The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-16
BERGDOLL CASE
STILL UNSETTLED
House Committee Will Ask Con.
gress for Authority to
Investigate

''' "o"Sc military committee decided
'odaE 10 ask congress for authority
To find out how the rich Philadelphia
draft dodger escaped from Il military
guard and made his WAY to Germany,
the country he had refused To fight.
The committee voted to go to the
| bottom Of the case after hearing
District Attorney Charles McAvoy Of
Philadelphia, who declared there was
TO evidence to Justify the charge that
|anybOdy connected with the war de-
partment had been corrupted with
Bergdoll money. The name of ID.
Clarence Gibboney, counsel for Berg
doll, was brought into the proceed
| ings, and Mr.. McAvoy was quite posi-
| tive in asserting the belief that Glib
honey was drowned in Mexico despite
an anonymous report received by the
committee that he was alive.
! The departments of justice knew as
early as last October that Bergdoll
had escaped to Germany, the commit
tee was told.
MIR. McAvoy said he received this
information through confidential
sources early in October and imlne-
diately communicated it to Attorney
iGeneral Palmer, recommending at the
same time that O'Connor, one of the
departments investigators, be sent
TO Germany. He added that this was
not done because of possible interna-
tional complications.
The witness declared that Bergdoll
lied" when he stated in Germany
that "Gibboney was To use the $105,-
600 TO bribe somebody i'm the war
department"
Chairman Kahn asked Mr.. McAVOy
if ne had ever obtained any evidence
TO Indicate that the 100000 was TO
bc used for ''corrupt purposes"
Il tried i'm every conceivable way"
the district attorney replied, land |
was convinced that not a single per-
son connected with the war depart
ment was corrupt"
Answering Representative McKen-
zic, Republican, Illinois, the witness
said he did not feel like criticizing
the heads of the military establish
ment i'm permitting the release Of
this sort of prisoner on his himsy
excuse Of buried gold"
did Bergdoll escape through po-
litical influence" he was asked.
"unquestjonably, no." the witness
replied emphatically
Chairman Kahn, who introduced n
resolution last May providing for
appointment of u special committee
To conduct the Bcrgdoll investigation
announced tonight that enough cvi-
dcnCc had been developed to indicate
the necessity OF action at this time
Recent statements cabled from Ger
many by the former military convict
prompted the committee to renew
effort, In view of the runaWaY'S
lchargc that he had obtained from the
treasury department and concealed
in the woods 100000 i'm gold to be
used in cffectng his release through
bribery OF government officials
Leaving aside a multitdc of de-
tails connected with BcrgdolPs es-
cape t"e committee will seek to as
lcertain what influence enabled Berg
ldoll to obtain so much gold from the
treasury at time last year when
the supply was being conserved. The
more important thread TO be follow
ed. memh RS said. was the ability of
the prisoners lawyers to obtain his
release under guard for the purpose
OF proceeding to tn. end Of a rainbow
dig up his pot Of gold. 1t was while
he was out on the goldenchase that
Bcrgdoll stopped over i'm Philadelphia
TO visit his mother, indicted with
him. eluded his soldier guards and
slipped away in the same automobile
he had used many TIMES for highway
speeding.
Mr.. McAvoy testified there was no
nE
the gold from the treasury. In cX-
pressing unboundcd belief that no
high officials of the war department
had been corrupted. he said it was
equally positive that the draft dodger
had not escaped through political
influence.
Most of the district attorneys tes-
timony related TO many circum-
stances long ago revealed in connec-
ton with the story of Bergdol. De-
scrbing the legal tactics of the form
lcr prisoners mother. Mr.. McAvoy in
dicatcd that u Philadelphia LAWYER,
wise enough to solve any court prob
lem, could not satisfy the woman.
who constantly traded one attorney
for another. After Mrs. Bcrgdoll
had paid out $1,000 in fees she
quit cold, he said ana let Grover alone
win his plan of buying his freedom.
from Mr.. McAvoy the committee
obtained definite statement as TO
! disposition Of the $l2.5OO. Five thou
SAND OF mis- amount, he said, went TO
! samuel u. AuScll, former Judge ad-
} \"caiC general of the army; $4,000
I" GIhhoncy; TIA" sum of $3.50 to
IIormcr Judge j. W. Wcscott of Penn
SY'vania; u little to an alicnist and
! a little less To a lawyer i'm N,v,
York.
! Mr.. McAvoy said he was convinced
,h"t IN" lawyers had been grossly
decoir"d' declaring they stood to win
more 10y Obtaining his release than
by permitting him to cvadc sent
pupp