The New York herald., 1921-02-23
HETTRICK DECISION
EXPECTED TONIGHT
Case Will Be Submitted to
Jury After Arguments
To-day.
KNIGHT LAST WITNESS
Master Plumber Explains Pur-
pose of Adopting Code
of Practice.
KNIGHT LAST WITNESS

The success or failure of the most i'm
portant pending criminal prosecution
growing out of the Lockwood legislative
committees inquiry into conditions I'M
derlying the Increased cost of building
in this city should be known tonight
following the submission of the case of
John 7. Hettrick and three codefendants
to a jury.
The case came to an abrupt end yes
terday afternoon when Hettrick through
Robert H. Elder, his chief counsel rested
his defence without having taken the
witness stand in his own behalf.
Motions for dismissal made on behalf
Of all four defendants. who are accused
of having conspired to coerce master
plumbers into Joining Hettrick's ring for
manipulation of contracts and conni-
vance in the submission of bids, were
denied by Supreme Court Justice John
v. McAvoy.
It was then announced that the de-
fendants would be permitted four hours
for summing up when court opens this
morning. The defendants, other than
Hettrick, are William Fl Doran and
William II. Chapman, president and
walking delegate respectively Of the
plumbers union, who are accused Of
having threatened employers with labor
troubles to induce them to Join Het-
tricks ring. and Herbert Smith of the
plumbing firm Of Henlin G. Smith, ac-
cused of having aided in the scheme to
intimidate outsiders into joining the
combine.
Col. Henry L. Stimson, special prose-
cutor, will have two hours for summing
up, after which Justice McAvoy will de-
liver his charge. The case is expected
to go to the jury at about o'clock
The taking Of testimony. which began
two weeks ago to-day, ended with the
calling of John n. Knight an influential
member of the Master Plumbers Asso-
ciation, as witness for Hettrck. He
said it was at his suggestion Hettrick
had undertaken to organize the master
plumbers along lines which he previously
had adopted in regard to the cut stone
contractors. He gave lengthy explana-
ton of his reasons for desiring such an
organization telling of troubles which
had beset the business. and how he had
thought that practical plan Of coopera-
ton would eliminate these troubles.
knight insisted that the code OF prac-
tice" adopted by the Master Plumbers
Association had no connection with the
"code of practice" run by Hettrick, but
admitted that although the associations
code calls for submission of estimates
along lines similar to the Hettrick code
he knew of no instance In which esti-
mates had been submitted for adjust
ment" to any one but Hettrick.
1t was brought out that Hettrick's rec
ords called for an allo tment to Knight Of
work aggregating $142.050 for the period
from April /, 1919, to December 81,
1919 The contracts were $S7.6So short
of his allotment, for which he received
1856 In cash as compensation under
Hettrick's insurance system.
Mr. Stimson brought out from knight
a statement that his profits were very
often less than 10 per cent. thereby
showing that under this insurance ar
rangement of Hettrick's he made quite
as much by doing nothing as he would
have made had he received all Of the
work allotted