New-York tribune., 1920-11-19
Four Witnesses Testify
That They Paid Graft
to Labor King to Keep
From Losing Contracts
Ring g of Employers
Cited i'm Evidence
Untermyer Threatens to
CiteHylan for Contempts
Backer Trial on Nov. 26

A verbal duel between Mayor
Hylan and Samuel Untermyer, coun-
sci for the Lockwood committee. EN-.
phasized by repeated clashes and
violent display of temper, during
which Mr.. Untermyer threatened the
Mayor with contempt proceedings.
furnished the curtain raiser for a.
series Of spectacular developments
yesterday in the Lockwood commit
tees investigation Of the building
industry.
The chief of these developments
were:
The additional grand jury strength
ened its case against Robert P.
Brindell, head of the Building Trades
Council and reputed labor king in
the building industry, by handing
down two more indictments against
him. Brindell had been indicted on
Wednesday on the charge of at
tempted extortion of $500.
| One Of the indictments brought
in yesterday merely supersedes the
Wednesday document with the wording
somewhat amended. The second indict-
ment goes further, and charges Brin-
csell with extortion in the first degree
The labor leader in this case is ac-
cused in three counts of extorting $500
from Louis j. Cohen, housewrecker,
on July Is, last, in connection with a
demolition job.
Backer Trial Nov. Is
The trial of George S. Backer, the
millionaire builder. charged with per-
jury in connection with the inquiry,
has been fixed for November 26, tbs
day following Thanksgiving
Four more witnesses testified before
the committee to the payment of SAT-
$50 to the labor leader for permission
to do work and for protection against
labor troubles.
Of these, the testimony of George J.
Atwell was declared to be extremely
significant. In the course of his story
it was disclosed for the first time that
the real source of the great nower
brindell welded in the building indus
try lay in the Building Trades Employ
ers' Association, with Offices on West
Thirty third Street
"Tte Court of Appeals" is the way
4 Atwcll characterized this organization.
the dominant force iii which. Atweu
says, was Otto Eidlitz. Eidlitz praised
Brindell for wonderful work in stabil~
izing the business, the witness asserted
Brindell appeared in court again
with his attorney, Martin w Littleton.
to answer to the new indictments He
pleaded not guilty. His bail Of 100000
furnished under the first indictment
was held sufficient TO cover all Of the
present charges. and he was released
until November 26, by which time MS
counsel must make whatever motions
he desires.
Judge Mulqueen, before whom Brin-
dell was arraigned, warned the defend
ants counsel that "the time might
come when people would demand more
security" To this MIR. Littleton re
pled mat he hoped that sufficient time
between indictments would be allowed
TO enable him to go out and dig up the
necessary additional bail.
Says He Paid $4,000
OF the witnesses who testified to
giving up to Brindell Albert Hirsko-
WITT, u housewrecker, of 500 West End
Avenue, said he paid $4,000 to pre-
I vent a rumored strike on an operation
upon which he was engaged.
Nyman Clompoos, another house
: wreckcr, said he gave Brindell $4,000
for fixing up matters SO there would
be no labor troubles on an operation
of Frank Melton's, another contractor
and for privilege cards enabling men
to work on his jobs.
Joseph H. Goldb att. another con-
tractor, said he paid $1,000 to Brin-
del's agents at the request Of Brin-
= dell to have a strike called of on an
, alteration operation. Goldblatt wanted
to put the proposition on business
basis and says he demanded a receipt
for his money.
When the agents refused to give him
the receipt he threatened to fight,
whereupon. he saws, one of the agents
named Pike remarked: Go as far as
, you like. We have got all the protec-
.ion we want. We have got the Dis
} trict Attorney and the police force
+ with US.
you can bang your head against a
stone wall"
why, my dear boy" Pike laughed,
t according to Goldblatt. "your amount
- so small it cant be seen We have
> about fifty on the lis, who have paid
e from $4,000 to $4,000 and nobody
j made the howl you do to give up. We
! are sorry we ever tackled you"
Atwell gave up S17120 on a $3.50
arrangement with the labor leader
for jobs and protection, he said. Two
. checks were produced which he had
u given to Brindell in alleged payment
5 Of the tribute. They had been made
out to Brindell personally and bore his
8 Endorsement on the back. Counsel for
I the Lockwood committee asserted that
d these were among the strongest bits
d Of evidence against the labor car
which they had yet come across.
L Mayor Does Some Prodding
- The heated wrangling between the
Mayor and Mr.. Untermyer at yester-
ts days session of the committee was the
ie most turbulent and acrimonious OF any
IS that have regularly marked the hearings
d when the Mayor was on the stand Il
was evident thec the Mayor was no