New-York tribune., 1920-11-20

The cement, sand, gravel and broke n
stone had all to be bought from the
same dealer. he charged. It was not
possible to buy cement from manufac-
turers at all, it was said. and when
the firm attempted 10 deal directly
with the manufacturers it was referred
to the dealer in it's district or was told
that none could be supplied. The deal
ers, however. always seemed to have
sufficient supplies on hand, he said.
With regard to the .exeavating work
for the proposed new courthouse, At
we'll said that he had obtained the con-
tract for the complete removal of all
the structures and to leave the old eel
lars broom clean. He finished the ios,,
he said, but last April the city had
trouble in getting rid of it's refuse, for
one, reason or another Among til .
places chosen for dumping ground
was the site of the courthouse which
had Just been cleaned up, Atwell testi-
fed.
Refuse Dumped in Cellars
About $4,000 cubic yards of refuse
and ashes were dumped into the broom
cleaned cellars, he charged, although
there were vast tracts of submerge
land in Long Island that had been or
dered filled in by the Board of Health
A little later, he said, contract was
let to Rogers & Haggerty to clean the
cellars out again at cost Of about 50
cubic yard, amounting to approxi-
mately s200.o00 for the work.
Atwell told of having met Brindell
five times since the beginning of. the
inquiry, and detailed some of the con-
versations he had with the indicted
iabdr leader and George Baeker. the
millionaire builder, also under indict-
lnent in connection with the investi-
gatinn on a charge of perjury. Atwell
related how one day in May Brindell
flashed a gun on him" during an
altercatiou arising from AtwelPs re-
fusal to take on more of Brirdell's in
experienced men.
The Birmingham Affair
In telling of the Birmingham affair
fhe. testimony runs:
Q-4You know Birmingham Al met
Birmingham with Brindeil.
Q-You know he is in the Compensa-
tion Bureau of Brndeils Building
Trades Council? Ayes.
Kelly, the president of the Building
Trades Employers Association? Ale
IS a nephew | knew ne was q police
nan and that he was given six months
leave to handle Brindelfs compensa-
tion bureau.
Q--Does he still draw his pay from
he Police Department? Al under
stood he got leave without pay.
hear he got $4,000 a year for his work
with Brindell. | made some inquiries
and found that he had been detective
IN the Detective Bureau and was CON
nected with the loft squad. But ne
mad GONE disagreement with man in
the department and was put into uni
form. 1t was then, | understand, he
asked for leave of absence.
Atwell said he destroyed three of five
checks he had given Brindell as tribute
because he found some one was trying
10 get into his Offices, the janitor of
he building having found broken key
n the lock of his door one day. He
said he was afraid that competitors
were trying to make trouble for him
and show with the checks that he had
been doing business with Blindell.
He remarked about Brindell's af-
fuence. saying he knew of at least five
expensive automobiles that Brndell
possessed. The labor leader visited
hm recently about FIVE times, he said.
"Dd he tell you why he ?" Sam
uel Untermyer, the committees coun-
sci, asked
"He told me was going to be in
dicted, that they were after me, ant
that / better get good lawyer. He
said he expected to be indicted"
"He asked me if I thought he woule
be.ndicted, and told him thought n,
certainly would. He thought himsel
he would"
"What else did you talk about"
Talked About SQuealcrs
"Oh, house wreckers, Hettrick, The
committee, builders, squealers."
What did he say about squealers 2
"He said he guessed they would al
squeal because he took money from
them. He said Hettrick was one bire
ne didn't know. He wanted to see m,
because he said | was the only one h,
ever took a check from. He said HI
didn't want to hurt my feelings by ask
ing me for cash"
Atwell here related that Brindel
kept white list and black list of al
builders and contractors. He said h
was on the white list, which anothe
contractor named Cohen had termed
Kosher list" Atwell added that Brn
dell and Backer visited the yards o
The Northern Supply Company the At
we'll firm in Long Island City, last Sun
day. and that Backer spoke of his in
dictment with q great deal of amuse
nent.
Atwell was questioned in connectio
with his political affiliations, He sal
he knew his way around.
s"'Do you know of Brindell's relation
with Alderman Kenneallyw
"The first time that | ever saw Brin
dell's name was on a council letter
head, with Kenneally's name in tn
corner"
Says BrindelI Had Gun
In going over the revolver episod
Atwell said that Brindell insisted h
use more of the inexperienced Build
ing Trades Council men on job {
Fifty seventh Street and Fifth Avenu
on May 90 last. He said he refuse
IN the course of the alteration thre
of Atwel's friends came up. Bril-
dell, apparently, said Atwell, though
they had been planted by the col
tractor as witnesses He wanted
know who they we're.
*'When | told him." continued A
we'll, that they had merely droppt
around he pulled gun from his rigl
pocket and flashed it at me, rcmarklni
i don't care for your friends.
At the beginning of the session NJ
Untermyer took occasion to reply
the Mayors imputations that the coul
sci fer the committee WAS coneuctil
personal attack upon him at the j.
stance of the traction interests. +
produced and was permitted by tt
committee to read into the record lie
tors which passed between himse
and the Mavor in August of last yes