The Bergdoll Boys, page 63
Kraus, Charles. (1894–1965) Charles John Kraus, Jr. was one of Grover’s earliest friends growing up in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Kraus was involved in many of Grover’s driving, speeding, and legal infractions, the one who fired a gun upon a police officer when it was blamed on Grover. Kraus traveled to Ohio to retrieve Grover’s Wright B airplane and then flew with Grover from Eagle Field on dozens of flights, including a record flight to Atlantic City, New Jersey. He helped Grover remain safe while in flight. He was with Grover in France when they were trying to purchase a more extensive and faster airplane to set more records. Kraus served in the Army during the first war, driving wagons and trucks in an engineering unit. He worked as an accountant for Albert Hall and Charles Bergdoll-Brawn, settling into the insurance and real estate business. He testified at Grover’s 1939 trial for draft evasion and remained on good terms with the other Bergdolls while being estranged from Grover. Charles Kraus died in 1965 in Collingswood, New Jersey, at 70. He and his wife, Magdelena, are buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Lehmann, Walter. (1888–1948) Carl Alfred Walter Lehmann was born in Dresden, Germany, and served in the United States Army during the war despite his mother still living in Germany. Utilizing Lehmann’s German heritage, U.S. Army Military Intelligence at Coblenz sent him to Eberbach to spy on Grover. He was there watching in 1921 as Naef and Zimmer tried to kidnap Grover from the Eberbach wedding party. Lehmann later became a naturalized American citizen and personal butler for United States Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. In 1939, Lehmann testified before a Congressional committee about spying on Grover in Germany in 1921. His testimony was used to craft a bill to prevent Grover from returning to the United States. It was passed in the House but failed in the Senate. Lehmann died in 1948 at 59 and was buried in Sarasota Memorial Park Cemetery in Sarasota, Florida.
McAvoy, Charles. (1877–1937) Charles Dennis McAvoy, Sr. was the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia for the second part of Grover’s legal wrangling with the federal government. He succeeded Francis Fisher Kane. McAvoy was appointed by President Wilson and, again, many years later by President Roosevelt. He also served as Roosevelt’s campaign chairman in Pennsylvania. McAvoy died from heart disease in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1937 at 59. He was buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Norristown, Pennsylvania. His gravestone records his birthdate as 1878.
Naef, Charles. (1893–1970) Charles Otto Naef was a United States Army Intelligence officer who organized the 1921 kidnapping attempt on Grover Bergdoll. Naef was born in Italy but claimed his birth in Switzerland before becoming a naturalized American citizen. He served in the Army before and during the war, deserting his stateside post before returning, serving punishment, and re-enlisting to join the detective division of the Army. Naef was convicted in a German trial of assuming the duties of a German police officer by attempting to capture Grover. His sentence was commuted through negotiations between American and German officials at the highest level. Naef returned to the United States and lived on a small farm in New York’s Catskill Mountains for many years before moving to California, where he died in 1970. His remains were installed in Desert Lawn Mausoleum in Yuma, Arizona.
Nelson, Eugene. (1895–1967) Corporal Eugene Victor Nelson drove an Army Cadillac for the 1923 kidnapping attempt on Grover Bergdoll in Eberbach, Germany. He was born in Chicago but lived in a remote region of Montana before the war. After the war, he married a French woman, briefly returning to Becket, Montana. After divorce, Nelson remarried and raised a family, toiling in the iron construction industry in Minnesota. Part of the Army’s Graves Registration Service as a driver, Nelson was convicted in Grover’s attempted kidnapping; Nelson convinced the German judges that he was an innocent farm boy from Montana and had little knowledge of his superior officer’s plans. His sentence was commuted through a German-American settlement. Nelson died in 1967 and was buried in a military grave at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
O’Hare, John. Sergeant John O’Hare was the U.S. Army noncommissioned officer in charge of the security detail for Grover when he was released from jail in 1920 to fetch his gold. O’Hare was born in Ireland, emigrated to the United States in 1883, and was naturalized as an American citizen in 1894. He was a career military guard in the Army’s 10th Guard Company, Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York. However, he was not knowledgeable about the country, making only one trip with prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His first ride in a car was in Grover’s Hudson Super Six. While O’Hare was accused of getting drunk during Grover’s escape, it was later determined that he had been sober for decades. O’Hare was court-martialed and acquitted. He later retired and lived in New York City.
