The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-11
WANT ID LEARN FACTS IN FLIGHT
 OF DRAFT D0DGER
Military Committee Votes to Go to Bottom of Grover Berg doll Escape From Mill
 tary Guard
By Associated Press

By Associated Press
 Washington, February lO.-After de- veloping some of the high spots in the case of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll. the House military committee decided today to ask Congress for authority to find out how the rich Philadelphia draft dodger his way to Germany, the country he had refused to fight.
 The committee voted to go to the bot tom of the case After hearing District Attorney Charles D. McAvoy of Philadel- phia. who declared there was no evil dence to justify the charge that any, body connected with the war department had been corrupted with Bergdoll money. The name of D. Clarence Gibboney, counsel for Bergdoll. was brought into the proceedings and MT. McAvoy was quite positive in asserting the belief that Gibboney was drowned in Mexico despite an anonymous report received by the committee that he was alive.
 Chairman Kahn who introduced Q resolution last May providing for ap- pointment of a special committee to conduct the Bergdol investigation. an- rounced tonight that he had enough evi- dence to indicate the necessity of action at this time. Recent statements cable1 from Germany by the former military convict prompted the committee to re- newed efforts in view of the runaway's charge that he had obtained from the treasury department and concealed in the woods $105,0o in gold to be used in effecting the release through bribery of government officials.
 WILL SEEK "INFLUENCE" Leaving aside a multitude of details connected with Bergdoll's escape, the committee will seek to ascertain what influence enabled Bergdoll to obtain so much actual gold from the treasury at time last year when the supply was being conserved. The more important thread to be followed. members said, was the ability of the prisoners law yers to obtain his release under guar1 for the purpose Of proceeding to the end of rainbow in the hills of Maryland and dig up his pot of gold It was while he was out on the golden chase that Bergdoll, stopping over in Philadelphia. to visit his mother, indicted with him. eluded his guards and slipped away :n the same automobile ne had used many times for highway speeding.
 Mir. McAvoy testified there was no doubt of the fact that Bergdoll got the gold from the treasury. In expressing unbounded belief that no high officials of the war department had been cor rupted he said it was equally positive that the draft dodger had not escaped through political influence. He declined, however, to express an opinion. in view of his close study of the case, of the wis., dom of the war department in permit ting release from prison under guard of a prisoner on the flimsy tale of buried treasure
 MOTHER QUITS COLD
 Most of the district attorneys testi- mony related to many circumstances long ago revealed in connection with the story of Bergdoll. Describing the legal tactics of the former prisoners mother. Mir. McAvoy indicated that a Phiiadei- phia lawyer wise enough to solve any court problem could not satisfy the wom- an who constantly traded one attorney for another. After Mrs Bergdoll had paid out s12,5O0 in fees she quite cold. he said, and left Grover alone with his plan of buying his freedom.
 From MT McAvoy the committee ob- tained definite statement as to the dis position of the s12,500. Five thousand of this amount, he said, went to Samuel T. Ansel. former judge advocate general of the army: s5.Oo0 to Gibboney; the sum of s1 25O to former Judge J. w. Westcott of Pennsylvania; little to an alenist and a little less to lawyer in New York. McAvoy said he was convinced that the lawyers had been grossly deceived, de- claring they stood to win more by ob- taining his release than by permitting him to evade sentence.
 The committee will endeavor to get early action in the House on the Kahn resolution by obtaining rule giving it privileged status.
 The hearing today was only the skim, ming of the surface, but, as MT. Kahn explained 1t went deep enough at times to see the possibilities of startling dis closures behind the whole story of the millionaire who would not fight under the American flag.