Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-20

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-Samuel
Tilden Ansell, former acting judge
advocate general of the army and OF
the prisoners legal counsel; Colonel
John E. Hunt and Colonel C. C. Ores
son were charged with conspiracy IN
connection with the escape Of
Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, the draft
dodger, in a report signed by three
of the five members of special in
vestigating committee. filed yester-
day, with the house.
Characterizing Ansen as the mas
ter mind" in the plan by which Berg
doll was released from military
prison under guard to dig UP pot
of gold, the majority report recon-
mended that he be- disbarred from
practicing in the courts of the ma
ton above whose safety and integ-
rity he has placed gold.'
A minority report filed at the same
time held. however, that there was no
testimony to support the charge that
AnselI, through whose efforts as
! counsel the prisoner was released,
"conspired to effectuate his escape"
or that his motive was improper.
One Republican - Representative
4 Luhring, of Indiana-and two Demo-
Gratis, Johnson, Of Kentucky, and
Flood, of Virginia, signed tie ma
i jority report. The minority views
were presented by Chairman Peters.
Maine, and Representative Macarthur,
Oregon, Republicans. The majority
finding was the first of the many in
vestigating reports submitted to the
house since the close OF the war,
where a Republican member Joined
with Democrats and enabled them to
file majority views.s
Major Campbell Exonerated
The majority held that Colonel
Hunt, commandant of the barracks
at Governors Island. from which
Bergdoll set out on his errand, was
directly responsible for the slacker s.
escape through failure to handcuff
him or to provide an adequate guard.
The minority after declaring that no
officer of the army knowingly par
ticipated in the conspiracy" found
grave dereliction of duty on the part
Of Hunt"
AS a basis for it's criticism Of Col
said that "as ugly as are the many
= phases of the whole matter, none is
more defenseless than the conduct or
Colonel Cresson in his pretense of
prosecution of Colonel Hunt tried by
court-martial in connection with the
Behgdoll scandal. No reference to
Cresson was made by the minority.
Major Bruce r. Campbell. accused
by BergdolPs mother of having &C
cepted $4,000 to help obtain free
he Yaric f.
ed by the majority. The minority
reported that there was no evidence
that Campbell was in any way con-
nected with the escape. but assum-
ed the proper military authorities
would institute such investigation
as may be necessary to the end that
Campbell may be exonerated, if not
found guilty"
Dismissal from the department of
Justice of Earl B. Wood, in charge
of correspondence in the Bergdoll
case, for failure to transmit to the
war department warning from a spe-
cial agent that the prisoner was
planning to escape, was recommend
ed by the majority.
Adjutant General Scored
Major General Peter G.. Harris, adj
1utant general of the army, who au-
thorized Hunt to send Bergdoll, Under
guard to the Maryland mountains to
search for the gold, was, charged by
y
bility for the situation which made
possible the escape" Asserting that
General Harris did not attempt to
evade responsibility. the. minority
Il proper motive on his part" adding
that it was apparent his mind was
readily overcome by the strong state
ment of Ansell," that he would stand
responsible for the safe return of
the prisoner. The minority criti-
cised General Harris for suggesting
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
Ansell did not conceive the plan, he
presented it and pursued it to it's &C.
accomplishment"
Taking up alleged connection with
the Bergdoll case of former Judge
John w. Westcott, onetime attorney
general of New Jersey, the majority
held it unimportant whether he ac-
tually had legally represented Berg
doll. The report declared cit was
flear" that Ansell undertook to use
Judge Westcott's name for the pur-
= Influence upon anybody in the then
administration who might be needed
to make sure of the gold hunt re-
ease, which at last spelled Bergdolrs
Escape.
Teh majority report commended
The seizure OF the Bergdoll prop
erty by Alien Property Custodian
Thomas w. Miller, and urged that
ne make every effort to produce $105,-
poo in gold, obtained by Mrs. Emma
:. Bergdoll from the treasury depart
nent and alleged to have been buried
pm her farm, near Philadelphia. This
was put. in at the insisterce of Rep
resentative Luhring, who declared
he withdrawal of the gold was the
foundation stone of the whole con-
fp1racy.