Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-18

Forty. rage report
Mr.. johnson declares that il tn,
findings of this court are to go unchal.
lenged by the American people, ''ther
there Is no crime in the military juris.
diction. particularly II it be committed
by an officer of high rank, that may not
go unpunished.
The complete johnson majority report
covers eighty pages. The most interest
ing excerpts from it follow:
prisoners in making escapes use
different instruments. Some use crow
bars. some files. some saws and some
false keys. The instrument used by
I.ergdoll in making his escape was
money. Crowbars. saws ard files make
noise There is nm old, old saving that
money talks but in illegitimate trans
actions like this its talking is done In
whispers.
mo one can be so dense ne not tn
know that Bergdoll could not have bc.n
detained at Governors Island for the
unusual length of time that he was de =
tnined. instead of being sent directly to
Fort Leavenworth. without the use ot
money. Neither can anyimpartial mind
foil TO see that his expedition to re-
cover the alleged hidden gold was pro =
cured by the Use Of money. IT is fair
TO assume that every discrimination
made in his favor. and that every step
taken BY him leading TO his escape, was
the direct result of his immense for
tune.
"If he had not been a millionaire,
Immediately following his conviction he
would have gone with other prisoners to
Ieovenworth, where the doors would
lave been securely closed behind him
unless. still by the use of money. he
might have made his escape.
Money Spent Lavishly
because q thing is accomplished by
employing q licensed attorney to do 1t
docs not necessarily put the act beyond
mcritcd adverse criticism. Money was
spent lavishly for the purpose of in
pratiating himself. not only with the
prison authorities. but with his fellow
inmates in the prison at Governors Is
land
There are many instances where
money was used. apparently for inno-
cent purposes. but with the ulterior de-
sign of escape. His prolonged stay at
Governors Island cost him at least six
or seven thousand dollars, and there
can he no reasonable contention that he
sought to continue his stay at TINT place
for the purpose of being 'uplifted' by
Colonel Hunts League Of Honor in
the prison.
become Enthusiastically evident until Cen
eral Ansell was employed rs an expert
in military law. There can be no doubt
about General Ansclls ability and
learning. but it is certain that he did
not get into the case because of that
ability and learning alone. He believed
in iis influence with the army officers
with whom. but recently heretofore,
he had been 90 long associated. His
large foe evidently was based not only
upon what he might accomplish through
legitimate legal channels, but, in addi-
ton. upon that influence.
General Harris became the first
victim of misplaced confidence in the
chain OF circumstances which Culmi-
mated in Bergdoll's escape. After Gem
eral Ansell had accomplished the first
important step leading to the release
of Bergdoll, he went to Governors
Island to see Colonel Hunt and Berg
doll, presumably for the purpose Of
for the expedition.
Policy Of Secrecy"
"At the very beginning of General
Ansell's association with the project.
secrecy. was enjoined. Executing the
policy of secrecy which originated
with General Ansell, the prisoner :
stripes were removed and he was clad
in the uniform Of an honorable soldier.
Further carrying out that policy. the
prisoner was not handcuffed. How
ever, the scheme of Secrecy should not
have prevented the guard from taking
fandcuffs along to be used in case Of
emergency, when secrecy could no
longer be tolerated.
I'm further execution of the plan,
an intelligent commissioned officer was
prccluded from the expedition; and a
sergeant. with but little capacity. was
put in charge of the expedition sub
jeCt, however. TO the control of Berg
dolls attorney and family friend, who
at North Philadelphia turned both pris-
oner and guard over to the foster
father of Bergdoll (former Magistrate
Romig). who also was scheming, un-
scrupulous and lifelong friend of a
family wholly in sympathy with the
defeat Of our Nation when at war with
the Central Powers Of Europe.
while there are many who partici-
patcd in the means of Bergdoll's escape,
there are three who are infinitely more
culpable than the rest. Those three are
General Anscll, Colonel Hunt and Colo
mel c. G. Cresson. Not only has the
plan or scheme been successful as to
Bergdolls escape, but 1t has gone fur
ther and thrown the cloak of protection
about every high parsonage connected
with that conspiracy. No punishment
has been imposed upon anybody that
could not be discharged by the Berg'loll
millions and counted as a mere trilc.
General Anscll was equipped at
great expense by our Government to
prosecute all those guilty OF Dergdolls S
ofense. Just whom that number Of
guilty ones had grown from few into
thousands General Anscll listened to the
talk of money, resigned his position with
his Government and became the leading
recognized defender of those whom he
rad been trained at public expense TO
prosecute.
Patriotism Dulled
"The many fees to be gotten from
others, and the big one to be paid by
Bcrgdoll, dulled his patriotism and lurcd
him into questionable paths. No one
knew better than General Ansell that
his course was, at least, doubtful. His
own conscience seemed TO have repri-
monded him, even before this invitation
commenced
This is evidenced by the fact that
while upon the witness stand, when it
was taken for granted by those Of the
commission that his thoughts had not
yet turned to his being n possible par
don broker he admitted. by his famil-
inrity with the law in various juriSdic-
tons. that already his mind had turned
70 that feature of the case.
Then, when it was undertaken to as
certain to what limrt he would not go