Evening star., 1939-04-23
Bergdo|I 10 Return
To Pay Debt Unless
Barred by Law
Proposed Legislation
Would Bur Notorious
Droft Dodeer
BY the Associated Press.


imposed for desertion, and whatever
other sentence is given him for
breaking confinement and fleeing the
country.
The one hitch, aside from techni-
cal details his lawyer, Harry Wein-
berger, Is working on with the Gov
ernment. is the measure to forestall
Bergdolls return. The Military
Affairs Committee approved it early
this week, but deferred final action
pending a formal report from the
War Department.
The Bergdoll of those days before
the great war was an arrogant. dar-
ing youth who raced automobiles
and alrplaneS and made life un-
pleasant for no end of constables
and others for miles around Phila-
delphia.
He was the son of a wealthy
brewer and lived with two brothers
and his mother, Mrs. Emma Berg
doll. now close to 80. in the Bergdoll
castle" big. turreted house of 80
rooms on Wynnefield avenue, far
out in West Philadelphia.
Was in Constant Hot Water.
Grover and Erwin, who also
lodged the draft, but served his
time In prison. could be seen wear
after year racing their automobiles
In Paramount Park in the days
when Barney Oldfield was one of
their competitors. Grover probably
surpassed Erwin in his desire for
speed.
His mother gave him S., 900 e year
to experiment with airplanes. He
raced them so low over the rooftops
OF West Philadelphia and the beach
at Atlantic City that the authorities
were ON his neck time and again
When he was only 16 Grover was
arrested for firing at two constables
who went to the castle to arrest
his brother for speeding He him
self was arrested numerous times
for speeding, once for CARRYING a
gun and again for beating I'D a
policeman. Mrs. Bergdoll took it all
rather grimly, for Grover was her
son. and. right or wrong, she was
for him.
He Becomes 4 Fugitive.
| He was just past q when the
United States entered the World
War. He registered in the first
ora1t and Immediately claimed ex-
emption on the ground that he was
a manufacturer of automobile parts
and also on the ground that he was
farmer. Exemption was denied.
The Draft Board mailed him
questlonnaire in July, 1918. Grover
ignored 1t. The board turned his
case over to the adjutant general of
Pennsylvania, and Bergdoll was Or
dered to report on August or "be
thereafter in the military service of
the United States and subject to
military law"
He promptly vanished, and until
January Z, 1920, IA months after
the armistice, he had a merry time
lodging the authorities. During
those months as q fugitive he sent
the Draft Board numerous tauntinR
postcards from various parts of the
country.
But his arrest came at last:
His Arrest and Escape.
Several automobiles loaded with
officers drove up to the castle, en-
tered in spite of the protests of
Mrs. Bergdoll, who waved a pistol
at them. and found Grover hiding
under the cushions in a window
seat. He was tried by court martial
at Governors Island, New York
Harbor. and convicted on March 4,
1920, dishonorably discharged and
sentenced to serve five years at hard
labor at Fort Jay. Governors Island.
| His ingenious brain was working,
and soon he went to the comman-
dant of the fort with a fantastic
story. During his fugitive days, he
said, he had buried a pot of gold
worth sos 900 In the hills of Mary
land. No one but himself knew
where 1T was. Could he get per-
mission to 60 down to the Free
State to dig 1t up?
The commandant thought it could
be arranged. He detailed two SER
geants to accompany Bergdolh They
went by automobile. They drove
through Philadelphia. The car
broke down near the castle. They
went there, and Bergdoll invited
the sergeants to spend the night
while the motor was repaired.
The next day Grover and his
guards were lounging in one Of the
zig rooms when telephone rang
in an adjoining room.
"Ill answer It," he said, casually.
The sergeants made no objection,
and he went alone.
They were still waiting for him
when they heard the roar Of the car
| outside. Bergdoll wis on his way to