Palmer, A. Mitchell (1872–1936) Alexander Mitchell Palmer was a lawyer, member of Congress for eastern Pennsylvania, and U.S. attorney general following World War I. He became notorious for approving the Red Raids in American cities, also known as Palmer Raids. His actions led to the resignation of the U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia, Francis Fisher Kane, at the height of the federal investigation into Grover’s escape. Palmer traveled to New York City for a critical meeting with federal agents on the opening day of Grover’s draft evasion trial at Governors Island. The trip was portrayed in the press as a public display of support for a court martial of Grover just as he lost an effort to have his case tried in civil court. Palmer also attempted to gain the Democratic nomination for president in 1920. Palmer hired the German-American Army detective Walter Lehmann who spied on Grover while hiding in Eberbach, Germany as his butler at his elegant homes in Washington, Miami Beach, and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Palmer died in Washington following an appendectomy in 1936 at 64. He was buried at Stroudsburg’s Society of Friends Cemetery (Laurelwood).
Parker, Sarah Bolden. (1897–1919) Married to Erwin Bergdoll, Sarah was left alone on their Broomall farm while her husband evaded the draft. She died of pneumonia while he was hiding as a fugitive.
Romig, James. (1851–1935) Judge James E. Romig of Reading, Pennsylvania, became associated with the Bergdolls as Louis Bergdoll’s (the elder) collector, today’s accounts receivable agent. A widower by 1880, he entered politics, became a state representative, and then a magistrate in the Philadelphia city court, adjudicating a variety of minor crimes until he became a full-time advisor and fixer for Emma Bergdoll and her children. Although Romig was never much of a court official, the title “Judge” stuck to him for the rest of his life. With Gibboney, Judge Romig arranged to hire lawyers and other advisors who counseled Emma and Grover on their traffic infractions, saloon and rental businesses, and Grover’s conviction for draft evasion. He infamously accompanied Emma to the U.S. Treasury in Washington to withdraw gold. He was disgraced during Grover’s first trial for lying about joining the Bergdoll boys at their Maryland hideout to deliver money and was also responsible for trying to gain leniency for Grover by trading federal government use of the Bergdolls’ vacant property near Washington, D.C. Judge Romig retired and died of heart disease at his Roslyn home in January 1935 at 83. He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Sachs, Robert Paul (1882–1964) Robert Paul Sachs was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States in Philadelphia in 1894, where his family joined the German Society of Pennsylvania. Sachs became a naturalized American citizen in 1907 and worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman in advertising, and ran a business providing tools to jewelers and engravers. Around 1920, Sachs moved to Oakland and Fair Oaks, California, where he became the creative genius behind successful advertising campaigns for Coast Tire and Rubber Company of Oakland. Sachs investigated Grover in Germany. Why Sachs returned to the United States before Grover’s 1926 criminal trial on the moral allegations inspired by Sachs’ investigation remains a mystery. Sachs’ absence as the chief accuser was critical in Grover’s acquittal. Sachs had returned to California by 1940, living as an unemployed commercial artist in a boarding house in San Francisco. At some stage before 1950, Sachs was institutionalized at the sprawling Mendocino State Mental Hospital in Talmage, California, and died there in 1964 at the age of 81.
Schmidt, Friedel. (1910–90) Friedel Lucia Elise Schmidt was the girl who was the object of Grover Bergdoll’s affection in Germany in 1922 and 1923. Tried on a morals charge brought by the American Robert Paul Sachs in 1926, Grover denied seducing the underage Schmidt despite admitting they traveled for weeks together in a romantic journey through the Black Forest. News reports in German, French, and American publications repeatedly confused Friedel Schmidt’s name with her sister, Liesel (Else) Schmidt, who died before the trial in 1925. Friedel Schmidt later married and died in Dusseldorf in 1990 at 80.
