New-York tribune., 1921-01-27
Vicious Lies.'
Is Brindell's
Defense Plea
Littleton Says He Will Prove
Trades Council Was. Not
Organized by Defendant
TO Aid Alleged Extortions
Safe Sheds No Light
Cut Stone Men Plead Not
Guilty to Charges of Vio-
lating the Anti Trust Laws

Upon the closing yesterday Of the
states case against Robert P. Brindell,
the labor leader, on trial before JUS
tice McAvoy for extortion, Martin w.
Littleton, counsel for Brindell, opened
up his defense.
Mr.. Littleton, in an impassioned ad-
dress to the jury, characterized the
numerous stories of bribery and ex-
tortion told by witnesses for the prose-
cution as "vicious fabrications" and
"absolute falsehoods."
To disprove the charges against his
client he said he would show that the
Building Trades Council was not or
ganized by Brindell to further an al
legged eXtortion scheme, but was Great
ed by delegates of the various mem
bership unions to conserve their union
interests and stabilize the building in
dustry of the city.
With reference to the assertion of
the prosecution that Brindell had or
ganized another housewreckers' union
in opposition to the regularly estab-
lished Zaranko or Polish organization
to further his alleged criminal pur-
poses, he said he would show that the
Zaranko men had joined a disloyal or
ganization and that Brindell wanted to
get them into a body Of american
citizens and ex-service men who did
their service at the 'front.'
Nothing Important in Safes
AS to the moneys said to have been
paid to Brindell by various contract
ing housewreckers, he said it would
be up to the jury to decide if these
payments were not in fact commissions
paid to the defendant for his influence
in obtaining jobs for the contractors.
After all, he concluded, the jury
would have to confine it's verdict to the
specific offense charged in the indict-
ment-the alleged extortion Of $4,000
from Max Aronson, head of building
corporation, on threat of continuing Il
strike called on an operation of the
nection he said he would show that
Aronson's alleged conversations with
Brindell, leading UP to the extortion
transaction "was an absolute falsehood
from beginning to end" He will begin
the examination of his witnesses this
morning.
The developments of the trial also
included the opening of the two steel
cabinet safes removed from the offices
of the Building Trades Council, IL St.
Marks Place. Beyond some ledger
books, cash books and letters referring
to activities Of the Board OF Business
Agents, the organization superseded by
the Building Trades Council, nothing of
:, w. Lo
operations of the body headed by Brin-
dell. A few files of letters relating to
the councils business soon after its
creation in October, 1919, were of little
value. Justice McAvoy instructed the
jury that the absence Of documents
looked for in the safes should be dis
regarded in their consideration of the
defendants case.
Stone Men Plead Not Guilty
Aside from the trial three corpora
of the Brooklyn Cut Stone Contractors
Association, appeared before Justice
McAvoy yesterday and pleaded not
guilty to indictments returned Tues
day, charging violation of the Donnelly
antitrust laws. They were released on
$4,000 bail each.
The defendants were said to have
been one Of the groups of contractors
operating under the John T. Hettrick
''code of practice" scheme Of collusive
bidding. Hettrick, who is already out
under 100000 bail in connection with
previous indictments, is also named as
one Of the defendants in the present
charges.
Besides Hettrick those accused are
Harry Bernstein Cut Stone Company
Inc, Thirty-eighth Street and Four
teenth Avenue, and Bernstein individ-
ually; John j. Curran, Joseph A. Cur
ran and Charles Murphy, members of
the firm of Curran Bros, and Murphy
3O5 Douglas Street.; Gould e. Taylor
Cut Stone Company, Third Avenue and
First Street, and j. S. Gould individ-
ually; John Hanlein Cut Stone Com