The New York herald., 1921-02-12
HETTRICK'SPENClL
JUMPS BID $4,000
| ON ONE CONTRACT
Trial Reveals Other Rises
Ordered by Master of
Code of Practice.
CITY WORK JUGGLED
Most Plumbers Subservient
in Obeying Dictator, but
Some Few Rebellious.
CLERK AIDS PROSECUTION
One Member of Ring Defends
System That Sent Build
ing Costs Skyward.
CITY WORK JUGGLED
CLERK AIDS PROSECUTION

one stroke of John T. Hettricks lead
pencil caused a big plumbing contract
ing firm in May, 1920, to raise its bid
on single job from $44,43S to soo,43S'
a lump of $4,000. This and many
other revelations concerning the
method which the lawyer employed IN
regulating prices and allotting JOBS 10
members Of his rings were made yes
terday through the introduction at his
trial before Supreme Court Justice
John V. McAvoy Of a mass OF records
which had been taken from his office
at 165 Broadway by raiders for the
Lockwood committee.
Some of the records had to do with
instances in which members OF Het-
tricks own groups refused TO raise
their bids to the figures which he de-
manded. One slip of paper was in the
form of a complaint from one member
of Hettrick's inner circle to the effect
that he had bid $500 on a job as di-
rected by Hettrick, and that plumber
from Westchester county having no
connection with the IIettrick combine
had come into the city and had taken
the job away at 5000 figure.
One paper introduced in evidence was
identified as memorandum of tele-
phone message received at Hettrick's S
office from Albert f. Deichsel. Bronx
plumbing contractor, in regard to bids
for plumbing work on the city asphalt
plant iii Edgewater road, near Garrison
avenue, In The Bronx. on which job the
Corporation Counsel since has caused
the contracts TO be cancelled because
of the Lockwood committee revelations.
Lasette 6 Murphy. one OF the largest
plumbing firms. was prepared to take
the job for $44.43S, but HettriclI ran
his lead pencil through this figure and
| directed them to change il to 500. .43S.
/ This put their bid above those OF Wells
/ & Newton and the j. Mcmillan Com
pany. which were asking s4S.S52 and
s49.S50 respectively. Ultimately the
! Mcmillan concern withdrew this figure
and took the job on a cost plus bass.
One paper was identified as a mes
sage from B. F. Bernesser. protesting
to Hettrick because Marcus & Barkin,
another concern, persisted in bidding
! S2.100 on q certain job instead of s2,150
as they had been directed. 1t appeared
that the concerns were in squabble and
that each was claiming some special title
to the Job. Bernesser protested that
! he needed the work The message ended
with the statement that Marcus & Bar
kin had paid nothing to the fund
1t was also shown that Conklin &
Klute had been willing to bid $1,000 or
June 10, 1919. on job for Bloomin gdale
Bros, and that Hettrick had changed
the figure I'm lead pencil TO $500
which sum they were obliged TO ask
| This was for the purpose of forcing I'll.
job into the hands of HarlSness b. De
Voc at the figure of s7.42o.
j All of these papers were Identified BY
| John G. Aisenbrey, n clerk employed a.
Hettr,clS's office. who was called as q
witness for the prosecution and ques'
toned by Kenneth NJ. Spence. one of the
/ special prosecutors cooperating viii
Henry L. Stimson in the prosecution o
the case. Walter NJ. Clough OF III,
Clough- Bourne Corporation. was another
witness.
During the morning session the ex
animation of George T.. Gibson, presi
dent of the George Il. Gibson Company
a member Of one of Hettricks groups
was finished. He defended Hettrick
system. known as the "code OF practice.
vigorously. saying that the competition
which the contractors had previousl.
been indulging in had been ruinous Il
business. The trial will cost'nue Mon
day morning.