Norwich bulletin., 1921-02-11
TO ASK INVESTIATIoN OF
 ESCAPE OF G, c. BERGDOLL

 Washington, Feb. 1O.-After developing some of the high spots in the case of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, the house military. committee decided today to ask congress for authority to find out how the rich Philadelphia draft dodrer es- capped from q military guard and made his way t6 Germany. s
 The committee voted to go to the bot tom of the case after hearing District At- torney Charles D. McAvoy of Philadel- phia, who declare there was no evidence to justify the charge that anybody con- nected with the war department had been corrupted with Bergdoll money. 'The name of D.. Clarence Gibboney counsel for Bergdoll, was brought into the pro- ceedings,, and Mir McAvoy was quite positive in asserting the belief that Gib- boney was drowned in Mexico, despite an anonymous report received by the com rlittee that he was alive. 7
 Chairman Kahn, who introduced q resolution last May providing for ap- pointment of a special committee to con- duct the Bergdoll investigation, an- nounced tonight that enough N evidence | had been developed to- indicate the neces- 1 sity of action at this time. Recent statements cabled from Germany by the former military convict prompted the l the runaway's charge that he had ob- | tained from the treasury department and kconcealed in the woods s105.0oo in gold to be used in -effecting his release through bribery. of government officials.
 Leaving aside multitude of details connected with BergdolPs escape. the committee will seek to ascertain what influence enabled Bergdoll to obtain. so much actual gc'd from the treasury at a | time last year when the supply was be- l ing conserved The more important thread to be followed, members said, was the ability of Il prisoners lawyers to obtain his release under guard for the | purpose of proceeding to the. end of 2 rainbow in the hills of Maryland to find l and dig up his pot of gold It was while he was out on the golden chase that | Bergdon stopping /oveT in Philadelphia to visit his mother, indicted with him eluded his soldier guards and slipped away in an automobile.
 Describing the legal tactics of tn, former prisoners mother, MT. MeAvoy
 indicated that a Philadelphia lawyer l wise enough to solve anSl court problem could not satisfy the woman, who. con l stantly traded one attorney for another
 After Mrs. Bergdoll had paid out s12.5ot
 in fees, she quit cold, he said, and lef
 Grover alone with his plan; of buying hi
 freedom.
 I From MT. McAvoy the committee ob
 tained a definite statement as to dispo sition of the $12.500. Five thousand o
 this amount, he said. went to Samuel I
 Ansell. former judge advocate general o
 the army; s5,o00 to Gibboney; the sur
 of S1250 to former Judge J. W. Westcot
 of Pennsylvania; little to an alienis
 and little less to a lawyer in Ne'
 York.
 The committee will endeavor to ge
 early action iM the house on the Kah
 resolution by obtaining a. rule giving
 privileged status. The hearing today wa
 only the skimming of the surface, but, a
 MT. Kahn explained, it went deep enoug
 at times to see the possibility of star
 ling disclosures behind the whole stor
 of the. millionaire who could not fight UT
 der the American nag.