Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-10
MRS. BERCDO|ll,L,|.. ].
AND A FRIEND
GOT $lO5,O|0!l0|I
Ts
Gold Y, Was Obtained From,
United States Treasury
In Fall OF 1919 /

Washington. May s.-The fact wSs
established today through w. Il. Alex
ander, a clerk In the treasury depart
ment, by the, house committee investi-
eating the escape Of Grover G.. Berg
doll. that the mother Of the draft
dodger and a friend actually obtained
Q b.000, in gold from the treasury in
the fall Of 1919. But from there the
trail was not uncovered by the core
nlittec to the buried pot in the noun.
tains of Maryland. 4
James Romig, formerly q police
magistrate of Philadelphia and nov
awaiting sentence on conviction Of
conspiracy to aid BerEdoll in evading
the draft, was the agent, Alexander
batch OF gold, was obtained and carted
away. On his second trip to Washing
ton. Romig was accompanied by. Mrs.
Emma c. Bergdoll, also awaiting sent
ence for conspiracy, and together they
drove to Philadelphia with 100000 in
gold tucked safely beneath their feet
When he made his first visit to -!
treasury. Romig found clerks unwAl-
ing to turn over even $%2o,0o0xon their
own responsibility, and Alexander said.
he fumed and fretted about the corri-,
doris until his application was laid bel
fore r. c. LeffinEvell, then an assist
ant secretary, y. and approved Thts
amount was given In exchange for
gold certificates, but once it had been
placed within an automobile in the
shadow Of the treasury building.
Romig went back for more. There
was some delays according to the wit
ness. clerks refusing to make a second
exchange on the mi order. but In the
end RomiE got it.
There was no embargo at that time
on the withdrawal Of government
sEold. but the policy Of the department
ffas explained by Alexander was to keep
it in the vaults by placing diplomatic
obstacles in the way of people seeking
1t.
Came Back-with Mr.. Beredoll
Three weeks after his first visit,
Romig returned with Mrs. Bergdoll.
1t was brought out that at the very
moment the woman was At the treas
ury, big posters were displayed every
where offering q reward for the cap.
ture of Bergdoll.
Romig. satisfied with the results of
his first trip, pushed a large bundle OF
bills through the window and after
some delay, Alexander said. and with
the approval Of the treasurer, strug-
gled down the corridors with more
gold than q stevedore could ltft-$6o.-
600, mostly eagles.
iio OCS0IiS VI l1cy lFcASuES after
the Romig- Rergdoll party left Wash
ington was not brought out today. The
of-hand view was expressed by Alex
ander that treasury folk who had dis.
cussed the withdrawal agreed that
Romig and the woman were foreigner.
who feared the American government,
might be overthrow and hence were
eager to hoard their fortune.
The counsel for Bersdoll already
has told the committee they had
checked on the tale\of the gold and
were convinced it had been taken from
the treasury and buried and that they
we're impressed with the sincerity OF
the deserter that he wanted to recover
it.
The gold. chapter was related jus,
after Major General March. chief q
staff of the army, had given his view.
OIL the subject of getting BergdoH
back from Germany to serve his I'VE.
year sentence, and had declared that
diplomatic moves now were under
way to get him. Bergdoll was des.
cribed as a bad specimen of deserter,'
by the general. who frankly stated
that he would not have apolosized had
Americans succeeded in their effort,
to kidnap him on German soil.