The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-18
Two Others Accused of Con-
spiracy by Probe Committee.
Even Adjutant General Harris
Accused of Negligence.
MINORITY SAYS mo EVIDENCE"
Officer Who Failed to Warn Au-
thOrities Also Accused.
AnseII, However, Named as the
"Master Mind"

Washington. Aug. 1S.-Samuel Til
den Ansell, former acting judge advo-
cate general of the army and of the
prisoners legal counsel; Col. John NJ.
Hunt and Col. C. C. Cresson were
charged with conspiracy in connection
with the escape of Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll, the draft evader. in report
signed by three of the five members
of a special investigating committee
filed today with the house.
Characterizing Anseu as the mas
ter mind" in the plan by which Berg
doll was released from military pris-
on under guard to dig up a pot of
gold the majority report recommend
ed that he be disbarred from practic-
ing in the courts of the nation, above
whose safety and integrity he has
placed gold"
Minority Says No E'idcnce.
A minority report filed at the same
time held. however. that there was no
testimony to support the charge that
Asell. thru whose effort as counsel
the prisoner was released, "conspired"
to effectuate his escape or that his
motive was improper.
One Republican-RepreseL alive
Luhring of Indiana-and two Demo-
Gratis. johnson of Kentucky and Flood
of Virginia, signed the majority re-
port. The minority views were pre-
sented by Chairman Peters. Maine.
and Representative Macarthur, Ore
gon, Republicans. The majority find
ings We're the first of the many in
fpra submitted
house since the close the war.
where a Republican member Joined
with Democrats and enabled them to
file majority views.
Colonel Hunt Directly Responsible.
The majority held that Colonel
Hunt, commandant of the barracks at
Governor s Island. from which Berg
doll set out on his errand, was di
rectly responsible for the slacker's 8
escape thru failure to handcuff him
or to provide an adequate guard. The
minority, after declaring that no Of
ficer of the army knowingly partici-
pated in the conspiracy found grave
dereliction of duty on the part of
Hunt"
AS a basis for it's criticism of Col
onel Cresson, the majority report said
that as ugly as are the many phases
of the whole matter, none is more de-
fenseless than the conduct of e
Cresson in his ,pretense of prose. ution
of Colonel Hunt, tried by court mar
tial in connection with the BergdolI
scandal. No reference to Cressor
was made by the inority.
Major Is Exoneratcd.
Major Eruce r. c bell a a.c.seJ
by Bergdolrs mother of having ac-
cepted $4,000 to help obtain freedom
for the prisoner, was exonerattd d by
the majority. The minority reported
that there was no evidence that Camp
bell was in any way connected with
the escape, but assumed the y1oper
military authorities would institute
such investigation as may be neces-
sary to the end that Campbell may be
eNonerated, if not found guilty
Dismissal from the department of
justice of Earl B. Wood, in charge of
correspondence in the BergdolI case,
for failure to transmit to the war de-
partment a warning from a special
agent that the prisoner was planning
to escape, was recommended by the
majority.
Adjutant General Negligent.
Major General Peter c. Harris. ad-
jutant general of the army, who au-
thoriZed Hunt to send Bergdo1 under
guard, to the Maryland mountains to
search for the gold, was charged by
the minority with primary response
bility for the situation which made
possible the escape" Asserting that
General Harris did not attempt to
evade responsibility the minority held
there was no question of improper
motive on his part" aiding it was ZAP
parent his mind was readily overcome
by the strong statement of AnselI,' .
that he would stand responsible for
the safe return of the prisoner. The
minority criticised Harris for suggest
ing to Hunt, instead of ordering, that
a commissioned officer accompany
the expedition.
The majority reported that the es-
cape was the direct result of the
proposition submitted by Ansell to
General Harris and that "even If An
sell did not conceive the plan, he pre-
scented it and pursued it to its accom-
plishment"
Used Ex-Judge's Name.
Taking up alleged connection with
the Bergdoll case of former Judge
John w. Wescott, one time attorney
general of New Jersey, the majority
held 1t unimportant whether he actual
ly had legally represented Bergdoll
The report declared cit was clear" that
Ansell undertook to use Judge Wes-
colts name for the purpose Of bring
ing to bear political influence upon
anybody in the administration who
might be needed to make sure of the
gold hunt release, which at last spelled
BergdolIs escape.
The majority report commended the
seizure of the Bergdoll property by
Alien Property Custodian Miller and
urged that he make every effort to
produced s105.000 in gold, obtained
by Mrs. Emma c. Bergdoll from the
treasury department. and alleged to
have been buried on her farm near
Philadelphia. This was put in at the
insistence of Representative Luhring
who declared the withdrawal of the