Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-14
SPEEDY TRIALS
IN DRAFT CASES
Mrs. Bergdoll and A. B.
Gordon Davis to Be Ar
raigned Monday
OTHERS ON WEDNESDAY
Walter Willard, District
Board No. 2 Chairman, VEL
comes Court Inquiry

comes Court Inquiry
Pleas of most of the twenty-eight
persons including the members of three
draft boards, indicted on the charge of
draft Irregularities. by the special Fed
eral Grand Jury. will he heard Wednes
day before Judge Dickinson in the
United States District Court.
Mrs Emma c. Bergdoll. indicted on
the charge Of assisting her sons, Grover
c. Bergdoll and Erwin Bergdoll, to
dodge the draft, and A. B. Gordon Davis,
an attorney, indicted on the charge Of
enticing Antonio Mastantuno,. a soldier,
to desert, will be arraignCd Monday.
however. as they had hearings and are
under bail for trial
Two indicted members of Local Board
No. 10. Or. Louis Schwindt and DR.. John
B. Stine surrendered to the Government
this afternoon and by special agreement
with United States Attorney Kane, we're
admitted to $1,000 bail each
The sweeping character of the Grand
Jury returns. indicting members of Lo-
cal Boards Nos and 10 and District
Appeal Board No. 2, along with If
teen other alleged draft law violators.
came as a complete surprise even to
some officials in the United States At
torneys office.
Reasonable Time for Bail
Mr.. Kane said this afternoon he would
give all the defendants reasonable
time to surrender and furnish bail be-
fore he would ask the court to issue
bench warrants.
Plans for speedy trial are being
made by Mr.. Kane. He will endeavor 10
have these cases, particularly those OF
Local Boards and TO- tried during the
September term.
Court trial of members of District
Board No. 2 is welcomed by Walter F.
Willard, the chairman. He said this
afternoon:
II have not seen my colleagues for
several days, and have not had an
opportunity to discuss the action of the
Grand Jury with them.
Speaking for myself however, | will
say that | welcome the action of the
Grand Jury as an opportunity to present
before the public the facts about Board
No 2.
"Unwarranted Attacks"
For three months we have been sub
jected to vicious and unwarranted at
tacks which we have had no opportunity
to answer, and the public, like the Grand
Jury, has heard but one prejudiced side
of the controversy.
~e'"I am relieved that the Grand Jury
did not find that in any case we were
influenced by pecuniary or improper mo-
tives, and I believe the charge of crim-
g I'M y.al, hN- ba
fact that we were in daily session for
3 one year. and during that time deter
mined $4,000 cases. from which there
s were 102 appeals to the President. In
three cases we were reversed, while the
remaining ninety-nne cases were sus-
tained.
Dwyer Hints at Interference
Charges that certain influences were
at work with the Grand Jury TO per-
suade them to take another course rather
than indict certain board members We're
brought out during an interview with
John p. Dwyer. secretary of Local
Board No. 32, principal witness against
District Board No. 2. He said:
Dwyer Hints Interference
'.The presentmert of the Grand Jury
Is most gratifying because il represents
the honest judgment of good citizens
who have no interest except to serve
their country. They handled all the evil
dence that was permitted TO be pre-
sented. All the more credit is due them
because they stood firmly for the right
In face of efforts from certain quarters
that should have helped them, to per-
suade them to take a contrary course"
Mr.. Dwyer would not say what the
influences were or by whom they were
welded, When Mr.. Kane was advised
of the charges he said he could not enter
any controversy.
From the returns and presentment, 1t
Is evident the jury put broad inter-
pretation on Section of the draft reg
ulations finding that negligence,
whether willful or otherwise, was amen
able to the law.
Appeal Board Case Difficult
Probably the most difficult case that
faces the prosecution is that of District
Appeal Board No. 2. Most of the
charges are based on alleged inefficiency
clerical errors, and, in some cases, stu
pidity. There are several cases against
the board. more clearly defined, which.
however, do not include some of the
members or former members of the
board, also indicted
There is a rumor current in legal
circles that the case against the district
board may never come to trial
Norton o. Harris chairman of Local
Board No. 4, who was indicted along
with Albert Neideman and Samuel F.
Levin, the other members of the board
was particularly bitter today at the work
Of the Federal investigators.
Thinks Work was Good
''If they have only found thirty five
cases in 5000. | think we did pretty
good work." said Mr.. Harris, par
ticularly when We were working on
these same cases when the board was
suspended by order of President Will
son."
"None of these men, were exempted
They were in deferred classes only ten
tatively, while Investigations were be-
ing completed
The Grand Jury in reporting it's find-
ings states that ''the vast majority of
the draft boards have been conducted
in a fair way. with two fragrant excep-
tions-District Board No. 3 and Local
Board No. A.
Bugler Schwenk Shellshocked
DR.. p. n. X. Schwenk, l4I7 North
Broad street, has received official word
n -