New-York tribune., 1920-10-23
BrindeU Denies Taking
$25, 900 in Bribe Money
Says He Welcomes Inquiry by
Court Of Justice and Calls
Investigation attack on Labor

Robert ?. Brindell, head Of the
Building Trades Council, who, in testi-
mony before the Lockwood joint legis-
!atlve committee investigating the
building material trust, is alleged to
have received bribe of $4,000 for
calling off a strike last spring on a
building operation of Ephraim B. Levy,
ISSUED the following statement yes
tcrday:
yesterday at $40 p. m. there was
delivered to me letter from the coun-
sci of the Joint Legislative Committee
on Housing, stating that there was go
ing to be introduced at the hearing GER
tain testimony which might affect me
personally and advising me of my op-
portunity to be present during the
introdution of such testimony.
Il am informed that that letter was
delivered to my Office at 80 p. M, after
the introduction Of the testimony re-
ferred to- And the delay in the deliv-
DDS pursued by counsel for that com
mittee.
Calls Evidence Hearsay
II have read the testimony of one
Ephraim b. Levy and George Backer
given at the hearing yesterday, all Of
which is absolute hearsay and
illegally produced from improper mo-
tives, and | am advised that none Of it
would be admitted in a court of jus
tice.
CAS- typical of the methods employed
by counsel for the committee at page
80 of the record counsel for the com
mittce asked Mr. Levy:
And to whom did he (Backer) say
he wanted to pay the money!
He said he wanted to pay it TO Mr.
.l..l1 i
al am informed that the committee g
sat idly by and permitted the ntroduc-
ton of such grossly unfair and i'm
proper testimony without making any
effort to defend labor and it's repre-
sentatives.
"Again, at page 81 Of the record
counsel for the committee was permit
ted to ask the following question, which
IL typical of the methods employed in
this Investigation:
And that is the money you handed
Mr.. Backer to be handed to Mr.. Brin-
dell, is t?'
~ handed it to Mr.. Backer
70 be handed to Mr.. Brindell?
SO | understood
III It has come TO such pass that
in public hearing before hundreds OF
people, including the representatives
u al Iile pISSS, SuCh an dltacK can De
made on purely hearsay evidence
passed from mouth to mouth and given
out Of the mouth of self-confessed vio-
lators of the law, it is time that some
steps should be taken to prevent such
rank and outrageous lnQuisitions
"At no place in Mr. Backer's test-
mony was anything said that could in
any way, even by implication, show
that had been in the slightest degree
false to the cause Of labor
Welcomes Investigation
at is the duty Of this committee, if
they believe any crime has been COM
mitted by me or anybody else to pre-
sent such evidence as they lave at
once to the prosecuting attorney, and
speaking for myself. | welcome an in
vestigation of any act of my. life before
the proper authorities, where justice
and fairness would be accorded me.
This committee was appointed for
the purpose Of investigating alleged
combines, but Immediately after choos-
ing their counsel, who | am informed d
is vltally interested financially in such
dealers in supplies and material as the
Otis Elevator Company and Bethlehem
Steel. they proceeded to start an attack
on organized labor. hoping to switch
the inquiry from the material men to
labor.
"Organzed labor believes that such
method has been instigated by the
real estate interests of the City of New
York and the builders. Not one iota
Of testimony has been produced or
sought along the line for which the
committee was appointed.
81 challenge any man. real estate
operator, builder, employer or employees.
to prove, before court of justice,
that ever took one dollar in my life
from an employer of labor
Since the days when |, as dock
builder, stood up to my neck in water
in the zero days of winter, until to-day,
not one man can point his finger at
me and honestly state that | ever did
anything against the cause of labor or
that l ever accepted any money or
other gratuity, directly or indirectly
from an employer Of labor.
''ln my fight for the cause Of labor
have necessarily had arrayed against
me the employers Of labor, the build
ers and the real estate interests, and
L