New-York tribune., 1921-02-04
Kahn Promises
Inquiry Into
Bergdoll Case
uouse Military Affairs Com
ui,tee Sends to Phil
adelphia for Facts in
Draft Dodgers Flight
,ereen,ent With Lawyers
u;aden 100000 Was To
Re Paid Counsel, u. S.
Prosecutor ID clares
:. ~. rrssune's waShtagso~ s4rsas

-. The rr4suse's washtaatcm Eareas
wAsEINGToN, Feb. s,--Investiga-
~ hv Congress of the escape of
e..rsr ~. Cleveland Bergdoll from the
"a Iav disciplinary barracks and
.rsss that American officials were
s.:ssd by him was promised in the
u.sse to-day by Representative Julius
r.sr Of California. chairman Of the
e.~mittee on Military Affairs,
r,;ssussion of Bergdoll was renewed
= shs House when Mr. Kahn announced
ses;rr debate on the army appropria-
s..r Sill that he had been instructed d
~ his committee to gather ell facts
s$.h view to fixing responsibility.
I.;s statement was made in reply to a
sssstioa from Representative Royal c.
fssrson, OF South Dakota, who asked if
tss committee contemplated any action.
4 resolution calling for the appoint
rsnt Of q special committee to inves-
,irste the escape Of Bergdoll was in
sroduesd in the last session of Con-
srsss, but when an attempt was made
fo csll il up on the last day of the
session, Representative Thomas L.
slanton, Of Texas, objected.
sloo,aa9 Briba Hinted
sThere was very important matter
es.ts:ned in the cable that Berrdoll
sent to The Philadelphia Ledger" said
NJ Kahn. he intimated very strongly
thst he was going to bribe some Amer
lean officials by paying 100000.
@T think most thorough and sweep
Ing Investigation OF that matter should
he hsd at this time. The Committee on
Military Affairs instructed its chair
man this morning to get into com
nanicstion with the United States At
torney in Philadelphia, with the view
Of having all papers sent here fnmedi-
stely so that the committee could be
informed of the facts and could nro.
esed further in regard to the entire
matter"
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 8. - Grover
Cleveland Bergdoll's leave of absence
rom Governors Island prison to hunt
bis 100000 pct of goldnswas obtained
hg Samuel I Ansell and the late D
Clarence Gibbons, his counsel, as q
means of raising g-funds to fight for tbs
draft deserter's release from his fve-
yesr sentence, said Charles D. McAvoy
United States District Attorney, here
sn-day.
Information made public by Mr.. Nc
Avoy revealed that the deserter's
council had an agreement whereby the
100000 Bergdoll was supposed to have
hidden away in the Maryland hills
was TO be divided between his lawyers
il case the prisoners freedom was OBJ
tained. McAyoy declared that after
Mrs. Emma C. Bergdoll, the draft
dodgers mother, had refused to pay
any money to the attorneys, Bergdoll
Informed them that he had 100000
hidden in the hills near Eagerstown
ad., and that they then obtained his
release. to search for It.
Terms of Contracts
Mr. McAvoy declared that two con-
racts were submitted to Bergdoll by
he lawyers, but added that he signed
leither. These contracts, according to
he District Attorney, we're presented
to the Federal grand jury in the in
vestigation which led to the indict-
nent Of Mrs, Bergdoll On charges grow
ing out of the case against Erwin Berg
doll. a brother Of Grover.
Both provided for sliding scales Of
payments varying from s2,5o0 for pre-
senting petition fer clemency to the
President to s5o,0o0 should he be re-
leased by the civil courts after al
other measures TO obtain his liberty
had failed. The first called for $4,000
and the second for $4,000 for each year
rsmltted from his sentence.