The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-21
.HETTRICK INDICTED
WITH 81 CLIENTS
IN PLUMBERS RING
Lawyers 100000 Bail
Holds, and Others Must
Put Up $1,000 Each.
GROUP HAD NO NAME
Lockwood Disclosures Re-
spOnsible for 121 Grim
inal Indictments.
EARLY TRIALS SOUGHT
ConspiracyAlleged in Juggling
With Bids for Building to
Harm Of General Public.
GROUP HAD NO NAME
EARLY TRIALS SOUGHT


In blanket indictment filed yester-
day the new Extraordinary Grand
Jury accused fifty-two persons and
corporations of having conspired TO
boost prices of plumbing materials in
and about this city through con-
nivance in the submission of bids for
big contract jobs.
John T. Hettrick, former court ste
nographer and lawyer. who organized
and directed the operations OF the
group, lust as he organized and di-
rected the operations of the "cut stone
contractors ring" was named as de-
fendant in the indictment.
This is the second of Hettricks
rings" to be indicted, thirty of the
cut stone group having pleaded guilty
last Friday to offences similar 10 those
charged against the men named III
yesterdays Indictment. The specific
charge is violation of the DonneHy
anti trust laws.
The group Indicated yesterday has
no name of its own, but has been known
in the trade as "the HettriclS group
and as "165 Broadway While lts
members are said to be members of the
Master Plumbers Association. 1t was
stated that this fact has nothing TO 90
with the Indictment. which refers to
them merely as members OF an inner
ring" In the business.
Acted on Lockwood Evidence.
The indictments are based upon evil
6erce presented to the Extraordinary
Grand Jury by Samuel A. Berger and
kanneft NJ Srens,e, Special Deputy
Attorrsys-General. who are IN charge OF
criminal prosecution OF cases resulting
from the investigation which samuel
Unterrnyer is conducting before tre
Lockwood Legislative Committee on
Housing at the City Hall
At the time the indictments were
handed to Supreme Court Justice Nc
Avoy Robert II. Elder, attorney Tor
Hettrick, was IN the court room. lie
answered on behalf of his client, who In
a. liberty under 100000 bail on another
charge OF violation OF the state anti
trust laws. Mr.. Berger did not ask for
additional bail.
Jonah Goldstein and Terence j. NC
Manus. representing various defendants
named in the indictments, stated that
they expected to have all OF the parties
present to-day for pleading. Until they
appear the text OF the indictments ana
the names Of all OF the defendants mus
be kept secret. Justice McAyoy stated
that he would fix bail AZ $4,000 for each
defendant.
six of the men named In the charges
appeared during the afternoon and fur
nished tho bond required. They were
Herbert Smith, 1f4 West NInety-ninh
street; Jeremiah l.. Murphy, 23S West
10sth street; Harry Hernlin. l4A West
Ninety-ninth street; Joseph II. Jasper
los East 126th street: Milton Schnaier'
20e West Soventy-sixth street. and Nor
rts Jarcho, 35s West Thirty-frst street
OF the total number indicted It was said
that twenty-five were individuals and
tventy-seven corporations.
uettrfck PIumbers' Mentor.
The filing Of these charges increases
To f21 the total number Of indictments
which have resulted from the Lockwood
investigation. The charges against the
plumbers are similar to those against
the cut stone men In that u is alleged
they forrncd combination Of which
uettrick was the head and that they had
an agreement By which they would not
bid upon big contract jobs unless Hot-
trick told them TO do so. and that they
would then bid such sums as he might
suggest TO them.
Although some OF these men have con-
tended that their combination did not
operate In restraint of trade because Of
the fact that many plumbers had moth
ing TO do with Il and wero not Inter
fered with by IT. the counsel for the
Lockwood committee contends that they
had absolute control of the situation.
Counsel for the committee has pointed
out that this group comprised the plumb
ers, whose business was Of such char
acter that they we're able TO bid upon
big contract Jobs, and that they there
fore owned their market. II is alleged
that they apportioned work Among
themselves, SO that when ono big
plumber had been without new Jobs for
n while and big proposal happened TO
present itself the others would either
fail TO bid or submit bids for sums far
in excess of his 70 that the job would bo
certain TO fall TO him.