The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-20
ARMY MAN ACCUSED
BY MRS. BERGDOLL
She Asserts That Major Bruce
Campbell Got S., 900 After
Demanding 100000.
Baked AT GIVING MORE
Bank Deposits and Automobile
Purchase by Officer Figure
in Revelations.
Baked AT GIVING MORE
Special Despatch to THE New YORK HrnALp.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., July 10, (

Special Despatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., July 10.
A trail Of alleged graft on the part
of an army officer in the notorious
case of G. c. Bergdoll, wealthy Phila-
delphia draft dodger, was revealed to-
day by the House committee investi-
eating his escape.
The charge was made by Mrs. Emma
Bergdoll. mother of the Stacker, that
Major Bruce Campbell, who was de-
tailed to act as military counsel during
the Bergdoll court-martial at Gov
ernors Island in March, 1920, had OBJ
tanned $4,000 of the Bergdoll fortune
in response to demand for 100000
by which the officer said he could fix
the higher-ups" and effect Bergdoll's
release. The mother asserted that she
paid the $4,000 to her son and that
later Major Campbell told her it had
been distributed among "the higher
ups" ~
After Mrs. Bergdoll made her charge
a representative Of wassermann Broth
ers, New York brokers, testified that
Campbell had deposited $4,000 in curren-
cy with them on February 10, 1920. Mrs.
Rergdoll said the $1,000 was paid about
February /, 1920. A New York automo-
bile dealer told of selling a car to the
Major on March q. 1920. and receiving
draft Of 1850 on wassermann Brothers
Inn al "a
that Campbell had lost %.4l6 in playing
the New York Stock Exchange between
February 10 and July &c. 1890. and that
he still owed Wassernann Brothers
about 500.
Plans OF the committee were to have
Mrs Bergdoll confront Campbell in the
committee room to-day. but some one In
the War Department blundered and
telegram ordering the officer to report
here was delayed. He Is due here to-
morrow.
The new clue in the case. 1t was
learned, is the result OF letter from
Bergdoll, now in Germany. in which he
asked his mother why she did not inform
the committee Of the 5000 alleged to
have been paid to Campbell.
When this information came to the
committee agents OF the Military Intelli-
gence were put on the case and found
the brokerage and motor car trnneac-
tons of the officer. Mrs. Bcrgdolrs tes.i-
mony also included charge that ID.
Clarence Gibboney. Bergdoll attorney.
now dead, Joined with Campbell In the
demand for 100000.
Although Mrs. Bergdoll about two
al ~ I
II. Sher5urne, counsel of the investigat-
ing committee. she at rirst refused to an
swer any questions before the committee
to-day. Upon assurances by Chairman
Peters that she would be protected by
the committee so far as 1t was possible
to do so. she told the story frankly. Her
drst refusal to answer was based on the
statement that her answers might in
criminate her.
AT Governors Island. Campbell. Mr.
Gibboney and Grover came to me and
demanded 100000 to fix the higher
ups." she said. "'I told them to go to
Later Grover told me to bring $4,000 to
Governors Island for Campbell. About
February 1, 1920, | brought this amount
In hills TO New York. II was scwed on
the inside OF my waist. l paid II to
Grover near the flagpole on the island
Campbell had told me they would shoot
Grover unless paid him 100000.
Later they kept bothering me for
s25. 900 more. but I refused to pay II.
On the day Grover was tried Campbell
met me in the Barge Office at Gov
ernors Island and told me he had that
day paid the $4,000 to the higher ups He
always insisted the money was not for
him. but the higher ups. | thought the
money was TO be used among the officers
there and at Washington
Mrs. Bergdoll then related what she
said were several attempts to victimizc
her and said some one was continually
after her money. She appeared broken
In spirit to-day. while in her previous
testimony she was rather arrogant and
defiant. She said she was in poor
health.