Evening star., 1922-06-06

@o'N''
marks of many of the witnesses and
spectators, and. although two-thirds
OF all the witnesses and spectators
We're guilty of contempt Of court, not
a single one was punished therefor.
The first day of the trial ended with
the testimony of Bergdoll. and the
court was dismissed, to meet the fol-
lowing day at 3 am
American Officer Ordered Out.
AS | was leaving the courtroom I
quickly stepped over to the defen-
dants stand in an endeavor to speak
to my friends. Naef and thinner. I
on the shoulder. 1 said: Keep 1t up,
old boy. Wen get you out. and some
day we'll get Bergdoll yet" 1 had
hardly made my remarks when a tall
,squarehead" stepped between US and
In tone so typical of German arro-
sance gan. ordered me to get out: saying
that L had no business - talk to the
prisoner, and taat l had absolutely
nothing to say srSE1i here, as they
We're bosses snd we Americans were
just forcibly tolerated there. What
could do but take 1t all in and walk
o1-one man against hundreds of en-
bittered Germans. Such was the pre-
dicament wherein 1 found myself
+. ihe entire next forenoon was spent
IN hearing the testimony of the vari-
Gus witnesses, who submitted evil
dence with reference to the attempted
hold-up. Every witness. most of
whom had been in Bergdolrs party.
and of course. his intimate friends.
evidenced an animosity toward the
defendants that ran nothing short OF
a most insulting attitude toward all
Americans and the American nation,
and one in particular. a student at
the University of Heidelberg. whose
language was couched in the most
offensive terms against the defen-
dants and all Americans. in fact. The
evidence so far received by the court
tended to show that the Americans
had made direct attempt at Berg
dolls life. for they all insisted when
Nacf fired at the car he aimed high
so as to hit Bergdoll and that the
position in which he held the pistol
tire.
The court, not. having been thor
oughly clarified on just how the two
detectives held up Bergdoll and his
party. ordered the defendants ard the
witnesses out in the COURTYARD for
practical demonstration of the hold
up. So the entire court, defendants
witnesses and audience went out in
the yard to witness the imaginary
re-cnactment of the hold-up as it was
supposed to have been enacted at
Eberbach.
ne-EHact Nl0naplnR.
There was Bergdolls magnificent
former occupants took their seats
Just as they were seated during the
hold-up at Eberbach. Bergdoll as
sumed his position. that of one foot
on the running board. the other in
the open doorway to the drivers seat
Nacf was given the pistol he had
used and asked to point it at Berg
doll in the same manner as he is sup
posed to have held it during the
affray.
Naef points the pistol directly over
the slacker's heart. Then the presi-
dent of the court requests Bergdon
to demonstrate the blow administered
that knocked Naefs pictoI out of his
nand. The Stacker makes blow in
an upward direction in such a man
ner that If the trigger had been
pulled the bullets course would have
been directly into Bergdolrs forehead
Naef smiles and says: Had you
struck out in this fashion. you would
not be alive now, BergdoH" Again
cynical remarks from the spectators
were heard a-plenty
At l pm. the court adjourned again.
to resume the case at pm. The
members of my party lunched at the
only hotel in Mosbach. and, to my
surprise, Bergdoll and his friends and
detectives made their appearance at
liie pldSe "dS seated IN the
midst Of them. undoubtedly protected
by armed members of the party.
Merely to antagoniZe US, a number
of toasts were drunk to the health
and long life and success of Bergdoll,
and the remarks that were passed,
sufficiently audible for US, were vile
and insulting enough to infuriate u.s.
In the afternoon many other wit
nesses were heard, among them Eu-
gene Stecher, Bergdolrs chauffeur.
also q draft evader, whose attitude
toward the defendants and toward
America was equally as denouncing
and arrogant as that Of Bergdoll and
his friends. l may mention that the
counsel for the defense in behalf of
Naef and thinner put forth consci-
entious effort to trick the witnesses
in his cross examination. And most
of his attempts were greeted with
loud and boisterous Kissing from the
audience, and every Imaginable epi-
thet in the German language was
hurled at him.
Copyright. 1922. by Press Publishing co..