The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-05-18
mrs. BERCDOLL
GIVEN SENTENCE
May Escape Prison by Paying Fine
NOTICE OF APPEAL
Philadelphia Woman and Co-Defen-
dants Released on Ten Thousand
Dollar Bail.


PHILADELPHIA, May 17-Mrs. Emma
c. Bergdoll was today sentenced to
pay fine of $1,000 for the part She
was convicted of having taken il. the
evasion of the draft laws by her sol.s,
Grover and Edwin Bergdoll. If ene
refuses or fails to pay the fine, Judge
Dickinson of the United States dis
tence of one year and one day in the
federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Ga.
Her fine must be paid by June 13.
A like fine, with the same alterna
tive, was imposed upon two of her CO.
defendants in the conspiracy case.
One was her son, Charles f. Braun,
who changed his name because of the
notoriety achieved by his brothers,
and the other her lifelong friend and
counsellor, James-E. Romig. The two
other defendants, Albert Mitchell and
Harry Schulz, were fined $1,000 each,
with the alternative Of spending six
months in the Mercer county Jail at
Trenton, N. j.
Counsel for the defendants imme.
diately filed formal apepal from the
sentence. This action, the clerk of
the court explained, was for the pur-
pose of staying execution of the SEN
tence, as otherwise the defendants
would have been sent to Jail imme-
diately.
Judge Dickinson, in sentencing Mrs.
Bergdoll, declared there was no way
of ascertaining how much of her guilt
was the act "of a fond and foolish
mother" and while her motive did
not affect her guilt, it might mitigate
the unishment. Her heaviest pun
;,L,>,,,t bo 9o; ,,,o,,1J ho tho tbprrht
that her sons had brought disgrace
upon her.
"No one would wish to see mother
sent to Jail for merely helping her
sons, guilty as they were," he said.
In sentencing Romig, who is 70
years old, Judge Dickinson said his
only claim to leniency was his age.
He censured the former city magis-
trate in blunt terms. Braun's mo-
tives, Judge Dickinson said, had per-
~haps been the best of any of the de-
PENDANTS and he did not consider it
just to punish him more severely than
the others. He pointed that the jury
had recommended mercy in the case
Of Mitchell and Schulz.
AS she walked out of the court
room Mrs. Bergdoll turned to news
papermen and said. "Never will l
pay fine. Perhaps I shall go to
Jail. Maybe I'd be better off So"
The five defendants were released in
$4,000 bail each pending an appeal.
Washington, Nav 17.-The house
committee investigating the escape
of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, the
draft dodger, got down to the loose
ends today without another glimpse
of the rainbow which was supposed
to point the way to the pot of gold.
Only a few more witnesses are to be
examined and the committee expects
to close public hearings tomorrow.
tion of the committee today that D.
Clarence Gibboncy, counsel for Berg
doll, and the man who arranged the
expedition to the mountains of
Maryland to find the buried treas
ure. was drowned in Mexican waters
last winter. Because Of persistent
reports that Gibboney was alive on
foreign soil, the committee called
DR.. William II. II. Collins, a Phila
delphia dentist, who declared posi-
lively that Gibboney was dead. The
dentist said he had examined the
body sent to Philadelphia from Mex
leo and that Identification was cs-
tablishcd by the teeth.
youIS ooilJ a. Ia" olV-
dent, and administrator of the estate,
was called as witness, but said he
knew absolutely nothing about the
Bergdoll case. He presented check
for $3.50 signed by his father short
ly after the prisoners escape and
made out in the name of Francis d.
Weaver, an associate Of Judge John
W. Wescott Of New Jersey, but he
was unable to say for what purpose
the money was paid.
Maj Bruce Campbell, who defend
cd Bergdoll at his trial by courtmar-
trial for cvading the draft, and who
according to previous testimony, had
suggested to the Bcredolls that
Judge Wescott be kept in the back
ground, declared he never heard the
judges name mentioned and knew
nothing Of any report that he was
counsel for the defense From the
beginning Judge Wescott has denied
all party to the case.
n