The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-06

dent Of the bank and the president
was out OF town.
"Brindell told me he had not heard
from the bank people and the delay
in seeing him might cost the bank
some money. as he would have TO pull
a strike and he was going out OF town
and might be gone several days, ana
in the meantime the waiting time
charged would be piling up on the Joo'
II told Brlndell that Weller had given
me a hard luck story; that he had put
the thing up TO the directors OF the
bank and urged they pay the $500
Brindell asked me II remembered that
story had told him about Moses ana
the oulrushes."
what did that refer to?' Mr.. Wall
stein asked.
ITO a story I had once told him
when he had accused me or bargain
ing with him; Biblical story relating
to a bargain Abraham made with the
Lord. when the Lord said He would
save the cities of Sodom and Common
rah II He found fifty good people in
them. Abraham said. Surprising you
find forty and when the Lord salo
He would save them IL there were
forty. Abraham said. suppose you find
thirty; until he bargained down 70
five"
He referred to that as Moses and
the buirushes. did her
Eyes. | said, AN right, / will tell
| these people that l tried to get hold
OF Mr.. Weller that afternoon he was
not In. I did not call Mr.. Brindell
back"
riding High Horse.
Shortly afterward, volk said. he called
Brindell and the latter said he was leav-
Ing town and the bank people would
have TO see Pike, his agent. II met Pike
and I told him Brindell was going en-
tireiy too strong" volk continued. !
said he was riding a high horse and
browbeating everybody and was killing
the building business. Pike said he knew
II. Pike said he could not tell Brindell.
but some one ought to tell him"
The witness then related his last con-
versation with Brindell in relation to the
Gotham Bank berries" This was PROB
ably the last big holdup attempted by
the ring before the Lockwood commit
tees inquiry broke open the situation.
II was about two weeks before the COM
nittee opened it's sessions Relating the
conversation, Volk said:
Bob always called him Bob when
expected there was going to be
! trouble--asked me whether I had been
! talking to any one about his compensa-
tion on the Fifty-ninth street job.
'I said Compensation? What do you
mean, compensation He said. You
know what ! mean? What we were talk
/ ing about l said, No, I have not been
| talking TO anybody He said. We'll,
| there has been some news gotten out
and I traced Il In all directions and It
| points to YOU I said, No. there were
other people who knew about this thing
I mentioned one of the superintendent
on the Job, who had many building con-
nections. He said. Well, now. If You
are asked any questions, Al, you are
dumb: play dumb. keep your mouth
shut I said, oh. you want me to keep
quiet He says, Don't talk too much on
the telephone rust you play dumb.
volk said he related all these con-
v.rsations to the officials of the Gotham.
Bank. The strike threatened by Brin-
! dell was settled, the witness said, by
I the intercession OF the Mayor and the
I District Attorney. Work was resumed
7 u few days later.
Mr.. Breen, an official OF the lothian
Bank, corroborated Volk's story In every
detail as far as II related to the oank
! tiRnsaction with Brindeli. He said no
! ne was stalling through Volk-
pixies VISIT Described.
J Peter f. Florence, superintendent u
tire Gotham Bank Job. described the
| strike called by Brindell on Septemp-
| 2s last. Richard Pike. delegate of tn ,
/ Holster Engineers, came to him, the
witness said, and SAID there was trouble
4 On account of labor employed. and II
Ilri1 Hall a
there would be strike. Florence con-
i tinued:
pike came TO me and said he wantet
! 70 see me IN private. He had with him
I Jthn Gill, q brlcklayers' delegate, ana
! he asked how the bank liked being tied
cd. and said they didn't like II ut all:
! IL said. pike, you know how to settle
, the strike: why are you tying It upF
/ H.. says, You know there Is three In
/ this CLIQUE there has got TO be divvy
IN the Job said. What do you mean
by d.vvy?' He said. There has got TO
DO $4,000. / will get the Job soins X
ycu get me $4,000
II said az far as I was concerned l
would have 20 sanction II, but l VIII
bave 10 see Mr. Weller. He says, /
| don't want you 10 say anything to tn
engineer or Bogen; he is n friend OF
rhine 1 don't want to have any trouble
l With them SO L got 10 MI "chtA a.
I told him OF the conversation with PIKE
about the $4,000.
Florence said he knew Weller was
not going TO pay the 5000. The witness
| said he told Weller that he would re-
sign II the money was paid.
! Clarence e. Weller 81 $50 North ave-
/ nue.. New Rochelle, vice-president or
! the Gotham National Bank, told OF the
| several conversations he had regarding
the Brindell hoidup confirming the
other testimony given.
You have heard the testimony mere
of Mr.. Florence with regard to that
holdup," Mr.. wallstein said. Had you
any intention OF paying ri"
I'VE had the intention OF paying II
and framing the man who received IL.
the witness said.
But you we're not successful IN that
/ by reason OF these hearings having
! started about that timer"
II believe the hearings frightened the
men off"
Henry HanIefn Recalled.
Mr.. Untermyer then turned the In
ouiry back to the Court House con-
tracts, recalling 20 the stand Henry
| Haniein, the cut stone contractor. IN
| whose name the cancelled contract
stood for the t2.372O 600 of limestone work
on the proposed Court House. The wit
ness spent nearly three most uncom-
G.. 81