The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-08
BELIEVE BERGDOLL
 WAS I'M. GA. GUEST
Young Man Who Fills De- scription of Fugitive
 There Very Recently

Slipping easily between the fingers of detective and police officers, Grover c. Bergdoll, millionaire draft dodger, and a companion who registered un7 der the name of R. c. Koontz, stopped at the Young Mems Christian Associa- tion building Friday night.
 Detective and police officers have been watching every hotel and rooming house in the city for weeks. Every hotel manager and clerk in the city has been supplied with photographs and description of the famous stacker who has, so far, escaped the search of the combined police forces of more than a dozen cities.
 Every newspaper in the country has carried the story of how Bergdoll es- capped from army officials after he had been convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for evading the draft laws.
 Bergdoll has passed through more than a dozen cities since he escaped from the army officials at Philadelphia several weeks ago. In each city he has managed to escape just before the police became aware that he was in their city.
 But this time word in advance had been received by the local police. Every available detective had been on the lookout for the two men who were re- ported as making their way towards Birmingham, driving Cleveland auto mobile.
 According to officials at the Y. M. c. A. building, Bergdoll and his com panion were dressed in khaki clothes Bergdoll paid the room rent for him . self and his companion. Both men oc- cupied the same room
 "It was about o'clock Friday aft , ernoon when the two men registered here" said an official of the '. M. c. A. There seemed to be something wrong with their car. for one of them asked to be directed to the nearest garage. I directed them to the Burns Brothers establishment, for that is the agency which handles the make of car they were driving"
 Koontz, Bergdolrs companion, took their car to the place I had directed him to- and left it there to be repaired. The clerk at the desk that night stated that later Bergdoll and his companion, dressed in neat, black. newly pressed clothes, came downstairs and asked the direction of sthe best vaudeville house. It was dDOuU II U ClOCE tHdt HIS when they returned, the clerk stated.
 Early Saturday morning Bergdoll dressed and came downstairs and put in long distance telephone call for his mother. Mrs. F.. c. Peterson at Atlanta, Ga.
 He failed to receive an answer to his call however. and the two men sat around in the lobby and smoked until near 10 o'clock.
 Bergdoll played several peces on the piano while he was waiting for an answer to the long distance call, and was introduced to several young men and women who had collected around to listen to his playing.
 About 1030 o'clock Koontz went over to the garage and got the car that he had left there the night before to be repaired. He tried to pay for the repairs with a check for $15 signed by F. c. Peterson, which is the name under which Bergdoll registered at the Y. M c. A. building the night before.
 Koontz drove the car back through town and parked in front of the build ing on North Twentieth street. Berg doll then shook hands with several of the officials and waived goodby to the little crowd that had collected in the lobby As he passed out through the swinging QOOrS several or the young people expressed themselves as being pleased with his delightful per- sonality."
 The last seen of the two was by a black bellhop who had walked to the curb with them to place their grips in the car As their big, high-powered car speed away in cloud of dust and gasoline smoke down Sixth avenue. the darky with a broad grin upon his face, folded s note and pushed 1t deep down into his pocket.