Schmidt, Carl. (1898–1923) Hermann Karl Heinrich Schmidt was born in Stein, Switzerland, and lived in Lausanne when, as an employee of the Leoni Detective Agency in Paris, he was hired to abduct Grover Bergdoll in Eberbach, Germany for transport across Germany and France to a ship bound for the United States. Not much else is known about Schmidt except that he took three bullets from Bergdoll during the attempted kidnapping and died in Grover’s hotel room within minutes. Schmidt’s body was later claimed by his brother and returned to Lausanne for burial. He was unrelated to the Heidelberg Schmidts, who were part of the 1926 morals lawsuit against Grover.
Sheahan, William. (1872–1956) William H. Sheahan was born in Maryland but lived until early adulthood in Maine. He took a job at a soda fountain company in Philadelphia and used his interest in photography to gain close access to Grover Bergdoll and Charles Kraus when they were flying Grover’s Wright B airplane at Eagle Field in 1912 and 1913. Sheahan took several early photographs of Grover flying in his Wright airplane and the Eagle Field hanger. They were considered significant enough to be placed in the National Air and Space Museum. He also convinced Grover to take him for airplane rides. Sheahan became treasurer of the Aero Club of Pennsylvania and continued submitting articles to Aero and Hydro. Sheahan was instrumental in installing Grover’s aircraft in the Hall of Aviation. He lived in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Daisy. He died in 1956 at the age of 84 and was buried in Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
Sperber, Roger. (1897–1956) Ignace Roger Sperber was born in Paris and served in the French Army from 1915–19 during and after the war. He was employed by the Leoni Detective Agency of Paris when he was hired by Lt. Corliss Griffis, along with Carl Schmidt, to capture Grover Bergdoll. Sperber was the man whose thumb tip was bitten off during the hotel room scuffle with Grover that ended with the shooting death of Carl Schmidt. Sperber was wounded with bullets in his arm and shoulder. He was found guilty in the German trial. Sperber’s military record indicates he was prosecuted in September and October 1934 for misappropriation of seized objects, convicted by default, and given an undetermined sentence. He traveled to the United States at least twice, married, and had a son. Sperber died in France in 1956.
Stecher, Eugene. (1886–1963) Eugene “Ike” Stecher became a childhood friend of the Bergdoll boys when his father worked in the brewery. Born in Neckarbischofsheim, Baden, Germany, he was a skilled foreign car mechanic and driver. He worked for Louis and Erwin Bergdoll as a mechanic, raced their cars, and served as a mechanic–driver for Emma and Grover. He lived in Philadelphia and near the Bergdoll farm in Broomall. Stecher served honorably as a first sergeant in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Mistakenly entangled with Grover’s escape, Stecher was a fugitive for several years with Grover in Germany until he returned to the United States voluntarily to face his crime. He was convicted and sentenced to prison, but the sentence was reduced in return for his testimony against Grover. He did not serve time in prison. His last job was in aviation as a Philadelphia Air Transport Company foreman. Somewhat infirm in his older age due to severe leg injuries, Stecher saw his old friend, Grover, only once since he left him in Germany at the 1939 trial. Stecher died in Philadelphia in 1963 at the age of 76.
Weinberger, Harry. (1886–1944) Harry Weinberger was Grover’s long-time American lawyer, defending him for his draft evasion trials in 1920 and 1939. He specialized in First Amendment cases and later focused on copyright issues. Besides Grover and Berta, Weinberger’s famous clients included anarchist Emma Goldman and the American playwright Eugene O’Neill. Weinberger notably told a Congressional committee that he was the only lawyer who gained Grover’s confidence and trust. Then, not long after Grover went to prison in 1939–40, Weinberger had to sue the Bergdolls to collect his fee. He got only a portion of it. Weinberger died in New York at 58 in 1944.
Wescott, John. (1849–1927) Judge John Wesley Wescott was the attorney general of New Jersey who made both nominating speeches for President Wilson at Democratic National Conventions. Grover’s attorneys hired him for his connections with top officials in the White House. As a result, Wescott wrote a letter to Secretary of War Newton Baker in 1920 requesting as a personal favor that he review Grover’s conviction and sentence and appealing for Grover’s release to search for hidden gold. Wescott died at his home in Haddonfield, New Jersey, in 1927 at 78. He was buried at Harleigh Cemetery (Veterans Cemetery) in Camden, New Jersey, the same resting place as Erwin Bergdoll.
