Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-13

(CUrtiuued from page one)
make public for i:.e first time. con-
! tains 81 extra long typewriter pages
and includes full testimony from the
| following persons. Col. Frank K.
/ keCIer, head OF the department hos
pital at Fort Shafter; Capt, H. NJ.
kearns, intimate friend OF Captali!
Ludy and member OF staff Of the de-
partmCnt hospital; Caut. John B. Ludy,
member Of staff OF the department
hospital; DR.. C. B. Cooper, who at,
tended Miss Berg during her last Ill
ness; Or. T. w Benz, who was first
called when Miss Berg became ill;
Dr. G. +. Straub. called in at the time
OF Miss Berg's death; George Henry,
proprietor Of the EngIeside; Dr. A r.
Jackson, who attended Miss Berg i'll
her extremity; Col r. G. Ebert. Capt,
6. B. Glover, Jr., censor at the Gel
man war camp, and Werner Roehl,
superintendent Of the Queens hos
pital
These nurses testified. Mrs Mary
Davis, Miss Parkinson, Miss Zoe Os-
borne, Mrs. William Moe, Miss NJ. Z.
Fox. and Mrs. kaufman William r.
McAllep and Francis Thyrian also
gave testimony for the final report.
Lieutenant POrtwich, former Of
ficer of the erstwhile German gunbOa:
Geier, was involved in the case by the
testimony of Capt G. B. Glover. The
German officer was held for the police
investigation, but evidently was con-
sidered free from any completely in
the affair after the letters supposedly
involved in the case were volunteered
by Bruno Pilors, an intimate friend of
the German prisoner. However, army
men point out that the envelopes liz
which the letters came could not be
produced.
Tells of Letters
The statement Of Captain Glover to
the army investigators follows:
From the 4th of February 10 the
18th of May, 1917, was on duty as
the adjutant of the German intern
ment camp Oater the war prison
camp. After the declaration of war
on the 9Th of April, frequently GEN.
sored letters written in English to the
prisoners of war or by them. =
"One such letter written by nurse
of the Queens hospital (do not re-
member the name of the urse) to Lieu
tenant Portwich, S. M. S. Geier, then
and now a prisoner of war, contained
remarks about as follows:
81 am terrified at the thought of
something | fear is going to happen.
l do not blame you for it any more
than l blame myself. lie awake all
night worried about it. l fear | shall
not be able to do my work here at the
hospital much longer; l already find
it very firing. ! would feel so much
easier if l could only see you and talk
with you instead of writing.
THE letter was full of endearing
sentiments, and the writer frequently
assured the officer that she considered
the responsibility for her condition as
much her own as his. !
"A few days later a letter came
through in reply in which Lieutenant
Portwich wrote to the effect that she
seemed very displeased because of
something he had done; that the tone
of her letter convinced him that she
no longer cared for him; that since
she so clearly desired to break the
engagement, he would give her back
her freedom; and that under the cir
cumstances he thought they had bet
ter stop writing to each other.
About the same time letter went
through the office from this officer to
a man in Honolulu, in which Lieuten-
ant Portwich spoke of having a hard
time getting certain girl off his
hands, but thought he had finally sue
ceeded in closing matters between |
them. (Do not remember the name |
of either the girl or the mani.
Lists were kept for short period |
Of names and addresses of persons |
with whom the prisoners of war cor
Sergeant Healy, NJ. G. |
Troop, 4th Cavalry, made these lists. |
Sergeant Haley states that he remem- |
bers writing several times the name |
Florence Berg, Queens Hospital on |
these lists. Sgt-Maj. Bingham, 32nd |
Infantry, who frequently handled the
nail, states that he remembers seeing |
the same name written in bold hand
on outgoing mail. The lists which
were found do not bear the name OF
Florence Berg. The two non-commis-
stoned officers mentioned we're on
duty in the office of the internment
camp.
THE above letters were seen by
me between the sixth of April, the
date Of the declaration of war, and
The 18th of April, the date on which
enlisted prisoners Of war were trans
erred from Cashier to Schofield"
Summary of Evidence
The summary of the evidence found
n the inspector generals report is
given as follows: ......
Captain Ludy met Miss Florence
Berg, a nurse employed at the Queens
hospital, Honolulu, some time in De.
,ember, 1916. He was with her fire.
Iuently afterwards until her death on
July 81, 1917. Never concealed his
attentions to her. Was fond of her
out never, he states. considered mar
'iage with her or had any feelings r
,ther than that of a friend. He de-
lies ever having made love to- her or
|