New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12
Witness Tells Of Secret Exit
From Hearst Home Over Roofs


~es;dence. Jerome swears:
Q) That Count Won Bernstorff
was a frequent visitor at the
Uearst apartment and expected
to be taken up unannounced.
(2) That Bolo Pacha also was
a visitor at the Hearst apartment.
(S) That Hearst had an iron
bridge built from the roof of the
Clarendon to the roof of an ad-
;oining apartment, called The
Netherlands. and
(4l That Hearst often used
that bridge in order to leave his
residence unobserved by process
servers and others waiting for
him to come out through the door
of the Clarendon.
Almost, if not quite, as interest
;ng is the affidavit of Alexander P.
Cozzalo, now in the National Army,
who was employed by Hearst as
elevator man in the Clarendon dur
ING most of 1916. He swears:
~ That Count Won Bernstorff
and Bolo Pacha were frequent
visitors at the Hearst apartment;
sometimes separately and some-
.;,,os toUether and
(2) That "among the help at
the Clarendon both men had nick
names. Count Won Bernstorf's
was Duke de la Brew" and Bolo
Pacha's was "Duke de la Car"
Other ahidavits are those of
taxicab drivers, who swear that
thew drove Count Won Bernstorff
and Bolo Pacha to the Hearst apart
ment house, sometimes separately
and sometimes together.
The affidavits follow. Exhibits
and . referred to are photographs
Of Bolo Pacha. Exhibit is pho
toeraph of Count Won Bernstorff.
Chauffeur Tells OF
Driving Won BernstorH
State of New York. County of New
York, SIS:
Morris Berkowitz, being duly
sworn, deposes and says:
am taxicab driver at present
onerating at Coney Island, but in the
wintertime l operate in the City of
New York. During 1915 and up to
the beginning of February, 1916, l
was employed by the Mason G. Sea-
man transportation Company as a
taxicab driver and my stand was at
the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. After Feb
ruary %, 1916, drove my own taxi
cab and usually operated from the
Ritz Carlton. | have driven Count
Won Bernstortf large number of
times in my taxicab, at least fifteen.
and most of these times were after
drove my own taxicab. At date
that fix about March, 1916, being
rather short time after l began to
operate my own taxicab, | took him
twice to 1877 Riverside Drive, the
apa rtment house at the southeast
corner Of Riverside Drive and Eighty
sixth Street with entrance on
Eighty sixth Street. Both times. as
recall, were in the afternoon.
Sworn to before m this 9th day of
August, 1918.
GSigned) MORRIS BERKOWITZ.
(Sfgned) BERNARD NJ BERKO-
WITT, Notary Public New York
county No. 112. New York Regis
Ger No. 1921. Commission expires
March 30. 1920.
Riverside Drive House
Visited in Daytime
State of New York, County of New
York, Es:
Vlttorio Franco, being duly sworn,
deposes and says:
up TO the first part Of 1917 I was
acting as chauffeur, driving my own
taxicab. l had other taxicabs which
operated, but I drove one of them
My stand was always at the Ritz
Carlton Hotel / recall driving Count
Won Bernstorff, the German Ambas-
sador, on quite a number of occa-
slons. I remember taking him to
building in Wall Street, to the Plaza
hotel and to Eighty-seventh Street
and Madison Avenue. l remember on
another occasion when he took a
drive with the Austrian Ambassador,
Dumba, around Central Park | have
oeen shown the annexed photographs
marked Exhibits ] and 2. Exhibit
Il recognize particularly as the pict-
ure OF man whom l drove on one
occasion to 1877 Riverside Drive,
Il the apartment house at the corner
Of Riverside Drive and, Eighty-sixth
street. | should say this was about
TWO years ago. This trip, was made
curing the daytime and not at night
4 was not working nights at any time.
tSlgned) VITTORIO FRANCO.