury which had
tried Philip WeinSeimer, ex-PrcSident
of the Building Trades Alliance, on the
charge Of extorting $2IO0 from George
II. Essig, a plumbing contractor, on the
Chatsworth apartment house. at Sew
enty-second street and Riverside Drive,
rendered a verdict of guilty at 11.50 at
night, after being out six hours and q
quarter. Weinseimer was remanded
to the Tombs until sentence will be
pronounced.
When the jury came In Weinscimer
stood outside the railing. Judge New
burger asked tle foreman if 4 verdict
had been agreed upon. Weinseimer
was half smiling at this time, but the
smile left his face as the foreman an
nounced that q verdict had been
reached, and then replied to I second
question:
Guilty, as charged in the indict-
ment."
Weinseimer trembled when the words
were pronounced. and grasped the rail
ing rs if to steady himself. He gave 4
quick glance at the jury and then at
his counsel. The jury was then polled
and discharged. WeinSeimer's pedi-
gree was next taken. He answered
the questions in tones so low as to be
almost inaudible. and the clerk had to
bend his head to hear them.
The wait during the evening was
n of anxiety for both counsel for
the defense and Assistant District At
torney Rand. When the jury desired
supper at $50. and afterward spent so
long a time. without coming to a de-
cision, counsel for the defense were
jubilant. They sent for Weinseimer
about 10 O'Clock, and he was sitting in
the rear of the courtroom when the
Jury filed in with the verdict. Mrs.
WeinSeimer was in court during the
evening.
Only one ballot was taken by the
Jury previous to supper. The jury was
at supper nearly two hours, and up to
after II o'clock only one other ballot
had been taken. A majority were al
ways for conviction. it is said, the jury
standing nine to three until the last
ballot, when the three were Won over
to q conviction.
In summing up, Mr.. Raines, for the
defense, declared that the charge
against Weinseimer had been fostered
by Charles L. Eidlitz, President of the
Building Trades Employers Associa-
ton, in conjunction with George John
son and other members Of the John
son-kahn Company, building contrac-
tors, who put up the Chatsworth. Be
cause of this fact Mr.. Raines declared
the charges had been tainted when
they were presented to the District
Attorneys Office.
Mr.. Rand followed Mr.. Raines and
denied the story of the alleged plot
against Weinseimer, declaring that the
employers had acted like any other
honest men who had become sick and
tired of the way in which Weinseimer
had been grating on both capital and
labor.
Judge NewburGer took only 4 few
minutes in charging the jury. He said
that no overt act need be committed,
Or any particular form of words used
to inspire fear, according to the sta
tute. The jury must determine from
the evidence, he said, whether any
money had been paid. but it was imma-
terial where Essig obtained the money
he alleged he paid to Weinscimer.