Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-26
HAS CLUE TO BERGDOLL
Z SAYS FORMER SOLDIER
Deserter's Home is Again Search
ed; Reward Increased for Arrest
OF Fugitive.

Philadelphia, May 26 An Amcrl-
can Legion member Yesterday after
noon offered to furnish Il ,tuc III the
Whereabouts oi Grover { Bergd0ll.
wealthy army de>ertcr Rho escaped
from tsyo army guards II his mother ;
home ID Wynnefleld on Friday lie first
called at State headquarters If the Aneri-
can Legion and was taken fo the otfine
ol. Bergdoll's counsel. ID. Clarence Glib
honey. No 920 Walnut street.
Gibboney immediately telephoned 10
Washington 10 Lieut. -Col- : II Ansell
former acting judge Acknowledgement
I nited States Army, who with ms partner
Colonel Bailey. was engaged TO represent
Bergdoll a short time ago Colonel An
sallhmmediately telegraphed to lIbbonev
Increasing the reward for Bergdou's s cap
sure. as follows:
We hereby confer upon YOU our au-
lhority or YOU Joint II with Us 70 offer d
reward Of 81 900 to be paid to any person
who shall give information which results
in the apprehension and delivery bv
another Ct Grover Cleveland Bergdoll to
the proper military authorities This IS in
addition to the s. 500 reward previously
offered for his apprehension and de-
livery"
The name Of the informant. 8 former
service man about twenty-five wears old
was not disclosed by Major William G
AIurdock State adIutant. and John "
Brock, State finance officer. whom the
Young man first visited He Is not 3 na-
tive 81 Philadelphia
He seemed 20 suspect & Catch IN
the stipulatlons Of the reward offered
which required delivering Bergdoll 10
the proper authorities This he could
not do. he said, but could direct the au-
thorities 10 BergdolI He sad he would
return tomorrow, when-it Is expected q
letter definitely agreeing to turn tie re-
ward over TO him in case his 'fIp. proves
true will be in the harsls of the State
legion officials
War Department officials yesterday af-
ternoon thoroughly searched the Berg
doll home IN the government inquiry
to fix responsibility for ms escape. The
search followed a aIthrec-hour griliing Of
former Magistrate James f. Romig n
which be .ludg1 who shares responsl-
hilltE for BergdIl 5 getaway, was declared
By United States District Attorney Nc
Avoy To have been cvaslVc and contra
dictory in has statements.
Col. Thomas " Donaldson an IN
spector-gencfai Of the War Department
sent here by Secretary of War Baker
directed the quiz al the Federal Building
and the search al the palati4l home IL
said he would take his report To Washing
ton IN the evening
: ''Uncle Jimmy" Romig. the Bclgdoll
family con6dant. visibIy weakened By
his experience under the first OF q,les-
tions. yesterday afternoon admitted lie
Twas the man mentioned BY Gibboney as
Bergdoi's agent, who got gold from the
Treasury Department 1t Washington to
be buried IN the .iis
f'Yes, go the gold for him. he said
II don't know how much il was Il was
around s105, 900"
be declined to tell how H. carried over
800 pounds avordupois ia gold and as
serted he had received no fee
- Mr.. McAvoy dictated The following
statement after the conference. "1he
Judge was indefinite, uncertain and eva
sive. The judge and Mr.. Gibboney ID
Clarence Gibboney, Bcrgdoll's COUNSEL
DO not agree on important details. and at
times The judge does NOT agree with him
self. The judge refused 10 answer some
questions that seemed important"