New-York tribune., 1908-03-01
BLOW At BERMEL.
Grand Jury Infers He Profted in
Kissena Park Deal.

The special grand jury which has been investi-
eating the Kissena Park sale finished it's work
yesterday and handed up to Justice Garretson. in
the Supreme Court at Flushing, long present.
ment. which. while it contains additional in-
dictments, charges conspiracy among those who
arranged for the sale of the land to the city and
infers that Joseph Bermel, President of the Bor-
ough of Queens. beneficiary of the conspir-
acy. The presentment says in part:
In the opinion of this grand tury the parties
who acquired the lands which were afterward sold
spraev in ac ot RaTK ot PURPOSES IN engaged IN CON n
the eyes of the law, to defraud the city of New
plicltyc Of corporations and agreements and later
the Borough Pesdent IN 10 his o ae sHoa OF
member of the Board OF Estimate and Apportion-
ment This jury has been unable, owing TO a con
spracy of silence on the part of several witnesses
and the continual evasion Of service of others. TO
Borough President. Joseph Bermel. was a bene-
es1y of this this % p % but it has IL its
president of the borough
1t was the opinion OF the grand jury that j w
Paris and E. A. McDougal, the active members of
several firms enumerated in the presentment.
the principal figures in most of the transactions
and that Chaser was engaged by them. The docu-
ment then goes on to say that Chaser. by nfiuenc-
ing the Borough President, helped to bring about
the sale of the land to the city park purposes
and that he received for his efforts 100000. The
presentment takes up deposit made by Ber1ne
in the Corn Exchange Bank in Long Island City
and says that concerning this deposit the said
Bermel made statement which he sought TO cor
rotorate by the testimony of a witness who pre-
sented apparent confirmation in the shape of q
written paper which upon investigation proved
be a false and fraudulent document, for the
presentation of which this jury has already In 9
dicted the person who offered the same as evil
dence."
The presentment takes up the connection of
officials of the borough with the unlawful taking
OF money from corporations and says
We ask the attention of the court especially to
the testimony to the collection by Charles Ber-
mel in December, 1907, of $4,000 in currency on
account of his brother, Joseph Bermel. the presi-
dent of the borough, and by his Instructions. from
the payment of about $15 600 of the funds re-
Ceived by Charles Berme to one Frost and the
payment of this sum by Frost to purchase stock
in realty company for Joseph Bermel in the
name of Herman Ringe, the secretary of the
cugh of Queens. and the refusal the said Ringe
the grand jury, the ground that il might tend
to incrimnate him, and the similar refusal of the
Borough President to answer on similar grounds.
Mr.. Bermel replied last night to the charges
against him. declaring that the mputations against
him We're absolutely unwarranted by the facts. He
charges that the whole agitation has been the work
of his enemies, who wish his political ruin
and lays much of the blame on Nathan Vidaver.
who picked by the Attorney General con-
duct the investigation Mr.. Vidaver. he says had
instructions go the limit and consequently
present an indictment against him as vindication