New-York tribune., 1920-12-08
Lawyers Notes in His Own
Hand, Which Estimate
Board Ignored, Produce
Sensational Evidence
Another indictments:
More Rings Barred
Flee, Process
Servers Are Attacked.
Committee Il Told

Taking evidence on the basis Of
which the Board Of Estimate probers
had failed to find any trace Of irregu-
arity. Samuel Untermyer, counsel for
the Lockwood committee yesterday de-
veloped testimony tending to show
that j ohm r. Hettrck's alleged code Of
practice scheme OF colusive bidding
had raised the contract price on sew
eral schoolhouses from 20 to 60 per
cent.
This evidence had previously been
turned over to Corporation Counsel
O'Brien to assist the Board of Esti-
mate in its investigation of the S62,-
100000 worth of outstanding city con-
tracts. The contractors involved de-
clared under oath before the board that
the bids had been made in a perfectly
regular manner. The evidence was then
returned to the Lockwood committee
with the aforementioned results.
The committee also uncovered two
additional monopolies in building ma
terials, comprising trap rock and sand
mixtures, two essentials in housing
construction.
Witnesses III Flight
Mr.. Untermyer said that the commit
tee WAS having great difficulty in going
ahead with this phase of its inquiry
because Of the sudden flight Of numer-
GUS important witnesses to Philadel-
phia, Atlantic City and "otner more
congenal places at this time
He criticized the Department Of JUS
tice and other Federal authorities for
their alleged failure to cooperate in
apprehending the witnesses wanted. He
announced he would seek grand jury
action on contempt proceedings against
several persons who had been sub
penaed but had disregarded The
service.
The additional grand jury Yesterday
handed down another Indictment in
connection with the criminal phase OF
the inquiry. The name Of the ac-
cused or the offense charged was not
made public. This makes the twenty.
fifth indictme ent handed down since
the beginning OF the Lockwood in
qury.
The story charging that Hettrcs
through his code Of practice mulcteC
the city of many thousands Of dollar:
Has told by John Eisenberg, q clerk il
the lawyers Office. Esenbcrg sale
that Hettrck is still at his home il
Seabright, N. j., and that the foul
clerks at his Office continued Wit
their work as usual and received theil
weekly pay checks.
Mr. Untcrmyer produced three sheet
in the lawyers shorthand characters
which were interpreted by Eisenbcrg
These sheets, the witness said, showes
how bids for city work on limestone
plumbing, heating and ventilating were
lacked up by Hettricl's Juggling.
In the case of cut stone job OF
Public School 43 it was shown that tn,
lowest of five bids for the job was So,
583. A high Accommodation bid" wa
stuck in at $3.50. The $2,583 bid wa
boosted by Hcttrick to SA,2S3, it was in
dicated, and the other bids submitted
varied between these two figures.
Some Raised Bids
A sheet on which appeared the bid
for Public School No. 100 showed tina
every one of five bids had been raiset
to permit the Lowest bidder, or tn,
man chosen to get the contract
higher margin of profit The con
tractors figures and the figures tt
which they were boosted appear a
follows: From S92,77 to SI01, 500
s95790 TO $l0,5S2; $97, ,6S1 to $1,000
$94 900 to sl01 ,05O
The contract went to Wells &. New
ton. who had submitted to Hettrick al
estimate Of $4,000 and whose figure
were raised to $10l ,050.
On another job for the state a
Wards island Hospital Eiscnbcrg sal
that four OF seven bids submitted b
Hcttrick were blind or accommoda a ito
bids. The firm that received the WORK
James B. Lenahan Company, had aske
ST ,020 and after Hcttrick's manipula
tion OF the figures the state had to pa
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