The New York herald., 1922-03-27
BRINDELL FROM CELL
CONTROLS HIS UNION
UNYERMYER BOOED
Labor Cars Power Reaches
Out From Sing Sing to
Run Local 1856.
MEETING IN TUMULT
Wild Cheers for Chief Who
Stole only SfU, ,UUU ana
HOots for Accuser.
PART JUSTICE FOR VICTIM
Lockwood Lawyer to Tell Ex-
Iciting Experiences When
Committee Resumes.
PART JUSTICE FOR VICTIM

rom MS cell IN SlIlS soIIlS flODerl
p. Brindell, one time recognized labor
car and master in especial of the
Carpenters and Dockbuilders Union,
Local 1856, reached out his power
yesterday to control labor elements
that would have restored Brindell's
enemy, August Holmstrom, a con-
structor who was expelled by the local
at Brindell's order for protesting
against the ease with which Brindell
MIXED the funds Of the local for "ex-
penses."
Brindells power and influence were
unmistakable, and much In evidence.
Subordinates acted on his orders and
his personal hostility toward Samuel
Untermyer. who sent him to Sing
Sing, was manifested a dozen times.
Brindcll was cheered, while the law
yer, who was at tie meeting. was
booed.
1t was at a meeting in Arlington Hall
attended by $500 excited carpenters and
dock builders that the former labor czar
chose to display his strength. The hall
was packed and jammed to tho point Of
asphyxiation. All efforts to reinstate
Holmstrom in Local 1856 were blocked
although 1t was agreed TO lift the ban
sufficiently to permit him to join the
Baltimore local or some other local OUT
side of New York. .,s..
Newspaper Men Excluded.
Mr.. Untermycr, who appeared not only
rs friend of HoImstrom and to urge
his reinstatement but more definitely as
n profcsscd friend OF union labor, so
much so. as he pointed out in his much
booed and interrupted speech. that the
employers had criticized him (Unter-
myer) as being much too friendly to the
unions. was roughly treated from the
standpoint of personal attack and dis
order. He was permitted to finish his
speech. but not in the presence of news
paper men, who were barred from the
hall. The outstanding feature of the
uproarious session in which moderate
and conservative elements Of the local
were routed was the continuing domina-
ton Of BrindelI.
While bMr. Untermyer was speaking
this temper to stand by Brindell and
Justify his acts. even those that cost the
union treasury so heavily. was exempli-
fled. Mr.. Untermyer said. in appealing
10 the justice of Holmstrom's cause:
Why. Brindell would steal from you
people and did while you weren't even
looking at him. He has exploited you
and you don't know It. Where has he
ever been your true fricnd?"
A voice doomed from somewhere back
in the close press OF big carpenters and
dock builders:
"oh, well, he only took s4oooo--that
we know Of"
That sentiment was wildly applaudcd.
and 1t was some minutes before Mr..
Cntermycr could go on with the futile
appeal.
Prominent among the dissentors and
IN the group that hurled every sort OF
,Incomplimentary epithct at Mr.. Inter
nycr was Ray Clark. VINO was said to
have been foreman OF Job at Broad and
Wall streets at the time OF the explosion
In 1920.
Union Dcncs the Courts.
The meeting was called to consider
Holmstrom's application for reinstate-
inent. He was expelled in 1914 when
Brindell was the sole business agent OF
the union. The courts put him back.
hut Brindel?s power was so great that
ihe union calmly fired him again after
the local had broken up and had been
reorganized. many having followed
Holmstrom into the Municipal Dock
builders Union and minority hav-
ing traiied after Brindell into the pres
cnt local. Holmstrom went TO France
in 1917 and worked on the United States
Government docks at Brest and else
where. and when he returned to Balti-
moro he tried to get into the local there.
but was barred becaNee of the expulsion
and fine ISSUED against him here.
That cdict has prevented his employ
ment anywhere. Mr.. Untermyer took up
Holmstrom's cause and had assumed
that his course toward union labor
would entitle him to a fair and SYM
pathetic hearing. The outcome was that
he was jeered and screamed at. and
that half the time he was speaking
boos and outlaws broke into the current
of his talk. At the outset he said:
II have accepted this invitation pri-
narily because I propose 10 convince
myself by ocular demonstration whether
Il Is possible that your union Is still
under the domination of Robert p. Brin-
dell.
IT want to know whether II Is really
true that man who has done so much
TO destroy the repute of organized labor
who sold you out and betrayed you
again and again for money. and ex-
torted million dollars n year out or
that betrayal, IL still regarded as
martyr to the cause that has been
disgraced by him.
1T Is for that reason came here
10 champion the cause OF man ! 10
not know and In whom have no per-
sonal interest. I am here TO vindicate
a principle. For eight years this man
has been brutality bounded for his hos
tliIty to BrindeH. For eight years he
Continued on Page Nine.
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