Evening star., 1939-10-01
BergdoI|' Is Broken
Life Proves Moral
On Draft-Dodging
Prison Term May
Overflow Measure
Of Futile Yeurs
Nv IRA WOLFERT.


BY IRA WOLFERT.
NEW WORK, Sept. 30.-NAN.A)
If, as 50 many both in the Army
and out Of. 1t believe, the purpose
Of the current Grover Cleveland
Bergdon courtmartial is to hammer
home to a new generation the les
son that draft dodging is ruin
Gus exercise, the case may be said
to be proved.
Bergdoll told this reporter in an
interview in the courtroom that,
when he returned to prison on
Governors Island last May, 10
years after his escape from it, he
felt Unexpectedly glad. He is serv-
ing five years now on his original
conviction as a deserter and is be-
ing tried now on charges arising
from his escape which might net
him an additional six years in Jail.
II did not think it would be
so," he said. Although he was
born in Philadelphia, he speaks
: English with slight German &C
cent. II was coming back from
duty to my family, my wife and the
children. They should be able to
live in America and be Americans
and I should have some years left
to live with them here as father
In . good country. 1t was duty and
do it, although 1t looks so bad to
do. You know, well just imagine,
for 10 years I wonder and think,
when will they get me, when will
they get me, every minute they
will get me. So then I give myself
up and I do not allow myself to
think how I would feel when get
in there, just that it was my duty
to do. It was a surprise to me that
I felt very good to be there can
ceiling the whole thing out"
Complicating his emotions was
the fact that his brother, Irwin,
is still suffering from q severe
claustrophobia from the two years
he served on Governors Island as
q deserter.
A Tedious Freedom.
In the course of the interview.
Bergdoll gave a spotty outline of
the life he has lived since becom-
ing a fugitive. 1t was, as he pic
tured it, tragic existence, dull,
futile, fear-ridden, with meaning
less adventures flaring up every now
{hav, avid iy,t aiy,o 1alA a
stretches of boredom The picture
that emerged was of "a man who
wasted the best years of his life,
the best years of his wife's life and
the declining years of his mothers
life. He is As now, his very pretty
wife is 80, his mother is 78.
His wife, Bertha, was 10 when she
married him. Il knew what I was
doing, yes, of course" she said.
II will do it again." She came of a
middle class, moderately prosperous
family. Her marriage cost her her
citizenship in her native country,
plunged her Immediately into an
enormous amount of estate litigation
with her brothers-in-law which
will 60 on for years, enforced separa-
tions from her husband during times
when a wife needs husband most,
forced her to devote nine years Of
her life to nothing but getting visa
to come to this country. Just this
last week, with her sixth child due
next month, she has been dragging
herself through bars and restaurants
and hotels in Trenton trying to find
witnesses to corroborate her hus-
bands story that he was there while
the Government contends he was in
Germany. Her 12-year-old son AL
fred accompanied her.
Tribulations Imposed on Mother.
His mother, Emma, was a house.
keeper who married her boss and
expected to live happily ever after
as one of Philadelphia weather.
women. She is typical hausfrau,
portly, sedate, unbending in her
carriage, the picture Of German
matriarch. Her son plunged her
into 10 years of ghastly quarreling
with police, soldiers and reporters.
Now, at 78, she sits in the witness
room with four of her grandchildren
clucking over them and playing with
them while their mother is busy
with the defense. She plays "lone
ranger" with them and, fantastically
enough, ping pong.
Bergdou started life as a hand
some, wealthy, rather talented and
reckless playboy, one of Philadel-
phia's better Catches He has
spent IL Of the last 10 years in Ger
many, living from moment to mo-
ment IN hotels and rooming houses.
unable to work or do anything use
ful. His wife says he was very rest
less. He was through playing. He
wanted to settle down and work, but
German law forbade it. During that
time there were two violent attempts
py Americans to kidnap him and
orlng him back to justice.
Ihe remaining seven wears. he
says, he spent inside the family
mansion IN Philadelphia. They had
no visitors. They were afraid to
nave any. He never went outdoors
even at night, Tor fear the neighbors
might see him. Two times" he
SAID. the Omen came and hid in
the bushes. I saw them. I was on
the third floor looking with binocu-
lars. They had their cars hid in the
bushes with the lights out, but those
smart ones, they were smoking
Every time they took a puff on the
cigarettes could see their faces.
all red. The binoculars were some
powerful binoculars. I sat by the
window in the dark and watched
them many nights until they went
away"
Children Keep Secret.
The children were going to school
then. They had been warned not
to say their father was home and
they obeyed the warning. He en-
tertained himself by helping them
with their homework and making