New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-23
Won Furlough by Say
ing He Had $l5O,OOO
i'm Maryland Cache;
Ansell lndorsed Plea
Seen in Hartford
Hotel, Says Woman
Visit to Home, Which
Enabled Him to Flee.
Violated Leave Terms
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

PHILADELPHIA, May ga tale of
buried gold, reading like a romantic
novel, was unfolded o-day by the in
quirY into the disappearance here yes
terday of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll,
millionaire draft dodger and army con-
vct.
The War Department, after negotia-
tons with his counsel, permitted him
to leave Fort Jay, Governors Island,
where he was serving fve-year sem
tence, to go on motor car trip under
guard to seek $150,0O0 in gold buried
/. somewhere in the hills of Maryland,
Pennsylvania or West Virginia."
Responsibility Tor Bergdoll during
his gfurlough from prison rested with
D. Clarence Gibboney, head of the Law
and Order Society and personal counsel
tor Mrs. Emma c. Bergdoll, wealthy
brewers widow and mother of the fugi-
tive.g/
Lawyer To Be Questioned
Gibboney, who said to day he would
not shirk responsibility, is expected to
be summoned to Washington to under
60 examination by War Department Of
ticials.
Several arrests on Federal warrants
are expected as a result of the escape,
which has aroused officials of che War
Department and Department of Justice.
The only trace of Bcrgdoll since his
escape in touring car from his
mothers home in Wynnefeld after he
mad eluded two soldier guards was re-
ported to-day from Hartford. Conn. A
woman employee of a hotel notified
the police that she had seen a man re-
semblinlg the fugitive writing letters
in the hotel this morning.
While Gibboney to-day refused to
disclose the "secret mission" for which
Bergdol was freed, the War DEPART
ment and Bergdol's Washington at
torneys gave all details of the eek
peditios" for the pot of gold" and
made public Gibboney's CORES pondence
relating to it.
This showed how Gibboney enlisted
the aid of Lieutenant Colonel S. T.
Ansell, former Acting Judge Advocate
and his law partner, Colonel Edward
S. Bailey, to obtain the permit from
Adjutant General P. C. Harris.
Colonel Ansell, who left the War De-
partment after a controversy with Sec
retary of War Baker over the treatment
by the army of conscientious objectors,
had been retained by Gibboney to at
tempt to obtain a review of the court
martial proceedings under which Berg
doll was convicted.
On one Of several trips to Washing
ton Gibboncy broached the subject of
the treasure and Bergdoll's desire to
get it. Colonel Ansell at first said it
sounded like a "fsh story" and pipe
dream but Gibboney overcame his
skepticism by processing belief in the
prisoners declaration, despite his hazi-
ness as to the exact location of the
treasure.
Ansell Obtains Permit
Colonel Ansell took up the proposition
with General Harris and the permit was
issued. Major Henry J. Hunt, COM
mander Of the disciplinary barracks at
Fort JAY, was instructed to write let
ter to Gibboney to identify him to the
guards when they arrived with Berg
doll at North Philadelphia Thursday
morning
Gibboney, by the terms of the agree
ment under which the furlough was
granted, was to stay constantly with
Bcrgdoll, it was said. There was to be
no drinking Of intoXicants and no di-
Continued on paqe fourtccn)