New Britain herald., 1921-08-18
FORMER JUDGE IN l
 ARMY IS ACCUSEl
(Continued from First Page).
Col. Hunt !Arraigned.


 of the barracks at Gov Island, from which Bergdo set out on his errand was directly re sponsible for the slacker's escap failure to handcuff him or provide an adequate guard.
 The minority, after declaring officer of the army knowingly part cipated in the conspiracy" foun grave dereliction of duty on tn part of Hunt
 Col. Cresson Blamed
 As a basis for its criticism of Go Cresson, the majority report said tha 'ias ugly as are the many phases the whole matter none is more de fenseless than the conduct of Co Cresson in his pretense of prosecuuo of Col. Hunt" tried by court martial connection with the Bergdoll scandal No reference to Cresson was made b the majority
 Campbell Exonerated
 Major Bruce R. Campbell accusei by Bergdoll's mother of having ac cepted $5,000 to help obtain freedom for the prisoner was exonerated by. tn majority. The minority reported thA there was no evidence that Campbell was in any way connected with the es cape but assumed the proper militar authorities would institute such inves tigation as may be necessary to th( end that Campbell may be exoneratecX if not found guilty
 Recommends Dismissal Dismissal from the department O justice of Earl B. Wood in charge of correspondence in the Bergdoll case for failure to transmit to the war de- ovfy -<~D agent that the prisoner was plannina to escape, was recommended by tho majority. Harris is Criticized Major Gen. Peter C. Harris, adju-I iant general of the army. who author- ized Hunt to send BergdoII under| guard to the Maryland mountains Id search for the gold was charged by I the minority with primary responsi1 bility for the situation which maAlel possible the escape" Asserting thad Gen. Harris did not attempt to evade d responsibility the minority held therd was mo question of improper motive on his part" adding it was apparent ! his mind was readily overcome by tha strong statement of Ansen" that he | would stand responsible for safe red turn of the prisoner. The minority criticized Gen. Harris for suggesting to Hunt instead of ordering that d commissioned officer accompany tha expedition. The majority reported that the esd cape was the direct result of thd proposition submitted by Ansell td l Gen. Harris and that "even if Anseli did not conceive the plan. he presenr1 ed 1t and pursued it to it's accom- plishJ | ment." Ansen's Arguments. Taking up alleged connection with! the Bergdoll case of former Judgd John w. Wescott. one time attorneJ general of New Jersey. the majority held it unimportant whether he acl tually had legally represented Berg doll. The. report declared ..it was clear" that AnseIl undertook to use Judge Wescotts name for the pur- pose of bringing to bear a political Influence upon any body in the then administration who might be needed to make sure of the gold hunt rel lease. which at last spelled Bergl dolls escape" The majority report recommended the seizure of the BergJ doll property by Alien Property Cus1 todian Miller and urged that Ind make every effort to produce $1o5,- 1900 in gold. obtained by Mrs. Emma a iC. Bergdoll. from the treasury de- Ipartment, and alleged to have been buried on her farm near Philadel- phia- This was put in at the in- sistence of Representative Luhring
 who declared tho withdrawal of the gold was the foundation stone of the
 whole conspiracy.
 Minority Report.
 The minority held that while '-un. Iquestionably conspiracy existed tc
 effect the escape of Bergdoll'' 1t did not find that any officer" received any
 bribe or was approached with view Ito bribery" but that the conspiracy Twas participated in by Grover Berg Idoll, the late D. Clarence Gibboney. q
 Philadelphia lawyer. James E. Ro-
 mig, formerly a Philadelphia mag istrate. and friend of the Bergdoll family. like Stetcher. the Bergdoll Ichauffeur. and possibly Mrs Berg. Idoll." On this point the majority de- lclared that Gibboney and the Berg. doll group conspired to effect the lslacker's release. "but in order tc Successfully accomplish it it was ab- lsolutely necessary to have the active assistance of Ansell and Bailey (Ed- ward $. Bailey his law partner) and ICoP Hunt" for without the aid o1 lthe latter, Bergden could not have lleft Governors Island"
 1 Scandal.
 From the moment Bergdoll Jeff TGovernor's Island and the condition, lsurrounding him." said the minority
 became apparent, he saw he could Idepart when ready and without vio. Hence. That such a condition existed | is of course a scandal Less than ordinary precautions to prevent es- cape were used"
 Tt seems,'' said the majority. 'sthai
 every happening-whether of act ol
 omission--resulted in Bergdoll's ben eft and not one to his real detri. ment."
 Col. Hunt. within the next tys months after he participated so crim-