York, Calvin. (1879–1952) Sgt. Calvin York was the subordinate guard assigned to secure Grover when he was released from jail in 1920 to search for gold. York was a noncommissioned officer in the 10th Guard Company at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York. Originally from Cordell, Tennessee, Sgt. York was accused of imbibing too much alcohol at the Wynnefield mansion when Grover and Stecher plied him with gin. Sgt. York was court-martialed and acquitted. He later retired from the Army and worked for the Borden milk company, living in the Bronx, New York, with his wife and children. York died in 1952 and was buried at Old Saint Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx.
Zimmer, Frank. (1893–1970) Sergeant Frank Zimmer was from Wheatridge, Colorado, near Denver, born to Belgian parents. He served in both world wars and acted as Lt. Naef’s subordinate during the attempted kidnapping of Grover Bergdoll in 1921. Zimmer was convicted, but his sentence was commuted by agreement between the Germans and Americans. He later returned to the United States, where he re-enlisted and served at Governors Island when Grover was returned there to face another trial in 1939. Zimmer retired in 1945 and died in 1970. He was 76. His body was returned to Colorado, where he was buried at Fort Logan Cemetery.
Acknowledgments
A complete story of the Bergdoll Boys would not have been possible without my ability to read and understand Alfred Bergdoll’s diary manuscript written in the 1960s and 1970s. Although some of his recollections varied greatly from the official record of the many legal cases, Alfred’s manuscript and handwritten diary-style notes were especially beneficial to illustrate the family strife caused by the Bergdoll legal and financial issues. I appreciate the cooperation of the Bergdoll family heirs for allowing me to cite and quote parts of Alfred’s recollections in this story.
Alfred left his manuscript to the Balch Institute, which, when it ceased to exist, gave it and many other Bergdoll family documents and photographs to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The Society’s cooperation with my several visits wading through the Bergdoll collection has been enormous.
With any great volume of research, cross-checking facts with multiple sources is paramount. I’ve tried to confirm the details of this complicated story with at least two sources, but, in some cases, an exact matching representation was not available. Therefore, any misrepresentations are mine alone.
A personal mention for Bergdoll cousins Katharina Bergdoll, Louis Erwin Bergdoll, and Kathleen Brawn Tidball for their guidance, constructive criticism, and review of the book manuscript. Brookline Books commissioning editor Jennifer Green took an early and keen interest in the story when many others thought it too complicated or that Grover was too reviled to be of interest. Also in Philadelphia (Havertown), Lauren Stead for Marketing of The Bergdoll Boys. From Oxford, England, Ruth Sheppard's steady guiding hand perfected the story's pacing, production, and editing, along with Lizzy Hammond and Mette Bundgaard. Also in Oxford, Declan Ingram designed a great book cover that inspires people to open the pages. Many thanks for the proofreading, guidance, advice, and wisdom from my beloved companion, Polly Davis, through many long days of writing, rewriting, and editing the text and photographs. I also thank my children, Grayson, Emery, and Jessie for their patience during my many hours away from them while working on the manuscript. Also, Philip Karl Barth for coordinating the use of genealogy information, documents, and photographs from the Emma and Charles Barth family.
The Chester County Historical Society also contributed many Bergdoll documents and photographs in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and the Downingtown Area Historical Society in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The Bergdolls’ childhood friend and neighbor, the late Roger Grigson, rescued these artifacts from the Bergdolls’ Harmony Hill Farm when they abandoned it in the 1940s. Roger’s spouse, Carol Grigson, ensured I had access to all of them.
More documents, records, and confirmations came from the following institutions, repositories, publications, or people interested in the Bergdoll story and may not have been cited in the text. In no particular order:
Franklin Institute Science Museum
German Society of Pennsylvania
Hagley Museum
Haverford Township Historical Society
Free Library of Philadelphia
Library Company of Philadelphia
Clements Library, University of Michigan
Wright State University, Ohio
