The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-05-05
WESTCOTT DENIES
AIDING BERCDOLL-
FIdt|y Denies Colonel Anse|I's
Story on Stand.
RIDICUlES BURIED COLO PLOT

Declares He Never Discussed Witt
Arsel and Gibboney Appeal to v5aI
OoGger.
| Nashihg,O.-. Mag 4-Ex-Judge Johi
: W. WeScotr, OF Haddonfeld, \. j., de
| MED ttsItly before d house COMMITTEES
| Testimony u Samuel T. Ansell, former
acting judge advocate general of the
| army. that he had discussed with All
| sell and -. Clarence Gibboney the AL
| peal 10 he war department for the
release under guard of Grover Cleve-
land HergColl, Philadelphia draft
dGGger.
Tie buried gold was not mention
ed, declared Wescott, referring ID the
money Hcr9doll was supposed 10 have
buried in the West Virginia noun
tain>. If GihbGney or Ansell had
told me of the buried treasure and
What they proposed to do, I'd have told
them hot to make fools of themselves.
! never saw Ansell from that day I'LL
til this morning, when he would not
recognize me-"
WeScott declared he had never been
retained as counsel for Bergdoll.
IF ID. Clarence Gibboney stated thai
he paid me $1,000 for that purpose, re
stated what was not true" Wescott
said. "Bergdoll would not have escap-
ed from prison If | had been his coun-
sci or associated with the case"
Wescott declared he never heard of
the pot of gold story until he read it
in the newspapers and that he never
saw Secretary Baker at any time in
Bergdoll's behalf.
why did I write the secretary?
Simply because 1 had read Anselrs
brief and his argument captivated me.
| was so enthused over it that when
Gibboney asked me to send it to Bak-
er | agreed
How anybody who knew Bergdoll
could request liberty for him on any
score was beyond his comprehension,
the witness said. Reverting to the
Baker letter, Chairman Peters insist
ed on knowing why he, outsider.
should write it.
They knew Baker and I were warm
friends" he replied. They knew the
case would eventually get into his
nands."
Representative Johnson, Democrat,
Kentucky, told Wescott that AnselI
mad testified that he, Wescott, took
the brief to Bakers office and, falling
+" see him, 7rote him from Ansell's
office.
There is not one word of ruth in
that statement" Wescott declared.
hanging the table. IF .nsell said
that, it explains why he refused to
recognize me-"
Regarding the fee of $1,000 which
Gibboney said was paid Wescott, the
viii aSS-aSkad- :=z=--sq---.. -
"Do you suppose I'd be such an un-
mitigated ass as to accept $1,000 when
Gibboney and Ansell were getting
thousands? It's nonsense"
Referring to the judges statement
that Ansell did not speak to him,
Johnson asked if it was a failure or
a refusal.
IN call i a failure. If he saw
me and would not speak, it arose from
the consciousness on his part that he
had made statements regarding me
that he had % authority to make. l
cannot too emphatically repudiate An
sells testimony"
AnSell told the house committee that
the story about Bergdoll having buried
gold in the mountains of West Vtr-
ginia seemed reasonable" and that
he believed it.
THE circumstances were impress
sive," he said, las they impressed Gen
eral Harris when l laid the facts be-
fore him."
The decision to ask the war depart
ment to release Bergdoll under mill
tary guard to hunt for the gold was
reached, the witness said, at a confer
ence here between Ansell, d. Clarence
Gibboney and Judge John w. Wescott,
of New Jersey. GibbOney and WescOtt,
the witness said, came to Washington
to discuss steps being taken to obtain
a review of BergdOll's conviction,
"Mr. WescOtt said he did not see
how the secretary of war could refuse
to oyerturn the verdict" said the wit
ness. HE told me. among other
things that he had nominated Wilson
for president"