The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-10
.BERGDOLL WAS Then
WIDELY ADVERTISED
AS A DRAFT DQDGER
Treasury Officials Thought
His Mother and Friend
Were Foreigners Afraid
America n Government
Would Be Overthrow.

w LIZ WV
Washington. May a.-The TACT wns
csta ahlishcd today through W. l.. Alex
arder Il clerk in the treasury depart
ment. 10y the house committee investiga
ting the escape Of Grover G. Bergdoll,
that the mother Of the draft dodger ana
friends actually obtained Slo1.ooo IN
gold from the treasury in the 1ali OF
1919. But from there the trail was NOT
uncovered by the committee TO the
buried pot in the mountains OF Mary
land.
James Romig. formerly police mag
istrate Of philadelph!a. and now await
ing Sentancc on conviction OF conspiI
acy TO aid Bergdoll in evadins the drat!.
was the agent, Alexander said. throuen
whom $4,000. the first batch Of SolG
was obtained and carted away. onN
his second trip to Washington. RomlE
was accompanied by Mrs. Emma Z.
Bercdoll. also awaiting scntance 1or
conspiracy and together they drove TO
Philadelphia with 100000 in gold tucked :,
safely beneath their feet.
1umsd and Frsttsd
When he made his first visit to the
easury Romig found clerks unwilling
10 turn over even 100000 on their own
responsibility and Alexander said. no
fumcd and frettcd about the corridors
until his application was. laid before
r. c. Lcffinfkell. then, an assistant
secretry. and approved. This amount
was given in exchange for gold certtl-
Gates. but once It had been placed with
in an automobile in the shadow OF Ine
treasury building. Romig went back for
more. There was some delay. accoroinS
10 the witness. clerks refusing to make
order.
in the end Romig got IT.
There was no embargo at that time on
the withdrawal Of government gold' bqt
the policy Of the department, as e1-
plaincd by Alexander was to keep IL IN
the vaults b. placing diplomatc>.AR-
staclcs in the way Of people seeking ~.
Goes 8aek Tor More ~.
Three weeks after his first visit,
Romig. yetu.ned with Mrs. Bergdou.
It was brought out that at the veU
moment the women was at the treasufy
big posters were displayed everywnefe
offering a reward Tor the capture oh
Bcrgdoll. the deserter.
RomiG. satisfied with the results OK
his first trip. pushed bundle OF biuS,
almost as big az 4 boy. through tnS
wicket window, and after some deiay.
Alexander said. and with the approveA
Of the trea surcr. struggled down the
corridors with more gold (han steve
dorc could lift-$60.000. mostly eagles.
Trail Il Lost
What became Of the treasure after
The Eomig-Bergdol party left Wash.
incton was not brought out at the six
hour session today. The off hand view
was expressed by Alexander. that treas. "
ury folks had discussed the withdrawal
as the biggest certai inly In their recoi-
lection. agreed that Romig and the
women were fore eiSncrS who feared Inc
American government might he over
thrown and hcnc" were eager TO hoaro
their fortune.
Counsel for Bcrgdoil already had told
;he committee they had checked on the
tale Of the gold and were convinced II
had been taken from the treasury ana
buried. and that they were impressed
with the sincerity Of the desertcr thae
he wants to recover il.
Move to Get Grover
The gold chapter was related just
after Major General March. CHIEF OF
staff Of the army. had given his views.
on the subject OF getting BcrSdoll back
from Cirrmnay 10 Sc"v" MS 1--WE years
s.n,ance: and had declared that dipio.
matte moves now were under way To-
get him. Bergdoil was described as
had specimen Of dcSrrter. by the gen.
cral who frankly stated that lie would
not have apoloGizrd. had Americans
succeeded in their efforts 10 kidnap MIN
on German soil.
Other witnesses during the day werA
Edward $ Bailey. law partner OF Sani>
uel r. Ansell former acting Judge ads
vocatc Of the army and Counsel for
Bergdoll and Colonel Julias 4 PENN
assistant TO Major General Harris, ads,
jutant general Of the army.
wssteott Discussed Plans
Mr. Bailey. in concluding his testi-
mony. reiterated that former Judge
John W. Wes:cott of New Jersey dts.
cusSed plans for the expedition to the
mountains, prior to the escape judy
Wescott hhd testified that he knew
nothing Of any so-ca lied buried treasuf0
until he read 1t in the newspaper after
Bcrgdoll had eludcd his military guard
, at Philadelphia, 4 year.
Colonel Penn declared he had 0ugS
Gested to the commnadant OF the DIS
ciplinary barracks at Governors fslands-
that commissioned officer be placede11
charge Of the guard accompanying Ber.
doll TO the mountains, and that the Su1.
gestion practically amounted TO an:
order" When Ansel applied to Gen.
erall Harris for authority to permit
Bergdoll to make the search Colonel
Penn said, the adJutant general said II
was a responsible request by 4 re-
sponsible lawyer" and the witness
added that it so appeared to him at the
time.
General March declared that when
General Harris brought up the AnsAu
request, he only glanced at 1t. and that
it was approved by the latter who had
full authority in such matters. But
when word reached him OF the escape,
the military machinery was set In mo-
tion az once in the effort to capture. tho
convict.
WAITER FORECAST r..