The New York herald., 1921-01-21
LOST $4,000 DEMAND
V0lk. Put Out of Business,
Coaxed Gar With $500
to Extend Forgiveness.
FOILED BY GOTHAM BANK
Con tractors Forced to Accept
High Bids, the Difference
Going to Prisoner.

Robert p. Brinden's alleged method
of compelling big builders to award
contracts to men who were going 10
split their profits with him. and his
boasts of absolute control Of the build
ing trades situation In this city, fig
ured yesterday in the presentation os
evidence at the trial of the labor czar
before Justice John V. McAvoy in the
Supreme Court.
Two housewrecking contractors OF
high standing in their line told of
variety of ways and means used by
Brindell to extort money from them
and pictured themselves as helpless
victims of his methods. Before they
finished they had related details of
payments of bribes ranging from few
hundred dollars to as much as $4,000
on a single occasion. One of them
had told of Brindell's alleged attempt
to exact "rakeoff" of $4,000 on the
construction of the Gotham National
Bank Building, in West t'ifty-ninth
street, the failure of which resulted in
q strike on the property.
The witnesses were Albert A. volk
OF the Albert A. Vok Company. Inc.
wreckers engaged upon the Stock Ex-
change Annex and various other large
jobs and Louis j. Cohen, who handled
the Manhattan Hotel job last year.
volk recalled the ract that on one oc-
cnsion when Brindell exacted commits
son from him he had remarked to the
labor chief: ''The last payment I gave
TO you was my wife's Buick car. Now
I'm giving you my Lancia."
Cohen recalled the fact that Brindell
had extorted money from him with such
frequency that lie finally asked of the
labor chief What is this. disease?"
thing for my health
Was Not In Ii for His Health.
Cohen, who was the first witness. tes-
tilted, in response to questioning by
Samuel Untermyer, chief prosecutor,
that with the exception of few minor
jobs he was unable to do any work last
year without making some payment to
Brindell. In addition, he said. Brindell
compelled him to use workmen who were
not needed and dictated the contractors
to whom he should sublct certain parts
OF his work. He said that the George
A Fuller Company had been forced TO
permit him to sublet the job OF carting
rubbish from the Manhattan Hotel TO
one Epstein. after Epstein had visited
Brlndell at Scbroon Lake. in the Adj
rondacks. The Fuller people ga g. him
$40 a load for cariing this rubbish.
and he gave Epstein 81 per load. but
after he had testified before the Lock-
wood Committee the Fuller people in
sisted upon a refund to them OF 81 per
load, or about $4,000 10 all.
He said that Peter NStadtmuller, one
OF Brindel's lieutenants who is await
ing trial I'm 100000 bail, had obtained
a copy of his balance sheet so that the
labor head might determine Just how
much to assess him for the privilege
OF fulfilling his contract. Brindell. he
said. eventually got 5000. which was
5000 less than he asked. Brindells
statement TO him on that occasion was.
according to the witness, The whole
building situation is in my control"
Volk told how his troubles with Brin-
dell began when Stadtmuller called a
strike on the Job of excavatlng for the
Gotham National Bank Building be-
cause he was employing members OF
ZarHnkO nOuotWTtNhlNk uIlOU on an
other job in Jersey City.
Buying Union Membership.
Finally. he said. Brindell told him
that George Atwel. another contractor
had pulled himself out Of a similar fix
by writing his own check for the In
itiation fees of all OF the Zaranko men
working on his Job as new members OF
Brindelrs council. Brindcll told him
that Atwell had paid S25 each for 12o
men. Volk said that he then arranged
10 do likewise. and Brindell took fif-
teen Zaranko men who were working
for him into his unions for sos Later,
he said. Brindeli became angry at him
and refused to permit him to do any
more work. lie coaxed Brindell finally
into accepting $500 and allowing him
TO continue in business.
Volk told the story that he related be-
fore the Lockwood committee of the
manner IN which Brindell afterward OBJ
,ained a number OF contracts for him,
although others underbid him on Jobs.
Brindell told him that tho builders would
have 20 give the jobs 20 him II he, Brin-
dell. told them 20 do so. and that he ex-
poctcd him 20 come across clean" In
return. one example was Ia the case
Of contract on some wrecklng for the
Garment Center Realty Company Brn-
dell had forced another contractor out OF
this Job and told Noik he could have Il
\ II he would go nfty-hfty"
The trial viii continue this morning.