The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-12
never HEARD OF IT
UNTIL GROVER FLED, !.
JOHN O'HARE ASSERTS
Orders From Col. Hunt g
Take Prisoner to Hager.-
town Bank to Get Money,
He Testihes Wasn't AE
lowed to Handcuf Prisoner
-Bergdoll Wore Full UNI
form Of Enlisted Infantry
-
man ~

Washington. May lin giving =
first hand account Of the escape OF 6ror
ycr Cleveland Bergdoil. the PhiladeiphiA
draft dodger. Sergeant John OHAres
who was in command Of the escort wheAi !
started out with Dergdoll from 0oy<
errors Island for the mountains ot
Maryland. told the house invesuGa1tnei
committee today that he had never heA44
O word about the buried pot OF gotd unM
long after the prisoner had fled.'
O'Hare was positive I'm the asserfioA
that when he started out for the moun.
tains. the only instructions he recefvoN
from Colonel John T.. Hunt, his SUP,
rior officer, was to proceed with TIE
prisoner to Haterstown. Nd. Get some
money from bank. take IT to Anotnee
bank at Philadelphia, and return 70 tne
barracks. -
Orders Prom oibboAsy.
There were no written orders exssDe'
TO stop off at North Philadelphia, nieSS
tha late D. Clarence Gibboney, BsrE
dolls lawyer, and thereafter be guioee
hy what Gibboney said. the witness Gps
clared with some emphasis In relAta11s
his part in the whole affair. CAaSe
declared he wanted to handcuff his pf1n.
oner, but, that Hunt refused.
II was by Gibboncy's order, he Setps
that the party halted at Philade1p411s
went for a long automobile ride VIII
Bergdoll at tho wheel. visited nff
lesquc show and stopped at the BsFHdeH
home: from which the prisoner escaps4s
N Pun Uniform. e
The sergeant told how BergdolL -
had eyadcd the draft for covpto Pp
wears, was sent from the island n
full uniform Of an enlisted man, ~
4 hat cord indicating that he beionN
10 the infantry branch Of the se1vtees.
how he had sat in the train from neK.
York 10 Philadelphia without uttefm1
a word and chewing tobacco al ne'
while. s:
Step by step, he told Of various moves
ND TO the moment when Dergdoll walkO
into q bathroom to answer the tclsphone
He was never seen after that, and 10 thtAs
day, the sergeant said, he does not KNOW
how ne got out. Except for that sinkle
moment. he declared, the prisoner N1p
never out Of his sight. --'.s
Stands Fat on Story.
No amount Of crosr-exauftnx1Ou
could bulge the witness from his STAIR
ment that he was In entire tGnokeooo,
Of any plan to go out ana dig up t9e
buried gold. the object for which tne
prisoner was released IN custooy ok
O'Hare and York. another sergeant
Mrs. Emma C. Bergdoll. motnr ot
the draft evader, and James RomiG tes
man who was sent to Washington to,
get sos. 900 in gold from tho treasury,
were around the Bergdoll home all the
time the party was there, O'Hafe astG.
When not shooting pool and rccaeng
Shakespeare, Grover. he added, WnS
walking about perfectly at ease an0 -
cool as a little white. stone IN pe0ok:
where a trout might play.
When Mrs. Bergdoll learned that hee
son had gone. she was greatly excited
said O'Hare, putting her hands aooyo
her head as she walked about gettM9
supper"
Said Grover Would 1StEA
The woman and Romig, he ADDED. trt~D
to persuade him not to worry. ASsurtn6
him that Bergdoll would be back aftee
a while. AS the guards were being eH.
tertained, bottle OF GIN mysteriouSH
appeared in 1.-THE pool room, OHAre tee-
titled, but he did not touch It. as he haA
not taken a. drink in twenty-one Year,.
York. however. drank some OF IL ,buf
was warned by OHare to let It alone.
Tears filled the eyes OF tho little 1ers
geant as he told the committee OF hto,
barely enough money to pay his 1h{A,
and his plea that he be permitted -:
go over to Brooklyn to tell his wife q
his misfortune before being locked %.
He was tried later by court-maSoot
and acquitted.
O'Hare was not subjected to Q Eflu.
ing except by one member Of the con-
mittee, in an effort to bring out thar
he did not understand the brief order
given him by Colonel Hunt.
Renew WhitsVash charge. n
Representative Johnson. DetnocraA
Kentucky. in conclusion Of the cross.
examination Of the gold hunt witnessea.
reiterated that he would attempt 70
show that Colonel Hunt was white.
washed by court-marital for falling
TO take adequate precautions for tho
safety of the prisoner" q.
Former Judge John w. Wescott, OF
New York. who has denied the TESTIMONY
of Samuel Ansell that he was consult.
ing counsel. and Romig, the gold mas
senger and general boss around Tia
Bergdoll home on the day Of the es.J
cape, will testify tomorrow.