New-York tribune., 1920-05-23
Bergdoll Gained Freedom
. :: BY Tale of Buried Gold
(continued from pace onc)

Bergdoll's trip to Philadelphia, was EN-
powered to direct the movements O.
prisoners.
Secretary Baker said he was not in
formed of the court martial Of Berg
doll and that he read none of the news
paper reports of the contested proceed.
lngs at Governors Island All tn,
evidence in the Bergdoll court-martia
case is now in the Judge Advocate Gen
erals Office for review,
The draft evader's escape is under.
stood to be viewed by his Washington
attorneys as creating a situation that
may be taken advantage of by the mill.
tary authorities. The action, it is said
gives to the army authorities the priv
iIege of preferring new charges Of de.
sertion. whereas the original trial was
on the technical point of evading the
the draft.
In describing the manner in which
bergdolFs temporary release from the
Ansell and Bailey, an official War De-
partment statement on the case to-day
said:
Samuel r. Ansell, attorney for Gro
yer Cleveland Bergdoll, represented to
the War Department THAT Bergdoll,
prior to his confinement. had hidden a
large sum of money in a spot which
he alone could identify, and requested
that Bergdoll be permitted to go under
guard to recover this money. Mr.. An
sell said that he had gone into the
matter carefully and that circum-
stances indicated the truth of Berg
dolls statement about the hidden
money He also said that he would
pay all the expenses of the trip. and,
Notwithstanding the guard, he, as Berg
dolls counsel, would stand responsible
for his prompt return to prison.
Arrangements for Trip
edward S. Bailey, law partner Of
Mr.. Ansell, proceeded on Monday to
Fort Jay to confer with Major Hunt,
commandant of the disciplinary bar
racks, and arranged the details for the
trip: 1t was agreed that Bergdoll
should be sent by train, in charge of
two sergeants of the disciplinary bar
racks guard, to North, Philadelphia,
where they were to be met by D. C.
Gibboney, lawyer of Philadelphia and
attorney for Bergdoll, and taken in
an automobile to the place where the
money was hidden.
upon arrival of the guard and
Bergdoll at North Philadel phia they
were informed by Mr.. Gibboney that
the automobile obtained for the trip
required repairs, ana at MIR. GlbbOney'S
request Bergdoll was taken to the home
Of his mother in Philadelphia to await
the completion Of these repairs While
at his mothers home he escaped from
the guards The details of his escape
have not been reported officially to the
War Department.
Under the plan agreed upon by
Major Hunt and Mr.. Bailey, it was dis
tinctly understood that Bergdoll would
not stop in Philadelphia longer than
necessary to change from the train to
an automobile
"The attorneys for Bergdol are in
honor bound to return the prisoner to
the disciplinary barracks, and the War
Department expects, through the offer
of suitable reward and other means,
to apprehend Bcrgdoll at the earliest
practicable date.
1.-The regular award Of $50, authorized
by law for the apprehension of an
escaped military prisoner, is totally in
adequate in a case of this nature"
In giving their version of the case
Ansell and Bailey made public the fol-
lowing letter to Adjutant General
Harris seeking permission for Berg
dolls temporary release:
"Please permit me, in compliance
with your helpful suggestion of a
month ago, to place before you in this
manner my request, concerning which