Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-22
BYF|ELD AND ROSSER
To CONFER MONDAY
WITH N. \. LAWYER
August Dreyer Again Relates
Alleged Ship Episode and
Tells of Conference Agree
ment

| IIICIll
NEW YORK, Aug. 20.-By tn,
Associated Press.(-August Dreyer
New York lawyer, who was a pas
senger. on the Berengaria when the
alleged attack for which Mrs. Sarah
Byfield, of Atlanta, has brought suit
against Walter T. Gambler for $780,,
900, took place, said Saturday wher
the Berengaria docked in Cherboure
sit was agreed that all would meet
in New York when we returned and
that the matter would be settled
there"
BXfield was registered at local
hotel but could not be reached. Mr..
Dreyer stated that he expected to
confer with Mr.. Byfield and his at.
| torney Monday.
Mr.. Dreyer said that he had learn
ed that ''the whole thing started in
Atlanta when Gambler suggested to
| Byfield that they take a trip to
| Europe.
"Byfield said he had no money and
| Gambler gave him $4,000" the state.
ment said, taking two notes for
| $1,000 each. Gambler, Byfield and
the latter's wife came to New York"
Declined to Go to Detroit
In New York, Mr.. Dreyer said,
Byfield declined to take trip to
Detroit in order to look after some
automobile business and shortly
after the European trip was under
taken.
According to the statement of Mr..
Dreyer, the alleged attack on the
Berengaria was discussed after the
party arrived in England and where
he said he attempted to act as arbi-
traitor. One of the discussions, he
said, took place on the observation
platform of the train to London.
when we were on the train" the
statement continued, "Byfield said
to Gambler, If you can prove to me
that you did not touch this woman
I'll call it square, but you'll have a
time doing it.
Further discussions, Mr.. Dreyer
said, took place in Paris, where
| Gambler, he said, made an attempt
| to get back the check which he is
alleged to have given to Byfield on
| the Berengaria.
The statement, according to Mr..
| Dreyer, which was drawn up in Mrs.
Byfield's stateroom when the check
is alleged to have been passed set
forth that Gambler said that the
whole thing must be hushed up and
that he was willing to pay $4,000
to keep it quiet. Byfield refused at
first, and then agreed to accept it.
After he had taken the check for
this amount from Gambler, Byfield
said All right now, I'll keep this
as evidence?"
Agreed to Meet
at was agreed that all would meet
in>New York City when we return
ed" Mr.. Dreyer's statement con-
| tinued, "and that the matter would
be settled there. When I got here:
I saw statement in the newspapers
made by Gambler in which he claimed
| to have been blackmailed. l called
| him on the telephone and asked
him what he meant by saying that,
and why he had waited two whole
days aboard the boat without notify.
ing the police if he believed he had
! been blackmailed. I asked him why
he had paid 81 900 to Byfield and
! taken Byfield's note. for this amount
| if he had been blackmailed. l told
him in plain words that he knew
the statement to be untrue and that
I wouldn't let him get away with
anything like that.
"Byfield'S attorney in Atlanta
called me On the long distance tele
| phone at II a. m. today and he sale
he had no objection to my making
these facts public. Byfield's attor
ney is probably in New York City
by this time and we will all meet a.
my New York office Monday to tall
| the matter over"
SHIP PASSENGERS ARE
QUOTED ON WINE PARTY
With the removal of practically
all of one side of the Gambler Byhelc
controversy to New York-Clyde K
Bvfield and his attorney, Luther Il
Rosser, having gore there assum
ably after evidence to back up Mr.
| Byfield's stand against Walter Can
dler's petition, and Mrs. Byheld'
100000 damage suit against MIR
| Candler-the only new development:
in the case were 5ketchy statement:
attributed Saturday to two New
| Workers, supposed to be the one:
mentioned in the Gambler petition
as gamblers" on the Berengaria.
These were Freeman Bernstein
and David Lyons, and it was sup
posed that they, and August Dreyer
whose name appeared as wltnes:
on the letter of exoneratlon to Can
dler signed by Byfield, were at leas
three of the detectives of Mr.. Ros
ser and his client.
Bernstein and Lyons are quoted a:
admitting they played cards fire
quently with Mr.. Gambler on board
the Berengaria, but denied winning
his money to any extent.
Bernstein, in fact, is qLoted a:
saying that it was he who lost tt
Mr.. Gambler.
eff you want to know the truth,
he id, "it was I who paid for thai
wine party"
The activities in New York dis
patches said, also included efforts b.
Mr.. Byfield and his 4ewyer to get af
fidavits of members Nof the Beren
garia's crew and official personne
concerning the difficulty between
Mr.. Gambler and Mr.. Byfield TIN
night of July Is, and it was sait
that other passengers on board a
the time also were being sought.
When reports of the statements o
Bernstein and Lyons were show
Mr.. Gambler in Atlanta Saturday h
declined to make any comment, say
ing he did not regard the statement
as worth it. Reuben Arnold, his lead
ing counsel, also declined to com
ment on the turn or the case tina