New-York tribune., 1922-08-27

made TO a. c. Hart, coussty prosecutor,
s-howevcr, he said that he had forced
bergen az the point OF mis- German
!. automatic to precede him upstairs and
agree to fight duel in darkened
room.
! S. @This boy,s said Cline, referring TO
Bergen ina talk with reporters after
me had made his statement to the
prosecutor, n met him three years ago,
when he was a corner loafer and PRO-
Z fessionaI dancer in New York. / made
d man out of him, made him work and
even spent $1,000 to get him out of
Jail in Atlantic City.
son this trip TO Saranac Lake, where
I was to pick location for a picture,
/. this boy accompanied me. left him
alone at the hotel with my wife and
F two kiddies, trusting him, naturally
and then TO think he went and pulled
o rotten deal like this on mel
"Down in my heart ! am sincerely
sorry that this affair occurred. We
struggled for the gun and in the strug-
gle ii went off and he was hit. / don't
even know who pulled the trigger"
Prosecutor Hart said this was about
what Cline had told him, except the
formal statement was given in more
detail.
"Ciine said he was the benefactor
Of Bergen" said the prosecutor. "A
few weeks prior to the alleged attack
on Mrs. Cline at Saranac Lake, Cline
said, Bergen attempted to attack Mrs.
Cline. Cline heard about it, but did
not believe it.
Forced Her to Drink
"The Clines and Bergen were at the
Sc. Regis Hotel at Saranac Lake. Cline
had to go to Standish, about forty
miles away. to pick out location for
taking motion picture scenes.
"When Cline returned from Standish
he found his wife in tears. She told
him she had seen SO many victims Of
tuberculosis that she felt badly. From
that time on, Cline said, she acted
strangely. He heard that his wife had
been out with Bergen. He questioned
Bergen about 1t. He ascertained that
Bergen had persuaded Mrs. Cline to
take a drink.
THAT seems to have been as far as
he got until yesterday. In the morning
Z his wife told him she became intoxi-
Gated after Bergen had persuaded her
to take drink, he said. While she was
intoxicated, she said, Bergen forced her
to submit to his caresses.
"All Women Traitors"
"Clins and Mrs. Cline both tells
phoned to Bergen, urging him to come
to the Cline home in Undercliff Avenue,
lEdgewater, to clear up the situation.
Bergen at first refused, but finally con-
sented. When he entered, Cline said
his wife had made an accusation
her story and Bergen, Cline said, ad-
United what she said was true.
He attempted to justify his act by
alleging that all women are traitors
Cline told him ne would have to fight it
put. Bergen started to leave the house
Chine said he was handed a Colt auto
matte pistol by Mrs. Cline's brother
Charles Scullion, who with his brother
Lawrence, was present. Scullion had
gone upstairs and got the gun, Cline
said.
i "Cline took the gun and pointed il a,
Bergen who had gone out the front
door. He compelled Bergen to return
into the house. At the point of the CUR
ne forced Bergen to walk to bedroom
on the second floor. Then Cline took
From drawer a German automatic pis.
tol and handed it to Bergen. Cline said
TO Bergen:
awe will fight it out in the dark.
+. framed" First Story
"Cline said that he reached up te
turn out the gas light when he saw
Bergen aiming the gun at him. He
Ieaped at Bergen and took the gun
away from him. Bergen grasped Cline's
gun, and they struggled for possession
OF it.. During the struggle the CUR
was discharged.
4 Bergen released his hold and col
lapsed. Cline says he does not know
who pulled the trigger. No one saw
the shooting or the struggle. Mrs. Cline
and her two brothers were down stairs
.Ali concerned now admit the incorrect
ness of the first statements made con.
.csgning the incidents Immediately pre-
.ceding the actual firing of the shot.
"Chne said he framed the first stors
after the shooting. That he began t,
was Intoxicated when he told the frs
story. ] am holding Cline on a charg,
.'o3 murder and ! am not holding an,
CT the other three. have ordered tn,
Sheriff to give them their freedom
Described Pistol
Hart gave out a new note found 4,
Bergen's clothes. The first note fou.d
which was bioodstained, read: "Georg
ture. The later note read:
IF by chance am shot in the mex
few weeks it will be done by Georg
Cline, alias George Watz, Of EDGE
water, N. j.. for reasons unknown t
me-. He is threatening me. No doub
German Leuger. 25-caliber, will h
used, as it is favorite of his man
guns, am John Bergen, 2l4 Eas
f16th Street"
Cline made a statement to Recorde
James B. Moore, of Edgewater, Frida
might;
Moore, "that ever since the Sarana
Lake trip, about six weeks ago. hi
wife seemed upset. When he aske
her what the trouble was she avoide
any direct answer. Yesterday, In th
presence of relatives, she told Clin
that Bergen had attacked her. Tha
prompted Cline to tell Bergen to com
to the Cline house.
Risked Life Often
- During the conference that oc
CURED when Bergen arrived Cline de
cfded to fight duel with Bergen. II
said he gave Bergen q revolver an
told him they would go rsA to roor
overhead.
Cline said that Bergen went mn tn
stairway ahead of him. Suddenly Be1
gen turned and made q movement tina
led Cline to believe Bergen was goin
to shoot him. Cline said he fired :
bergen in self-defense.n
Much of Bergen's motion pictur
acting is said 20 have consisted 0
doubling for more famous players i
hazardous stunts.
4