Evening star., 1922-06-07

took the stand and told ho1 he had eu
hoto he escaped from, the United States.
the tt1o sergednts commences.
All of the witnesses for the prose-
cution having been heard, the defense
introduced a character witness for
Naef and Zimmer German detec-
tive from the police force In Coblenz,
who had been on many cases with
Naef. cooperating with the American
authorities on the Rhine in the track
ing down of military and civil crimi-
nails. This witness testified that he
had known the Americans for two
years, that they had performed excel
lent work, and that the German au-
thorities had always lent them a will
ing hand in their endeavors to bring
noted criminals to justice.
Another witness for the defense was
police inspector from Coblenz, VINO
testified that Naef and thinner had
been furnished with passes by the
German police authorities in Coblenz
to go into different towns in the State
of Baden in the search of a certain
military offender, whose identity, of
course, was not known to them. The
inspector, however. believed that they
would not act alone, but that they
were to seek the cooperation of the
German police in the apprehension of
the criminal. He said he had no
knowledge of the status of the case,
ana was not anxious to know it, be-
cause he had on different occa sions
furnished the American detectives
with permits to go into the interior
nj ri n
ing deserters back to the occupied
territory. and so when he issued their
permits to go to the state of Baden
ne did not think this was anything
out of the ordinary
All of the evidence for the prosecu-
ton and defense having been heard,
the court announced it's readiness to
near the statements of Naef and Zim-
mer and their German associates.
SerEt. Naef Takes Stand.
Sergt. Charles o. Naef. a detective
OF years of experience, man who
nao handled the most important cases
IN connection with the American
Army on the Rhine. and to whose
credit is placed the convictions of the
worst criminals. took the stand first.
: knowing the German language to a
nigh degree of perfection, he clearly
and unhesitatingly. with a voice that
/ pore testimony of shrewdness and
Sti oii6 VIII, tolQ the court OF his side
| of the case.
"Bergdoll," Naef began. "in the
| eyes of every American patriot and
! man VINO wore the uniform of the
United States Army and Navy during
the war. is the incorporation of the
| highest degree of cowardice A man
| born and raised in America, whose
above everything an American.
Bergdoll was, is and will ever be a
coward. His actions are the best
proof for my assertion.
/ He never evaded the draft be-
| cause. as he has heralded it through
out Germany, he did not wish to
| tight against his people: no, simply
| thought he was too good to fight be-
! side the laborer. the foreign born
F.; citizen, and in general side by side
! with men of lower social standing
| than he occupied. So when we de-
/ cided to get him, and we had fully
! counted upon the cooperation of the
! German police. our action. as we now
know. encountered the heartiest ap-
proval of millions of Americans to
whom Bergdoll is a cowardly traitor.
and whom the American people wish
! to see punished.
We made no attempt at his life.
| and l brand the testimony of the
witness for the prosecution as out
+; right lies, and l may say that. had
they testified before an American
| court. every one of them would have
had to face trial for perjury
Il need not say any more about the
hold-up at Eberbach. The events
have sufficiently been clarified. and /
only wish to add it was our serious
| intention to call upon the German
authorities for assistance in deliver
ing Bergdoll. and that our intentions
10 ba
fact that we had proper papers, is
sued by the German police at Coblenz,
which papers are now in the hands
Of the court"
! "Big LIAR" "Dirty Pig!"
! And as Naef finished his plea the
| entire audience simply went wild, and
; such shouts as Big liar!' Dirty
! pig" Ignorant rascal" etc, filled
| the house until the president called
| for order.
thinner. partly in English and part
! ly in German. a little more hesitant
| than Naef, had little to say, and in
| every instance corroborated Naef's
statements.
! The district attorney then rose and
stated that the case with which the
| prosecution had been intrusted was.
| indeed, one of the most sensational
| cases they had ever handled. In its
! issue not only the people of Eberbach,
| the state of Baden and Germany were
concerned, but the world was looking
| forward to this event as one of the
| most notorious trials Of international
| Importance. He went on: "The In
| ternational side of the case has found
a settlement in that the American
! authorities on the Rhine had sent a
formal apology to the German gov
ernment, and this court was only con-
! cerned with the case in so far as the
| infringement of state laws was con-
cerned.
| From the evidence presented by
! the prosecution and the defense l