New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-10
Mrs. Bet'g,doll
Got S1O5,OOO
| Gold It rom US.
Fugitive Draft Dodgers
Mother, Now Awaiting
Sentence, Helped Agent
Take Ii From Treasury
While Army Sought Son
House Inquiry Fails TO
Reveal Disposition of
Fortune After Exchange

WASHINGTON, May e.-Mrs. Emma
G. Bergdon, mother Of Grover Cleve-
land Bergdoli. wealthy draft dodger,
and friend actually obtained $105 600
in gold from the Treasury i'm the fall of
1919s the House committee investigat-
ing Bergdoil's escape learned to-day
Ihj0 fact was established through w. l..
Alexander, clerk in the Treasury De-
partment, but from there the trail was
not uncovered by the committee to the
buried pot in the mountains of Mary
| land
James Ro,nig, formerly q police mag
! ,strate of Philadelphia, and now await
| ing sentence on conviction of conspir-
acy to aid Bergdoll in evading the draft,
I was the agent, Alexander said, through
| whom $4,000, the first batch of gold,
was obtained and carried away On his
second trip to Washington Romig was
accompanied by Mrs. Bergdoll, the
/ slacker's mother. also awaiting SEN
| tence for conspiracy, and together they
drove to Philadelphia with 100000 in
| gold tucked safely beneath their feet.
Got Only $4,000 at First
When he made his first visit to the
| Treasury, Romig found clerks unwill-
ing to turn over even $4,000 on their
| own responsibility, and. Alexander said,
Romig fumed and frettaa about the cor.
| ridors until his application was laid be-
! fore K. c. Leffingwell, then an assist
ant secretary, and approved. This
! 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 delay,
according to the witness, clerks refus-
ing to make q second exchange ON the
one order, but in the end Romig got il,
mere was no embargo at that time
on the withdrawal of government gold.
but the policy of the department. az
explained by Alexander, was to keep it
IN the vaults by placing diplomatic
obstacles in the way of persons seek
ing it.
Three weeks after his first visit
/ Romig returned with Mrs. Bergdon It
was brought out that at the very
moment the woman was at the Treas
ury big posters were displayed every
! where Offering reward for the cap
ture Of Bergdoll, the deserter.
Approved 100000 Withdrawal
Romig, satisfied with the results of
hlS trst trip, pushed a bundle of bills
almost as big as boy through the
wicket window; and after some delay.
/ Alexander said, and with the approval
OF the treasurer, struggled down the
corridors with more gold than steve
dore could lift--$60,0o0, mostly eagles.
-. what became of the treasure after
/ the Romig- Bergdoll party left Wash
ington was not brought out at the six
hour session to-day. The offhand
view was expressed by Alexander that
treasury folk, who had discussed the
withdrawal as the biggest certainly in
their recollection, agreed that Romig
and the woman were foreigners who
feared the American government might
+ De overthrown and hence were eager to
hoard their fortune.
Counsel for Bergdoll already had
told the committee they had checked
| on the tale of the gold and were con-
WINGED it had been taken from the
I Treasury and buried and that thew
were impressed with the sincerity of
the deserter that he wanted to re-
cover it.
Bad Specimen, Says March
| The gold chapter was related lust
| after Major General March, chief of
staff OF the army, had given his views
on the subject of getting Bergdol1 back
from Germany to serve his five-year
sentence, and had declared that diplo-
matte moves now were under way to
get him. Bergdol1 was described as
bad specimen of deserter" by the
General, who frankly said that he
would not have apologized had Amer
/ leans succeeded in their efforts to kid
nap him on German soil.
Other witnesses during the day were
Edward S. Bailey, law partner of
Samuel 7. Ansell, former acting judge
advocate general of the army and coun-
sci for Bergdoll, and Colonel Julius A.
Penn, assistant to Major General Har-
ris, adjutant general of the army.