The evening world., 1921-02-09
j. S. WILL INQUIRE
INTO DEATH OF
BERGDOLL LAWYER
Hinted That Gibboney May
Not Have Been Drowned
but Is Hiding.
TOMORROW.
State Department Has OBJ
tained Permission of Mexico
to DiSinter Body.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Tntima-
tions that D. Clarence Gibboney of
Philadelphia, attorney for draft
dodger Grover Bergdoll is alive and
in hiding instead Of being in a Mexi-
can grave will engage the House
Military Affairs Committee when it
begins tomorrow its investigation
Of the incidents surrounding Berg
dolls escape to Germany and his
charge that he was asked to pay
$780, 900 to persons in Washington
for his freedom.
Representative Kahn of California,
Chairman Of the committee, predicted
to-day that startling disclosures will
be made at the inquiry. Mr.. Kahn
has gone over documents thus far
produced, which include papers from
the Departments OF War and Justice
and from United States District At
torney MoAvoy at Philadelphia and
which, he declares, show "tangle Of
misstatcments."
The investigation OF what hap
pened to Attorney Gibboney is new
and unexpected 1t was learned that
the State Department has obtained
the consent of the Mexican Govern
mcnt to disinter the body Of the sup
posed Gibboney for the purpose OF
making a definite Identification.
eIBBoNEY HAD BIG LUMBER IN.
TRESTS IN MEXICO.
Gibboney is the man, according TO
information. who offered Bergdoll his
freedom for 100000 to be distributed
in Washington" Gibboney had lum-
Der interests in Mexico and took a
trip there, says the report, to look
after them A body supposed to be
his was washed UP on the Mexican
coast, near Campeche, and 1t was
said he had been drowned when a
small boat was wrecked in a storm.
There is nothing in the documents
he has, Mr.. Kahn indicated, to es-
tablsh that the body found was that
Of Gibboney, 50 the grave is to be
opened as part OF the Federal in.
quiry.
Bergdoll was released in charge Of
soldiers from Governors Island on
War Department order 80 he could
dig up 100000 In gold he said he had
buried in Western Maryland. The
committee is to investigate how the
order was obtained at the War De-
partment. While In Philadelphia on
his way to recover the buried treas
uro Bergdoll escaped. Chairman
Kahn says an order Issued on such a
prctcXt Is ridiculous. because Treas
ury Department figures show that
100000 in gold weighs S6S pounds,
which one man could not have buried
without assistance. Yet Bcrgdoll said
! no one else knew where It was, and
got out on the strength of It.
TO FIND IF BLuNDERs WE'RE
DUE TO CONFLICT.
Another feature OF the lnvestiga.
tion will be whether some OF the
blunders were due to a reported con
flict between the Department OF Jus
tice and the War Department in the
case. In discussing the Bergdou case
Chairman Kahn said:
This case is rotten. My examina.
tion OF the papers is only partly COM
pleted and has revealed what, in my
Judgment, is a terrible state Of ar
fairs. have gone over the report Of
the Inspector Generals Department
OF the Army. which was one OF the
first prepared. Mr.. McAvoy had 1t
and used the facts in 1t in the pres
entation of his case, which resulted
in convictions.
Right IN the first paga OF the In
speetor Generals report there Is con-
GcOnttnued on Seventeenth PaEe.)