The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-07-20
Was TO Be PAID
TO HIGHER
Slacker's Mother Declares She
Paid Major Campbell Five
& Thousand Dollars.
HAD FIRST DEMANDED
HUNDRED THOUSAND
Says Money Was Turned Over
to Officer by Her Son on
Governors Island.
(5y The Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, July 19.-The direct
charge that five thousand dollars was
paid to Major Bruce r. Campbell, an
officer Of the army, for use among the
higher ups" to obtain the release OF Grow
or Cleveland Bergdon. her slackar son,
was made today by Mrs. Emma c. berg
ooll Of Philadelphia, to a house investi-
eating committee
Having heard the charge, the commit
tee developed that on February 10, last
year, about ten days after Mrs. Berg
don swore the money was paid, Campbell
deposited four thousand five hundred dol
lars with Wassermann Brothers. MEM
lcrs OF the New York stock exchange,
and. two thousand dollars more an March
2, all OF which and more was wiped out
by the end Of June in market trading.
The money was deposited to the JOINT 1c-
count OF the indIOr and Laura Il. Camp
bell supposedly his wife
Major Campbell, who enlisted as a pri-
Vate in 1901, and served overseas with
the Rainbow division, and who was Berg
dcus counsel in court martial proceed
ings, was not present at today's hearing.
lie previously had testified that he d.d
not get one dollar Of Bergdol mon ~. but
AZ the direction Of the committee the war
department has ordered him here slym
Camp Pike, Arkansas, to answer the
charges.
Called back to testify after gcvern-
ment agents had picked up the Campbell
clue in a renewed effort TO fix respons-
iDllity for Bergdoll's escape while hunt
ing sor a buried tub of gold, Mrs. Berg
dcll stood firmly on her constitatianaI
rights and refused to answer questions.
But when assured by Chairman Peters OF
immunity from prosecution she began
her story, declaring Campbell first de-
manded one hundred thousand dollars
II told him to go to hell" she exclaimed.
lie had tortured me into believing that
my boy would be shot unless the higher
ups were paid"
Questioned by John S. Sherburne of
Boston, the committee counsel, Mrs.
Bergdoll. step by step, told how she had
taken the money, pinned TO her waist,
20 Governors Island, turned it over to
Grover who met the major under the
big flag pole at the reservation and de-
livered It. Later she swore. Campbell
told her that he had received the money
from Grover. but that under the law he
could keep no part of it for himself, and
had given it to an officer whose name
she could not remember. 1t was her un-
derstatnding, she testified, that it was
TO go eventually to member OF the court
trying her son for evading the draft
Pressed by Representative Luhring, re-
publican, Indiana, Mr.. Bergdol said she
had not told the committee OF the trans-
action before because she had forgotten
it, Grover, she added, recently had
urged her to tell OF it.
Presenting a stack of ledgers, Joseph
Haulehan, boolSkeeper for wassermann
Brothers. told the committee the records
showed that Campbell had an account
with the firm in 1919, which had been
closed prior TO reopening the larger one
IN 1920. OF the seven thousand five hun
dred dollars placed with the first last
YEAR all was wiped out, with s4I5 stilI
due by Campbell.