New-York tribune., 1920-12-03
Brindell and
Backer Called
Bitter Enemies
Contractor Who Figured
in Alleged Payment Of
SO. 900 Bribe Money Oh
Stand i'll Perjury Case
NJ ooncy Assails Levy
Says Millionaire Builder
Is Innocent Victim of
"a Liar and Forgotten"

Samuel s. Jones. a contracting ex-
cavator OF 473 West i5sth Street. WAS
called as witness for George s.
3acker in Judge Rosalsky's part of
General Sessions yesterday. to show
that the wealthy builder. who is en-
trial for alleged perjury was bitter
enemy of Robert p. Brindell. the al
legged dictator in the building indus
try.
Jones was the first witness called by
Edmund L. Mooney. chief counsel for
Backer. His story was in line with
Mr.. MONEYS contention in opening for
the defense, that Backer was n friend
OF Brindell's, and had been introduced
TO him in April of this year by Jones.
Mr. Mooney SAID he would show tn 1T
Ephraim 3. Levy for whom Backer
has said he was acting when he paid
$4,000 to the Mutt and jeff asen.s
OF Brindell. sis a liar and forgette.'"
and is trying to repudiate his contra t
80 pay S35 600 to Backer by getting
Backer indicted; that he would pro-
duce one of the two men to whom
8acker paid Levys money. and that
backer had been ioking in giving nls
testimony before the Lockwood legli-
,ative committee, because he thought
1t was simply "a body of investiga-
. tors"
Backer and Brindell Meet
The gst of Joness testimony was
that on Apri 13 of this year, when
he reached the site OF the Textile
Build ng, on " est Fifty seventh Street,
owned by Backer, he noticed that the
men employed by him were not work
lng and were out on strike. He went
him that the strike was called because
"Backer is in wrong on the Seventh
Avenue project"
Jones said he saw Backer and ar
ranged for the latter to meet Brndeli
the next morning. At that meeting,
t recording to Jones, Backer met Brin-
dell for the first time and told him
that he was not interested in the
Seventh Avenue project but was
building that property under con-
tract Of 5000 for Enhraim B. Levy.
Brlndel insisted on being shown"
according to Jones. and Baeker pro-
duced the contract April 10 at BIN
del 5 Office with the result rhat /
latter permitted tn continuation OF
work on the West Fifty seventh Street
site
Efforts had been made by Mr.. Mooney
20 have Jones testify as to the conver-
saton between himself and Bacher as
they rode uptown in the latter's
Brndoll on April IA, but Emory r.
BuSkner, prosecutir~ attorney, object
ed and Judge RosaiaAy upheld him. But
when hlr. BUckner began crosse Xamin
Ing Jones he brought out what had
transpsred in the machine. much - 1Ir,
Moneys delight jude Rosa sky
pointed out to Mr.. BIckner that he was
br.ng,n NJ in something to which he had
objecrod adding ne did this Ito show
tha, the court was not sleeping.'
In an VIZ to Mr. 3 Jckner's questions
Jones admitted suggesting to BacKer,
after the after had told him that Levy
vas in had with Drindell and tnat the
.abor car would no paN'N - 90
construction on Levy's property, that
the only -hirc 70 do in such case was
to fix Brndell and th5t he had sug-
gcsted So, 900 as the probable sum
necessary.
Sa~s Pc Fixed Brndell
He denied vehement'y. however. that
oe had ever asked Backer, when the
.atter told him that Brinde.l had been
fixed" now much money had been paid
ar- said he had not : aed because 1t
vas none of my business
Did you uot tell me demanded MI
EuckAer. when YOU vlsi Ted nay office
before Thanksgiving Day that either
twenty-four or torty-eight hours after
you and Backer had q ak with Brin-
dell your work started again, and did
you not quote Mr. Backer as saying:
4 fixed it up Wit Brindell, and if did
not have so much money at stake |
would tave nir put 4 "a L -
Jones sdn tied that Backer had told
him IN August that he had fixed Brin-
dell
Jones continued that when he had
told mis- story tor the first time on the
day before Thanksgiving TO MI. Buck
ner the lawyer had told MIN politely
that he vas telling untruths and at
he had better think things over, be
cause the minutes Of the Lockwood
committees proceedings md Gated that
Jones was the right hand man Of Brin-
dell.
"Do you know Mr. Jones'" asked Mr
Mooney, what il means when Dis
trict Attorney asks you TO think things
overI' Jones did not reply.
Miss Eleanor =. ourns, Of 358 West
Fifty-frst Street, secretary and book
keeper TO Backer for tfe last 50 years
test fed she had never seen Brindell
IN Backer's present office, at Is West
Thirty-sixth Street, but said she had
seen Brndell at Backers old office al
10 West Ffty-ffth Street in May and