Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-05
More Revelations of NY. Building Trust
Housewrecker Paid $4,5o0 For Privilege Getting Contracts ay 9 .ecuting Them.

New York, Nof S The A. P.)-l More housewre d building con tractors appes oday's hearing of the joint legie mmittee investigat- ing the "bu dst" and testified to the paymera than $11,000 to Rob- ert P. B<S president of the build ing trad.A, I, and his walking dele gates, fes privilege of getting Jops and using Gs n men on the work.
 Practically all of the witnesses told the committee that if they had not paid Brin- dell or his associates certain sums when demanded they would have been put out of the business" by strikes and labor trouble
 When the hearing adjourned late to- day until tomorrow, Albert Volk, a build ing contractor, who had already testified to the payment of $4,500 to Brindell, was still on the witness stand and had several | cancelled checks in his hands for ex- planation
 Additional testimony as to the payment | of money to Brindell and his aides, who had previous testimony had been receiv- | ing thousands of dollars from builders, l came in rapid fire order near the close of the afternoon session. Louis Cohen, housewrecker, made the l first revelation of the day, when hf testified to paying Brindell $4,500 in sums ranging from s25O to $3,O00 for the privilege of getting contracts and work ing them with the councils men, He was followed by Israel S. Goldstein, another house wrecAer, who said he had paid l Brindell S200 a job, of which amount $25 was in check. The check. endorsed by Brindell was placed in evidence. The first direct testimony relating to the payment of money to Brindelrs walk 1 ing delegates was given by Max Minen- 1 son, contractor who declared that he | had paid two business agents-Peter Stadtmuller and George Moran-$2, 900 to 1 get work started a job. He testified i he understood that they wanted the mon ey to pay BrIndell
 Jacob kamen, another builder, told the committee that when work was stopped on one of his jobs, he had paid Moran ! $500 and work was started three hours later."' Later he said he gave Moran 1 $50, when the walking delegate told him i he had given the other money to Erin dell, explaining that If didn't give it, 1 wouldn't get along On the next job" 1 Besides giving Brindell $4.500 In cash in various transactions at the offices of l the building trades council Volk while on the stand testified to paying various sums totalling more than $1,1o0 to the Brindell organization for initiation fees and dues" of men in his employ. Checks | for the various amounts. including one i for S677.25 personally endorsed by Brin- dell and A. J. Olsen. were introduced as evidence.
 When asked why he had submitted to
 BrindeH's demands, the witness declared 1 he had to come across as the labor
 leader told him that .'it was up to him.
 to select any work and the giving of
 He told me-" continued yolk, that he | had t,;1 they had to come across and that many.
 of them were his friends. He said he
 had fought all and licked them, but did not
 specifically mention how. but l under
 stood it was through union fights"
 When he offered Brindell $2,000 for
 getting him a $15,eOo stock exchange
 wrecking job Volk said, Brindell told
 him he was 'piker" and walked
 away. Several days later he said he re-
 turned to the labor chiefs office and
 pleaded with him to take my s2,000,"
 and when Brindell twas sending me out
 of his office finally said, Bob, I'll make
 it $2,500'"
 When he told Brindell he didn't have
 the money with him. the witness said, the
 lah.rr chief wanted to know what you
 Want to come around here for without 1t"
 Volk said, however, he soon got the cash
 and Brindell accepted it.
 One of the sensations of the day was
 the testimony of Henry Hanlein, cut stone
 contractor, whose s2,00o, 900 limestone contract on the New York County court house was recently resclnded by Mayor Hylan. He testified that eight other con- tractors had been associated with him in the agreement with the county, which he said had been engineered by John T. Het-
 trick, lawyer, whose offices were re- gently raided by the committee for ey;- dence relating to the "code of prac- ], tice' by which bids are alleged to have been put through central clearing house
 Hanlein admitad that the contract price could have been reduced $7o.0oo or $SO,000 if ii had not included a rake off of 1-2 per cent. on the total amount
 Of the contract, of which 5-8 per cent ) was to go to Hettrick, 3-S per cent tc MT. Hutchinson, cut stone expert, r l-2 per cent. to the Greater New York Stone Association, and 2 per cent. to thu l 'code of practice" insurance fund f All papers and estimates brought by
 the witness into the courtroom were con
 fiscated by Samuel Untermyer. the com
 mittee's counsel who grilled Hanlein fol
 nearly three hours, regarding certain 1 items in the courthouse bid.
 When asked to produce copy of tn, . agreement signed by himself and hi. e eight associates, who were characterized by Untermyer as the "charmed circle,
 Ildnleln sdiu T Would like 10 look at | - myself now"
 t eff you would like to see 1t don't yo, e you know that all you had to do was tt e go to Hettrick and get it?' asked Unter t myer.
 l. "He would not show us anything" sait e the witness.
 t Was this his job or yours?" l. Tt was his job. He had us buffaloed '- What sort of an animal were you {? s "1 was a goat very often" j. Hanlein was questioned at length re
 garding the activities of the Information
 al Cut Stone Contractors Association
 which has headquarters in Indianapolis |. While admitting that the organization
 was hoperated ito keep up prices an, it keep us out of bankruptcy" the witnes n denied that there was anything Illegal il n it's operations.
 if FREIGHT CARS DERAIIED NEAR