New-York tribune., 1920-11-06

- cN w siSt 'h|o4NlnR toLai sum oil
S20s136.79 were testihed to by witnesses.
Nolk Again on Stand
Albert A. Nolk, contractor, con-
tinued his story OF the day before.
adding two more payments to his for
meV list Of bibles to Brindell. lie said
Brindeil charged builders 81 .000 a foor
or operations for immunity from labor
troubles In addition to prindell's use
OF the word bet in referring to ex-
pected Graft. he frequently used the
terms compensation and "berries. -
$1,000. " '"''' '''""s' meant
It was charged in the course of his
testimony that in reply to Brindels
demand or SO GOO on an operation of
the Gotham National Bank, at Fifty
9'ntn Street and Broadway. the officers
nnaily pretended to agree to give up
$4,000 to an agent Of BrindeN, but had
n reality arranged to frame Up" the
receiver Of the money. The thing never
vent through. because the present in
.,ulry frightened the labor men off.
Nolk said
Haniein admitted to the committee
that he had asked the city 10 pay SO
cubic foot fer stone which a private
concern. the Cunard Steamship Com
pany, was getting from him for So
an increase to the city Of about SO
per cent. He said the higher price was
due TO the increased cost of labor. He
admitted. however. chat labor had only
increased about % per cent within the
year
With regard to the agreement with
the charmed circle Of nine contract
crs who were 20 share in the profits OF
the s. $4,000 limestone Court House
contract, he said that the men were
IA !, : b,
the ci1cle of nine was M Organization
oontriVcd solely for his henoht,' that
1t was "the most extraordinary agree
ment ever made and that he "nevcr
heard Of such an agreement before -
ghe document is reported to have been
estroyed.
Nolk's story was amazing m its
frankness and as the confession of a
man who admitted his helplessness be
fore Hrlndel's power. In conversd-
tion with Richard Pike. delegate of
the Portable Engineers and an agent
Of Brndolls, he told Pike. according
TO ms testimony that "Brindeli was
broVoeatius everybody Ne thinks he
is king and the mistake ne is making
IS laat Aings are not very popular in
TINS country
Tie laid that Pike roplicd Il think
you are right. Brindel has been riding
q nl.sn horse and somebody ought to
tel 1T TO him. We can't tell il to him,
but man m your position might be
able II tel it to him
Sneered at Nolh's SG3G
Nolk told Of instances Of giving uD
$500 and $3.50 Vixen he gave HIM the
latter amount, he says, Brndeli
sneered, remarking that this was
cheap fry and a penny business" The
$500 payment was for JOB for the
Garment Center Realty Company, at
Sev nth Avenue and Twentv-sevonth
Street. Then he paid him $500 on ac-
count Of some work on The IIahnomann
Hospital annex
Il told Brindell at taat time" said
Folk, "tnat couldn't af ord more on
th%j job because it was q hospital, and
E-dlltz, the general CONTRACTOR, had
requested that the price be kept down
as low as possible. Then he asked
about job had on Forty-ninth Street
and told MIN that also was unproflt-
able"
"What did he say >"
He didn't say anything. He lust
gave me one OF these Qulzzical looks.
which was more forcible than words.
when he wanted to say anything par
ticUlarly harsh. He meant that the
money | was offering him was pretty
email"
A ne was riding with Brindel up
10 the lattors home, in Daily Avenue,
\olk said, Brindell told him that
George Atwell, favorite contractor Of
Brlndell's, had given the labor leader
So.pt0 .n cNe occasion for his "assiat-
ance' in getting work, and an add-
lional - 200 ON job worked by At
well at Fifty-seventh Street and Broad
way.
Asked for Five Berries"
The trouble about the Gotham Ma
tional Bank operation at Fifty-ninth
street and broadway occurred about
three or four weeks ago, SAID Vok. He
tesyiled he had the demolition and the
eEca 4}iuy Work on this job, and he
spoEl to Driudell about it on July "a.
- ~saed blindeu." said NolA, 10
let this job 20 through without any
tVo.hlo.
why AL he replied, chat is a
money favor you are asking me-
said: Is that so? How much money is
involved" Hc said, We'll, supposing
$4,000 was found in the bottom OF the
excavation that you did in lifty-cighth
street" thought he was trying to
get rake-oiT from me. He said, No,
sHppOslng we got twenty-five berrics'
his faVorite expression
Jnis was his favoritc express on for
8 thousand dollars. had come to
know by this time what berries meant.
said it was Il lot Of money, but he
said they all have to pay.
That lis a twenty -two-story build
ing, you know said Brindell said,
20 You mean it is regulated at about
$1,000 floor" He said, Yes, on that
bas.5,' said, 'Wll they be able to
keep their sub-contractors on the job
or viii they have to get new orcs?' He
said, They can 60 right ahead
SAID. rs that absolute? ?? He said.
When give you my word it is abso-
lutte They will go right through"
- brought the matter to the atten-
tion Of Clarence s. Weller. vice presi-
dent of the Gotham National Bank, who
was in charge Of the cons truction work
FOR the bank" Nolk continued. 81 was
n depositor in this bank and was
friendly with the officials, and did
everything could to assist them"
1t developed, Nolk said that the
bank people decided not to paw a cent
of tribute. and so all kinds of stories
were concocted to stall Brindell OF
Finally Brinden left town, and lett
matters in the hands OF Pike head of
the Portable Engineers, ON the lob, il
was said. Negotiations continued with
Pike, in the course of which the baun
officials wer. given to understand that
$4,000 would be acceptable, according