The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-08
INVESTIGATORS
OF FUR STRIKE
SCORN VOUCHERS
A. F. L. Audit Was Only
To Discredit Let's

Walsh Brands Post Story False.
Frank P. Walsh last night
categorically denied the story
which appeared in the New York
Evening Post yesterday that the
leaders of the Joint Board Of the
Furriers' Union twill tell how
they bribed police" during the
recent strike.
Walsh, who is appearing as
counsel in the present hearing
before Magistrate Corrigan in
spired by a coalition of reaction
airy officials of the International
Fur Workers Union, labor takers
of the A. F. of L., and active
socialists, branded the Post story
as a fake and declared that there
was no justification for such
theory.
Testifying yesterday before Magis-
trate Joseph E. Cofrigan, who is in
vestigating the charges of police
bribery in connection with the fur
strike of last year, Walter NJ. Cook
and Herman J. Volk, the two social
list accountants who made the audit
of the books of the Furriers' Joint
Board for the A. F. of L. investigat-
ing committee, acknowledged that
they had not taken the trouble to
examine huge number of receipts
which were presented to them for ex-
animation.
Didn't Look At Receipts.
Altho the figures which they final
w submitted to the investigating
committee, were accepted as an au-
thoritative audit and made the basis
for all the charges of bribery during
the strike, Walter Cook stated that
morris Cohen, the Joint Board
secretary treasurer, handed us some
boxes which he said contained re-
ceipts. They were lot of slips with
names on them, but / did not have
time to look at them"
Gold Opposed Cook.
Cook said that the Joint Board ac-
counts showed S556,174.17 had been
paid out in strike relief. He reported
to the investigating committee that
this amount and some other items
were mot accounted for" District
Attorney Brothers asked him whether
the boxes of receipts presented to
him might have been vouchers for
this money. He said yes, but he did
not have time to look and see. Cook
acknowledged that Ben Gold had
objected to him as auditor because Of
his known socialist bias.
TOO Much Trouble"
Volk made the same sort of state
ment about the accounts. eve did
not have time to go over everything"
he said. "They handed us receipts
arranged in alphabetical order. They
wanted us to receipt for them each
morning and return them in the same
shape each night. That was toe
much trouble. We did not have
time"
Yet on the work Of these two Eek
pert" accountants, the furriers were
exposed" Cook repeatedly referred
to the "so-called" cash book and
what were presumably strike re-
ceipts." This whole job Of investi-
eating was purely business propo-
sition he told Assistant District At
torney Brothers who conducted the
questioning. His personal attitude
toward the members of the Joint
Board did not enter into the matter.
Hugh Frayne, New York organizer
for the American Federation Of
Labor and a member of the fur in
vestigation committee. was the first
witness called yesterday morning.
His testimony revealed the fact that
Edward f. McGrady was frequently
absent from the committee meetings,
and also the fact that the charges Of
alleged bribery of the police were
made on the basis OF notes jotted
down by Matthew Woll--not from
any stenographic record of testimony.
Several times Mr.. Frayne men
(Cout1ued on Page Tioo)