The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-13
BURIED GOLD TRAIL
 ENDS ABRUPTLY IN
 BERGDOLL KITCHEN
Romig K1 aaaSedate Probers
 ip < He Adds Con- .ss ouch of Levity to ssN the Inquiry
Bs Associated Press

Washington, May 12.--The trial for the buried gold of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll draft dodger which a house investigating committee Is trying to pick up, ended today in the kitchen of the Bergdoli home at Philadelphia where it was last seen by the man who had taken it there from the Unit ed States treasury
 James E. Romig, one time police magistrate of Philadelphia, who came to Washington with the stacker s mother in the fall of 1919 to get the gold and from whom the committee had hoped to learn something of its alleged burial place, declared, quite positively, that he never set eyes on it after it had been dumped on the kitchen floor Whether it had been placed in bank or underground, he swore he could not say.
 The serious sessions of the commit tee were upset frequently by Romg, who Is 70 years old and who was in a fine frame of mind, despite the fact that he is awaiting sentence on con viction of aiding Bergdoll to escape the draft. Always in a laughing mood, Romig added a constant touch of levity.
 SAYS REPORTS UNTRUE
 The former magistrate was called after former Judge John w. Wescott of New Jersey, had reiterated thae there was not a word of truth in re- ports that he had been employed as one of BergdolPs lawyers. Two of the judges sons, both lawyers, and two other lawyers associated with him testified to the same effect.
 John H. Sherburne, counsel for the committee had not brought the Romig story up to the point where Bergdoll slipped through bath room and started for Germany, when the hear ing was adjourned until tomorrow. Considering the other charges against him, Romig declared he would not stand on his constitutional rights, but wiuld answer any questions anybody m sght ask.
 There was roar from members and spectators when the witness was asked if Bergdoll had told him to go and see Harry Thaw and get Thaw's advice as to the best alienist to engage in pro- ceedings involving his sanity.
 FLAWS DOCTORS o. K.
 Nothing to that" the old man an- swered. < T did look around, and ask people, and they told me Thaw's doc
 
 Telling of his troubles with treasury clerks. who tried. he said, Ito stall him off Romg said he first saw a part of the gold certificates which were ex- changed for gold at Mrs. Beredoll's home. The mother accompanied him on the trips to Washington.
 Where did she carry it?" he said. repeating question Why, she had most of it in her stockings. It made quite Jump, but we weren't taking chances"
 When Grover first started to tell him about buried gold. Romig asserted he had refused to listen, declaring he did not want to hear anything about the gold question. Pressed for a more explicit reason. he said it was none of his business.
 Why?' interjected Representativ Luhrigh, republican, Indiana.
 Well. it's hard thing to tell what's in my mind" and Romir joined in the laughter.
 Asked about the stopover at the bergdoil home in the custody of two sergeants from whom the prisoner es- caped, Romis said the bottle of gin about which there has been much tes. timony suddenly appeared in the pooI room as if by magic. He denied that ne had taken 1t there adding frankly that he would not have carried if that Tar. Built was the first time ha declared, that he ever saw thinps tn drink in the house.
 Romig will proceed with his testt- mony tomorrow. and when he get. through Mrs. Bergdoll will be aeard