New-York tribune., 1920-12-14
''Code Of Practice" EIeat;
Arraigned OH Anti Trust
Charges Growing Out
of the Building Inquiry
lwO Accused as
His CO-defentiants
Eighteen Contractors on
SchooIouses Threaten
10 Quit W ork ON FRIDAY

Disclosures made before the Lock
wood committee on housing OF alleged
collusivc bidding among plumbing
steam heating, ventilating and lime
stone contractors resulted yesterday in
an attorney and head of the Code Of
Practice" ring, by which. it is charged.
eAtortlonate prices were imposed.
Hcttrick, whose indictment last Fri
day was unrevealed until he appcared d
before Justice John V. McAyoy in the
criminal branch Of the Supreme Court
Together with twenty-nine members Of
the Cut Stone Contractors Association
he is charged with violation of the
Donnelly antitrust law.
Witnesses have testified before the
Lockwood committee that Hettrick s
office at 50 Broadway was the clearing
house for the activities Of building
combine Henry Hanlein the limestone
contractor whose S2,372,O 900 contract
Tor the new courthouse was cancelled
because Of recent exposures. has said
on the stand that Hettrick WAS "the
creator Of the SCHEME and the whole
show. The Code OF Practice" oper-
ated by Hettrick. it was said, enabled
him to collect Ter cent OF the CON
tractors gross annual business, OF
which he retained per cent for per-
sonai services
crisis was reached yesto rday in the
Board OF Estimates investigation OF
alleged collusion in city contracts when
eighteen contractors at work on school
buildings handed the board letter
which was virtually an ultimatum. This
set forth that unless the payments sus-
pended by the city during the investi
CATION are handed over before Friday
all work on the eighteen public schools
.will be halted
,BrindeI Aids Indicted
New indictments also were returned
against Peter Stadtmullcr and Joseph
Moran on charges of extortion. Boch
men, who were previously indicted. are
Brindell, president of the Building
Trades Council, who is under five IN
dictments for alleged eXtortion and at-
tempted eXtortion.
Three other men who previously
We're indicted in connection with dis
closures of alleged grating and eX-
tortion were arraigned. William l..
Doran, Of 56 Sedgwick Street Yonkers.
president OF the Journeymen Plumber1'
Union, Local no. 43. former delegate
to the Building Trades Council and
said TO be lieutenant Of Brlndeii,
was arrested charged with coercion.
He was arraigned before Justice Nj.
Ayoy and placed under 1000 bail. 1t
developed that William H. Chapman
who heretofore had been indicted fol
cXtortion and who has been held under
bail is a codcfendant with Doran
Chapman did not personally appear 20
answer the new Indictment, but wA~
represented by Martin W. Littleton
Chapman. like all the other defendants,
pleaded not guilty The specific charge
against Doran and Chapman is tha;
they cocrced employing plumbers 10
ioin the Uettrick combination.
Edward j. Kelly, president Of vii
liam J. Bradley G. Son. was arraigno 4
before Justice McAvoy charged viii
:
He is code efendant of llettrich
O'Bricn, he entered a plea Of not
guilty and was held in $1,000 bail.
Fears Hettricl. May Flee
Argument over the amount Of bail
10 be fixed for Hettrick provoked as
scrtions by Samuel Untermyer, chief
counsel for the Lockwood committee
y 10
cvade appearance in court. Hettrick
ing received word of his Indictment
appeared voluntarily at the Criminal
Courts uilding in company with his
counsel. Robert H. Elder, formerly
Assistant District Attorney Of Brook
lyn.
Mr.. Elder asked that bal be fixed
at $1,000 Mr.. UntermYer declared
that anything less than 100000 would
be insufficient. An affidavit by Samuel
A. Berger, Deputy Attorney General
sal there was reason to believe that
the removal to New Jersey Of Hettrick
and Harry A. York, his office manager
and chief confident was arranged tS
evade appearance before the Lockwood
committee.
The affidavit said that Yor}'s salary
wa, paid while he had remained at
Long Branch where he could not be
subpnnaed by the committee. In an
other aaiaavit Kenneth NJ Pence
Deputy Attorney General, asserted
II at evidence in two new charge s-one
alleging a misdcmeanor and another a
felony is being presented before the
grand jury.
Mr.. Elder said his client has main
tanned a summer home at Seabright, \
j. He admitted he was staying there
Continued mage three)