Evening star., 1921-10-19
BOX IS RECOVERED;
DOCUMENTS GONE
Finger Prints to Be Taken in
Investigating Theft of
BerqdoII Papers.

The box, containing Bergdoll and
private papers, stolen from the Office
of Representative Ben johnson tdem-
ocrat), Kentucky. Monday night. was
found early today on the fifth floor
of the House office building. broken
open and with important documents
mi ssing.
Employees of the building reported
that they located the box in an unoc-
cupied storage room, completely COW
cred over with rubbish.
After a hurried examination OF pa.
pers which were not removed Mr..
Johnson announced that some Of his
private letters had not been disturb
ed. but that every document showed
evidence of close inspection. and that
not single slip of paper relating to
the Bergdoli investigation was left.
Finger Prints ON window.
After a conference with Speaker
Gillett, who stated he proposed to go
to the bottom CT the robbery. Mr..
Johnson called on the Washington
police to obtain the finger prints of
all Office building police and work
men. He said he wanted these for
comparison with finger prints found
on the window pane of the Office
~
entrance. Local police officials said
they obtained finger prints of only
one man, but they are convinced more
than one person had a hand in the
robbery.
Unable to break the lock. the thieves
pried off the hinges Somebody TAX
ing part in the crime evidently cut
his hand, as a small particle Of blood
was discovered where the lid was
raised.
EIectricians' Report.
An assistant electrician who occu-
pies cot bed in small room on the
fifth floor of the Office building said
that about 2:30 o'clock yesterday
morning he heard a noise which he
ing, and which sounded like some
one breaking open a box. He got
ladder and climbed over the wall,
across an unfinished portion of the
building under the roof. and down a
ladder into the storage room. where
the box was found today. The box
was not there at the time. but he saw
man run from this room and heard
him descending on the elevator. He
looked down the elevator shaft and
found the car stopped at the fourth
floor, with the door open.
During the investigation yesterday
two police detectives went from the
storeroom through small hole in the
wall into an unfinished place under
the caves through which pipes run.
and found no box there. Today. how
ever, the assistant electrician sug-
they should again look in this dark
hole. and when they did SO they found
the box.
Opened in Outer Room.
The box was opened in the outer
room, as was shown by a piece of
plank inside the box which matched
Of the room. showing that the board
had been broken in attempting to pry
open the box.
Jere South. formerly chief clerk of
the House. and now a Washington at
torney. in company with Mr.. John
son. today discovered new set of
dngerprints in the unfinished place
under the roof of the building where
the assistant electrician crawled
through to apprehend the burglar
These fingerprints will be studied in
connection with those found on the
window in Representative Johnson's
office.
Longworth once Entered.
The office of Representative Nicholas
!.Longworth. republican. Ohio. on the
fourth floor of the House Office build
bers, who broke open two filing cab
inets
Finding nothing Of value. the rob-
bers vented their spite on an UNI
brella by breaking 1t up. The office
was entered apparently through a
window on the court side. under
which is a ledge wide enough for a
fourth time Mr.. Longworth's Office has
been entered.