Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-07-06
c. c. BERGDOLL IS
IN SWITZERLAND
GOVERNMENT STILL Is DETER
MINED THE DRAFT DODGER
SHALL BE PUNISHED.
AGEETS ARE AT HIS HEELS
Case Of This Arch-Slacker Makes a
Remarkable. Melodrama - Many
Of the Actors Have Disappeared
From Public Life.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

Washington. - Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll, the Philadelphia draft dodg-
er, whom ex-service men love not q
bit, and who has been Haunting the
United States government from safe
distance for long time, Is now in
Switzerland. Secretary Of War Weeks
Is on record as saying that before his
term of office S up he will have the
Stacker in custody and thai he will be
given what court decides Is his due.
If the eX-soldlers could say what
Bergdolrs due is, he probably would
get something rather harder in the
way Of punishment than usually is
meted out to any prisoner for what
ever offense. The Bergdoll case still
Is alive. 1t Is understood there are
government agents In Switzerland
watching this man and waiting the
oppOrtune moment when something
may happen which will enable them
to put on his wrists what Eugene
Aram was supposed to wear when he
walked between his captors.
A fellow newspaper man has said
in treating Of this case that the writer
of fiction could do worse than to take
the case Of Grover Cleveland Berg
doll as q subject for story and that
by so doing he could crafty his desire
for action, no matter how strong the
desire might be, and still keep within
that truth which Is supposed to be
stranger than fiction.
There seems to be something In
this. The Bergdoll case has had ev'
cry kind of an element in 1t to make
for interest-treasure hunting, the
credullty Of the treasure hunter, accu'
satlons Of bribery, escapes of the kind
that Houdinl makes with puzzling
ease, and lot Of other things which
compel interest and keep excitement
moving.
Many of Its Actors Disappear.
1t is probable that in no other In
stance in q good many years have sc
many actors appeared on any of life's
scenes as have played their parts ir
this Bergdoll drama, melodrama, OF
whatever 1t may be. There are some
ex-soldiers who would not weep tears
ff the final scene was tragedy. Per
haps this is brutal, but 1t Is true.
The army officer who was stationed
at Governors Island, New York, wheI
Bergdoll was q prisoner, and who
named the guard which accompanied
the Stacker on the hunt for the poi
of gold at the foot of the rainbow, Is
no longer In the military service. He
is living the life Of farmer in one
of the states of this blessed union
Another officer Of the army, who ap
proved the request made by one Of
Bergdoll's counsel that he be allowed
to 90 to look for the gold which never
glittered, has been retired from the
service and Is now somewhere In Eu
rope. Certain more distinguished gen
tlemen of the government service who
had more or less to do with the grant
Ing of permission for the trip to dig
up the hidden treasure are In retire
ment.
One officer who met the Stacker or
his arrival In Philadelphia and as
sumed personal responsibility for his
safe return to the custody Of the
wary-eyed and gripping-hcnded Off.
cials, Is dead, meeting his death un'
der somewhat tragic circumstances
Another man who was connected with
the case in an authoritative position
and who, unquestionubly unJustly,
was accused of having accepted q
bribe, has been exceedingly Ill. He
will be retired from the service before
long after having spent something
like six months in hospital as q
great sufferer from an acute form OF
rheumatism.
Guilty Only of Great credulity.
Representative in Congress Peters
Of Maine, who was the chairman OF
tha congressional committee that cOn.