New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-28
Stacker Made Alien Foe
On Harding's Direct Or.
der; Fortune Estimated
at $780, Is Taken
Estate of Mother
And Brother Held
Can't Write or Send Cash; {;
Deserter Left PenniIess
i'm s'Dear Fatherland''
Specini Disnnfch fn Tkn r1,;h.,.,a

I
PHILADELPHIA, May 27.--Frsedom
and residence in chat dear Germany
Will cost Grover G. Bergdoll $s36, ,226 80
or more. All of his property in the
United States-real estate, bank ac-
counts and everything else--is now in
possession of the United States govern
ment. 1t was seized to-day by Colonel
Thomas W. Miller, alien property Gus
todian, under the trading with the
enemy act, at the personal direction
of President Harding.
Ihe Stacker now stands in the ewes
OF the government an enemy without
rights Of American citizenship" To
regain his property, Bergdoll must re-
turn to the United States and prove
his ownership. Even then Congress
must act before it can be returned.
But the minute the notorious Stacker
and deserter sets foot on American
soil and applies for his property he
Will be subject to arrest, and must
then serve out his five-year sentence
as deserter, with possibly more added
because of his escape while on the "pot
OF gold" JOY ride under United States
army auspices.
Can Return and Go to Prison
So now Beredoll, in his own beloved
Fatherland, lives incomunicado, so
far as the United States is concerned.
He is there without the support of
funds that his mother and relatives
heretofore could send him. They
their own funds now.
That gives Grover Bergdoll, fugitive
Stacker, draft dodger and jail evader,
two alternatives:
First-He can come back to the
United States and serve term in iail
and claim his property and perhaps
have it restored to him.
Second-Hc can stay in Germany
and work for a living, thereby break
ing all precedents in his life to date.
Mothers Property Taken
All property belonging to Mrs. Emma
c. Bergdoll, mother of the Stacker. as
well as funds held in trust by her for
Erwin c. Bergdoll, her other Stacker
offspring, now serving his term in
Leavenworth, also was taken under the
administration of the Alien Property
Custodian.
OeTRuOll mas Deen given tlVe
days in which to make a detailed re-
port separating the three estates, her
own and those of her two sons, for
whom she has held power of attorney
ever since they became slackers.
Should the mother refuse to comply
she will be in contempt of court, end
will have to go to prison until she
makes up her mind to separate Growers
property from the rest. To-day Mrs.
Bergdoll is unable to touch one cent of
her own wealth or that of her two
sons.
When the separation is made to the
satisfaction of the Alien Property Gus
to odian, she will then have her own
property back and her power of attor-
ney over Erwin Bergdoll's property
will be restored to her. But the
wcman's guardianship of Grover Berg
dolls property ended to-day when the
seizure notice was served upon her.
From the serving of that notice all of
Grover Bergdoll's property passed into
the hands of the United States govern
ment.
Under the trading with the enemy
act Mrs. Bergdoll cannot even write a
letter to her son. Neither can any
one else in the United States. Even
to write letter to the Stacker is now
violation OF the trading with the
enemy act and is punishable with fine
and Imprisonment.
Must Move or Pay Rent
In the mean time Mrs Bergdoll must
either move from the BergdolI Castle"
in Wynnefield, wAch is the property
of Grover, or pay rent to the United
States government.
Colonel Miller arrived in Philadel-
phia from Chicago early to-day. After
conference of government officials
and accompanied by a number of local
government agents and representatives,
he went to the Bergdoll home in West
Philadelphia.
Mrs. Bergdoll answered the door and
heard Major Carroll read the paper
notifying her OF the seizure of all her
sons property and of the temporary
seizure of her own and Erwin Berg
dolls properties pending their separa-
tion from Growers estate.
notice announcing the seizure of
the property was pasted on the house,
but Mrs. Bergdoll Immediately tore the
notice from the door post and carried
it into the house
After the formalities at the Berg