The New York herald., 1921-02-18
$1S,OOOBD
BY A BOY OF II In /.
HETTRICK OFFICE.
Prevents Competition Oh
International Sporting
Club Plumbing.
ACTS UNDER ORDERS
Juggling of Many Kinds i'll
Estimates Told OF at Con-
spiracy Trial.
BRINDELL'S PLEA HEARD
Labor Czar's Lawyer Argues
He Should Be Released From
Tombs Pending Appeal.
BRINDELL'S PLEA HEARD

The pencil OF seventeen-yea old
boy employed In John T. Hettrick's
Office at 100 Broadway frustrated the
efforts of the building committee OF
the International Sporting Club to
reap the benefits of a competitive mar
ket in arranging for the installation
Of plumbing materials in the clubs
building, 1876 to 140 East Forty-ninth
street. The boy told how this was
done when he was called yesterday as
a witness by Kenneth M. Spence,
special prosecutor, at the trial OF
Hettrick and three codefendants on
charges of conspiracy before Supreme
Court Justice John v McAvoy.
After the admission of his testi-
mony it was stated that the prose-
cution, which is being directed by
Henry L. Stimson. expects to close its
case this morning, after which four
legal batteries representing the four
defendants will endeavor to tear down
the structure the State has set up.
1t seems, according to letter written
to Hettrick by the firm OF Hemnn q
Smith, master plumbers. of which one
member Is Herbert Smith. one of the de-
fendants, that the general contractor on
the sporting club job was desirous OF
giving the work to Hemlin & smith on
a cost plus basis, but that the building
committee of the club was insisting that
there should be competitive bidding and
that II should go to the lowest bidder.
Three Firms Send In Bids.
Three contracting firms thereupon sent
their estimates to Hettrick'S ofiice Tor
his approval before submitting them to
the general contractor. and their figures
ran as follows: James McCullagh Com
pany, $4,000; Hemlin g. Smith, SlS,60O.
and Kenny G. Moran. s16,791. The job
thus would have fallen TO Kenny *
Moran, but in Hettrick's office the esti-
mate of that firm was changed In lead
pencil to s1S,SO0 SO that the Hemln Il
Smith bid would be the lowest of the
three The boy. John L. Langdon, told
the court that he had changed the fig
ures.
''At whose direction did you change
them p asked Mr. Spence.
IT don't remember" asserted the boy.
well. you didn't change them of
your accord" said the prosecutor. Some
one must have suggested It."
Yes the boy said, some one must
have suggested il. but l don't remember
who
Another bit of evidence related 10 a
Job for the International Tailoring Com
pany, at Twelfth street and Fourth ave-
nuc. on which considerable bid juggling
was charged. It appeared from corre
spondence that Milton Schnaier. a
plumber in the Hettrick group, bid SAL
7ls originally but that he raised the
figure to s4s.940 after he chad learned
that all the other bids were higher than
his Officers of the company could not
understand how all the estimates hap
pened 10 be so close TO one another on n
job Of this size. as the difference be-
tween the lowest and the highest was
less than $4,000
Louis f. Werner. secretary and treas
urer Of the clothing company, testified
he had informed Schnaier that one mas
ter plumber outside Of the Hettrick
group was willing 10 do the work for
$1,000 less than his figure. to which
Schnaier replied that this outsider was
likely to have labo. trouble IL he under
took the job.
Shorthand notes made by Hettrick
were translated by Joseph Owens, a
teacher OF shorthand. who was called as
a witness by the prosecution. They
proved TO constitute draft of a reso-
luton introduced and adopted at
meeting of the journeymen plumbers
union indorsing the code of practice
The purpose of this evidence was to
convey the intimation that Hettrick was
the author OF the plumbers resolution.
Threats for Men Outside of Ring.
August Hansen. plumbing contractor
OF 1853 Lexington avenue. testified that
William II. Chapman and William j.
Doran. the two labor officials on trial.
had endeavored TO induce him 10 join
Hettricks combine. Paul S. Bolger, an
other master plumber. told how a strike
had been called on one Of his jobs and
how these labor men had advised him
to join HettrIcks ring William Y. Jack,
another plumbing contractor. testified
that Hettrick had told him there was "A
way of taking care OF men who would
not Join his combine.
The argument upon Robert p. Brin-
dcll's application for release from the
Tombs upon n certificate Of REASONABLE
doubt consumed the greater part of tho
afternoon In Part l. of the supreme
Court. where Justice Nathan Blur was
sitting At the conclusion the Justice
told both sides to submit briefs.
Martin w. Littieton. arguing for Brln-
dell. contcnded that the admission OF
evidence relating to alleged acts OF cx-
tortion other than the particular one
for which Brindeli was being tried con-
stituted reversible error and entitled the
labor car TO release on bail pending
appeal Robert s. Johnstone. Assistant
District Attorney, argued that the ac-
tion OF Justice McAvoy i'm admitting this
evidence at Brindells trial was quite
proper. and that It's propriety was cs-
tablished by an abundance of preco-