The New York herald., 1921-02-04
Huge sum. Paid by Contractors.

Huge sums Paid by Contractors.
Then Mr.. Untermyer SKINNED through
the various accuse tions which have been
made against Brindell by contractors.
who say that they paid him huge sums
for the privilege OF filling their con-
tracts. and by persons who have charged
that Brindell permitted men outside OF
the Building Trades Council TO work on
Jobs only when the contractor paid him
S25 head or more to let them do so.
Brindelis defence that he did not ex-
tort money from contractors. but that
he merely took lawful commissions from
them for getting Jobs for them, was
riddled by the special prosecutor. who
said that the collection OF such COM
missions by man controlling the la
Dor situation could be nothing short OF
extortion. He pictured Brindeli ae
spending a couple of hours a day at his
office and riding about town In costly
touring cars with an ever present body
guard of five or six huskies to protect
him from members of other unions who
had been ground under his despotic heel.
What can you do TO stimulate bui.d-
ing in this city with such an organiza-
tion as the Building Trades Council run
ming things?" he asked.
Justice McAvoy charged the Jurors
that the sole offence for which Brindell
was being tried was that of extortion
from Aronson, but that they might cor
slider the other charges of extortion IN
so far as they went TO prove criminal In
tent. He told them that they were not
to draw any inferences from the fact
that Brindell failed 10 take the stand
In his own defence, or from the fact that
the prosecution was unable to get hold
OF the books OF the Building Trades
Council. or to subpoena the secretary.
Roswell D. Tompkins. Neither were they
to hold IL against Brindell that Richard
Pike. alleged to have been one OF his
collectors" has fled from the State to
escape a warrant
Verdict Very Important.
Mr.. untermyer and his associate pros
ecutors regard the conviction as being
OF the greatest Importance to- the pub
lie in the campaign for q reduction of
building costs. which are alleged TO
have been kept UP largely By Brindells
domination and continual demands that
he be allowed large ''rake-offs' on all
transactions. The prosecutors regard
him as { far greater tyrent of the build
ing world than was sam Parks. in
dicted in 1908 and later convicted OF
having used the. strike weapon TO extort
money from contractors. They point
out that while the largest sum ever ex-
torted by Parks was $500. Brindelrs
conviction was on q charge OF extort-
ing 5000 In addition. he has against
him charges that he obtained many
more thousands unlawfully before the
Lockwood committee broke into his
union.
The first evidence against Brinden
was unearthed at a private Investigation
conducted by Samuel a. Berger. Special
Deputy Attorney General. in conjunc-
tion with the Lockwood committees
proceedings. This evidence. later pre-
sented In public before the committee.
threw the spotlight OK publicity upon
Brindell and started further stories or
graft from various quarters.
This occurred during the last week OF
October. and the presentation OF the
charges to special grand. Jurtes and
filing of the seven Indictments we're sc-
conplished in record time. The indict-
rnent on which Brindell was convicted
was reported on December Z. HIS trial
was begun with the calling OF a special
Jury panel on January II. The presen-
tation OF evidence got under way on
January l3. and Il lasted until Wednes-
day noon. when the summing UP Of
counsel began.
The only other trial thus far on
evidence gathered BY the lockwood
committee was that of George Backe-
builder, who was Indicted FOR perjury as
a result OF testimony which he gave be-
fore the committee regarding the pay
ment of a $4,000 bribe 70 representa-
tives OF Brindell to stop strike That
trial resulted IN Jury disagreement
Mr.. Untermyer was assisted In the
preparation OK the Brindell case by Mt
Berger. Alber; Blogg Unger Assistant
District Attorney, and several other
members OF the special prosecutors STAFF
that IL engagsd In building graft invests