New-York tribune., 1921-05-26
jury Connviicts
Stadt1ll11ller i'm
As Minutes $
Brine d ell Lieutenant Is
Found Guilty of Extor-
ton and Faces Extreme
Penalty of Fifteen Years
Sentenced To morrow
Prisoner Refuses to Dis
cuss Case After Giving
Pedigree to Court Clerk

Peter Stadtmuller, lieutenant of Rob
crt P. Brindell convicted building
trades boss, was found guilty of ex-
tortion by a jury oefore Justice Nc
AVoy in the Criminal Court, last night
| The verdict was returned fortyfve
minutes after the Judge had finished
his charge.
Following the verdict permission was
given Stadtmuller's attorneys to pre-
sent motions this morning. Justice Nc
Avoy directed that Stadtmuler be
brought before him for sentence to.
morrow morning.
Arthur F, Murray, counsel for Stadt-
muller, in his defenee of the accused
said that Stadtmuller was an innocent
participant in crimina! proceedings and
not knowingly guilty of any wrong
The point was urged that Stadtmullers
salary Of SIS a week proved by its
modesty that he was not in the coun-
ellis of the real conspirators.
Says Evidence Is Ample
Assistant District Attorney Pecora
in summing up for the state declared
that ample evidence had been adduced
to convict the defendant He demanded
TO know why, if Stadtmuller had been
an innocent participant in the black
mailing schemes of his associates, wit
nesses had not been brought forward
by him to prove that fact. The states
attorney insisted THAI proof had been
given of Stadtmuilor's receiving money
for permission to work on the Maiden
Lane buildings and told the jury that
was what they had to act upon.
Justice McAvoy, in charging the jury,
explained the difference between cX-
tortion and coercion as charged sepa-
rately in the indictmen.t. He said if
the jury decided that it should not
convict of eNtortion or attempted ex-
tortion it should consider whether
conviction was justified on the coercion
charge r conviction of neither should
be found justiable beyond reasonable
doubt, the defendant must be acquitted.
"lf the defendant is not guilty"
said Justice McAvoy, at would be a
travesty Of justice to convict him for
the good of the building trades. If he
is guilty it would be mockery of
Justice to set him free on the mere
ground that he is but a cog in the
machinery"
The jury was recalled after it had
retired for additional instructions as
to evidence concerning similar trans
&cuons to those mentioned in the in
dictment. The Jury was instructed to
regard such evidence only as indicat-
ing possible state of mind on the
part Of the defendant
Fifteen Years Extreme Penalty
The jury retired at 6:15 p. m. and
sent word that it was ready to report
ct $50. Justice McAvoy thanked ana
discharged the jury. Stadtmiler made
no comment on the verdict.
When called on to answer the usual
questions Of the clerk following his
conviction, Stadtmuler said he was
forty two years old and a resident OF
New York. His home is at 106 East
Seventy-sixth Street. He is married
and has two children. The convicte1
man said he had never before been
convicted of an offense.
The penalty for extortion is a maxi
mum of fifteen years imprisonment
First offenders may be given indetermi-
nate periods ranging from seven and
half to fifteen years.