The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24
BUILDING GRAFT
EXPOSE SHOWS
PARKS A PIKER
Sam, Labor Boss 90 Years
Ago, Never Exceeded
$500 Fee
WAS ROUGH WORKER
Convicted, Sent to Sing
Sing, and Released
. on Bail.
TRIED ON MORE CHARGES
Notorious Strike Manipulation
Finally Sent to Prison,
Where He Died.
TRIED ON MORE CHARGES

Compared with the alleged graft in
the councils of the building trades
unions brought to light I'm the last
few days, the famous Sam Parks was
q piker and a rough worker. Sam.
the Lenine of the construction unions
In New York twenty years ago, com
ords show But for various sums
ranging from 500 to $500 ne called
strikes and called them off. made con-
tractors rich or ruined them. forced
union and non-union workmen to
starve OF obey. He was a rough work
err If the worllingman became GU
rlous concerning the reason for a
strike he was told that II was none
OF his business; If he persisted 1t was
quite likely he would have his skull
cracked or be driven out Of town
Sam Parks was not only the eco
nomic boss Of the building trades un-
ions In his day but he was the political
dictator. He voted his followers en-
therefor To his few iieutenants he
gave commissions for their aid. The
rank and file received nothing. Sam
was a big, bullet headed. dog iawed
chap with unbounded strength and
physical courage. He had the tenn
permanent of loan sharp and spent
much OF his time laughing at the
spineiess efforts Of frightened CON
tractors and timorous reforrners to
transfer him from his headuuarters
In Maennerchor Hall to Sing Sing.
Big Bill Devery stuck TO Sam from tho
beginning to the end Of his troubles. Ete
Bill made no bones about his ALLEGIANCE
tosSam and took occasion In District A.
torney Jerome's offices to announce that
Just SO long as he had hand to lift tba,
hand would be raised In behalf az Sa,r,
Parks 'A-''
Convicted OF Craft
But Sam Parks was. judged from the
hlgh standards of to-day. a piker n
calied strikes and then called then, off
but the records do not show that any
Jealous contractor had ever maid San,
more than $500 to accomplish the EN-
barrassment and possible ruin Of a rival
by calling the men off and neither do
The records show that 1t ever cost an,
contractor more than $500 to get his nler
back to work More often sam exacted
fees not exceeding 500 and $50. v
worked fast and his victims were MANY
Ills downfall was accomplished by one
JosephuS Plenty, maker Of skylights in
Jersey City. who told the Grand .T,,r,
In the summer OF 1908 that he had In
the preceding December paid Sam Parks
S2O0 to call off a strike on job Plenty
had In Hoboken.
Parks was convicted after trial before
Recorder Gon and sentenced TO Sing
Sing for term of from two and n half
to three and half years. Parks who is
now dead, laughed when sentenced. say
ing that he never would serve out the
courts sentence. He didn't Before going
into the details of Parks's trial. which
will explain his methods. il must be I'M
dersto0d that not In the turbulent his
tory OF Manhattan's labor troubles has
there ever been aedemagogue In any rne
OF endeavor who held such absolute
sway over the fortunes Of his followrs
He worked alone. arrogant in hts power
Prior to his indictment In 1903 fear Of
him protected him from interruption
IL a contractor. apparently making
much money failed to bestow weekly
tribute upon Parks he paid for his in
dependence by seeing his mon throw
down their tools and walk off the fob at
the most critical periods IN the progress
OF the work. The men would present dc
mands: acknowledge they had no com
plant make but invariably would say
to their perplexed employer;
You'll have to see Parks. He's our
boss now
Leaves Sing Sing on Bail.
And " this employer did not see Parks
and meet the financial demands of that
dictator. he was pretty sure TO wake tn
CT a hospital or find that thousands OF
dollars worth of his material mystcri-
ously had caught fire. Sometimes
foundation would be blasted quite as
mysterously. or IL the building were
small structure It would collapse when
half completed.
Josephus Plenty was doing some sky
light work at the Hamburg american
pier I'm Hoboken. At ParlSss trial In
General Sessions Plenty testified That
work on his contract had not stopped
more than an hour or so before Parks
came TO him aud told him that $2oU
would suffice to get the men back again.
Plenty testified that he refused AT first
TO pay the 5000, then went 70 the head
quarters OF the Houscsmiths and Bridge
mems Union ans saw an official, who
laughed at him and said. See Parks"
lie went on 60 say that he saw Parks
tho next dny and proffcred check for
5000. whercupon Parks asked him
whether he. Plenty. thought Parks was
n fool that nothing but cash would do
Parks was convicted OF extOrtinE
money from Plenty and actually got t.
sing Sing. but soon afterward was re-
leased on bail and never went 20 trial
again or this count In October. 1909 ..
Ia, htfrstasi4f a court