New-York tribune., 1922-08-30
Declares That John Ber-
gen Shouted I'm d Dirty
Rat, but ! Will Fight
and Went With Husband
Girl and a Man
Tell of Shooting
Former Asserts Victim
Tried to Leave When
Showed Loaded Pistol

The killing of John Bergen, movie
stunt" actor, by George Cline, location
manager for the Fox Film Corpora
t'on, ceased to be an affair Of mystery
yesterday when three of the princi-
pals in the dramatic scene in the little
home in Edgewater, N. j., told what
they had seen last Friday night.
Mrs. George Cline, cause of the
shooting and wife of the slayer, told
for the first time her story OF the
Furnishing of her betrayer; Miss Alice
Thornton, nineteen-year-o jealous
sweetheart Of the dead man, recited
her version and an impartial and un-
premeditated witness, Emil j. Yur-
rillo, described what he saw. Their
stories did not conflict in essential de-
tails, and last night Prosecutor A. G.
Hart said he was, prepared to 90 to
trial.
Mrs. Cline told her story In the
house where the shooting occurred,
declaring over and over that she would
stand by her husband and expressing
loathing for the dead man.
Heard Them Struggling
"Jack Bergen told the truth just be-
fore they went up stairs that night"
said Mrs. Cline. "He threw his coat
back as if to bare his chest and shout
ed: i know I'm dirty rat; | know
I'm no good; I'm rotten friend; I'm
a rat Then he said: All right; I'll
fight That was when they went up
stars. Down here in the reception
HI 4xtn han n.A -, II.
rlllo, that. 1ta' IN, knows that; Miss
Thornton kno' it, and she'll have to
tell the truth. She knows, too, that
Jack Bergen made peaceful settle
ment Of the trouble impossible when
he sneered: What's the use of fight
ing, George? You know all women
are ' Then he spoke an awful
word l cannot repeat -
Mrs. Cline is pathetic figure. She
is thin to the point of emaciation Her
eyes are of deep shade of violet, and
yesterday their depth was intensified
by the faint lavender circles caused by
constant weeping. Hers curly black
hair has grown to her shoulders since
it was bobbed. A lace frilled blouse,
navy blue skirt and fiat heeled, triple
stropped, brass buckled, black shoes
helped to reproduce the lure that made
Bergen forget his friendship for her
husband. Feperish excitement colored
her cheeks.
Visited Husband in Jail
~ saw my husband in the Jail in
Hackensack this morning" began Mrs.
Cline when she received callers in the
home Of her parents next door to her
own house. where the blinds are
drawn Gail the time was with him /
couldn't help but think that the man
who is dead should be there to suffer.
Death was too easy for him. You can't
imagine what a fine man my husband
is. He did big things. We lived to-
gether. nine years, and happily, too.
Don't forget that. Happily
Mrs. Cline began to weep then and
was comforted by her mother, Mrs.
Mary Scullion. "Sure, now, you can't
help George by weeping" In the
kitchen then there sounded deep
growl, the voice of Mrs. Cline's father
saying: whats the good of that? Be
quiet"
They are saying / had been separ-
ated from him; that we hadn't been
living in the house and that every
thing there was covered with dust
Mrs. Cline resumed. "Those are ali
lies We never were separated except
WueN my HuUDy was tTaVellnS. IL the
house is dusty now it is because ]
haven't had the heart to touch a broom
since all this happened, and detectives
have been tracking in and out"
"Show just how nice a home you
had" suggested Mrs. Scullion. SIT
won't do harm and it may help George
and the boy needs help"
Mrs. Cline led the way throdgh the
kitchen Of her mothers home. Conrad
eight years old, and Mildred, seven, her
children, were there watching their
grandfather shave himself. He Is a
stationary engineer and a stern man.
Shows Callers Her Home
Opening the kitchen door of her own
home, Mrs. Cline, with a wide armed
gesture, said: There! Sea for your
self how we lived. This was my home
and now what's to become Of til
. What's to become of me and my chill.
dren 2"
There are four rooms on the first
floor of the Cline home. The kitchen
is separated from the reception room
only by the width of the flight of stairs
leading to the second floor. Persons
mounting those steps are visible to all
in the reception room, which opens into
the living room. Behind that and con
Continued on pase thrse)
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