The Tageblatt had been warned often against its unseemly utterances, but to no avail. It was a sheet of no great consequence, and about fifteen years ago was anarchistic. Then it turned to Socialism. When war was declared, it was outspoken against the Allies. After the declaration it became more cautious, but its columns were full of propaganda. It had no telegraph or cable service, but its policy was dictated by the selective choice of its editorial staff. Louis Werner was a naturalized citizen born in Germany. Darkow was a non-registered alien enemy and wrote the editorials. The president was Peter Shaefer, the treasurer Paul Vogel, and the business manager Herman Lemke. The trial for treason lasted only ten days. The second trial, for conspiracy, was more successful from the viewpoint of the law. Upon the stand, both Werner and Darkow were insolent. They will have time to think over all these matters in quiet for a while.
Red Cross frauds attracted some attention on the part of the League in Philadelphia, which investigated all sorts of fanciful rumors, as well as several schemes of fraudulent or nearly fraudulent or unworthy nature. One of these, purporting to collect for a central hospital, seemed at first to have merit; but when advertisements appeared offering solicitors a highly lucrative connection, the A. P. L. agents discovered that this was for the purpose of raising about $1,500,000—out of which a commission of twenty per cent was to be paid to the solicitors. A halt was called on this, but the same people got busy again about three months later with a campaign purporting to collect $1,000,000 for the care of “crippled negro soldiers.” There was a fund of about $10,000 which had been contributed by colored persons. Some of the people connected with this movement were well-meaning and absolutely disinterested; yet in the background were others who appeared to be out for the coin. The campaign was closed down again. This is but a sample of other affairs of the same sort.
One of the notable Philadelphia affairs was that of Norman T. W——, scholar, patent attorney, chess expert and draft evader. This case originated in Washington where he failed to appear for examination or to turn in a questionnaire. He asked to have his examination transferred to Philadelphia, so the whole matter was transferred to Philadelphia. On July 15, W—— was mailed his order for induction into the service and was told to report July 24, but he did not appear. Philadelphia A. P. L. then took on the matter.
W—— was the son of respectable Philadelphia parents and of good connections. Without doubt, he and his brother were shielded by their relatives and friends as long as possible. On November 8, the Philadelphia Division of the A. P. L. wired Washington stating that W—— had been apprehended. On November 16, 1918, he was sent to Camp Dix.
The public has some notion of the great plant for ship construction erected at Hog Island, near Philadelphia, by the United States Shipping Board. All sorts of stories came out regarding affairs at this shipping yard, and the charges were so direct and well-supported that Congress finally investigated the matter. The Philadelphia Division of the A. P. L. had some part in this investigation, which had to do with charges of extravagance, graft and waste of public moneys. There was one item, the employment of thousands of jitney drivers, which was severely criticised. These cars were employed by the Emergency Fleet Corporation to transport their workmen from their homes to the Island, since it was thought the regular transportation lines could not handle them. The charge was made that large amounts were collected by the jitney men from the Shipping Yard without rendering any service; the shipping yards, in turn, charged these amounts back to the Government. There were thousands of reports turned in by the operatives to D. J. on these “jitney cases.” It was found that a good many men in authority were in the habit of ordering the drivers, after they had brought them down to the Shipping Yard, to go back home and place themselves at the disposal of the members of the families of the foremen or officers—the Government thus supporting a large number of private automobiles for salaried persons. The entire matter quieted down when the increased cost of tires and gas deprived the jitney drivers of their profits, and when competition came on through the installation of better service and equipment by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company.
There was no branch of the A. P. L. activities in Philadelphia so carefully handled as that having to do with the I. W. W. and other radical organizations. There were five Locals found and fifty-one revolutionary clubs with a total membership of 5,000, ninety per cent of whom were of foreign birth, absolutely opposed to all government and ever ready to overthrow law by revolutionary tactics.
The A. P. L. made a raid upon one club solely for the purpose of seizing literature and files. As a result of this, fifty I. W. W. agitators were dismissed from shipping yards and government plants. Some of these were in the Government Bag Loading Plant at Woodbury, in the shipping yard at Bristol, and in the Emergency Fleet Corporation at Hog Island. All these Philadelphia radicals contributed heavily to the defense fund of the I. W. W. members who were on trial in Chicago.
It was thought desirable to find any possible connection of German interest with these radicals. At one meeting the discovery was made that two men appeared and made a contribution to the foregoing defense fund. They came from a Fairmount German singing society—where they sang anything but American patriotic airs. The League kept close watch on all these radical organizations, so close that they have not dared to make any outright break. The slightest step out of the proper path would mean an immediate reckoning with men who have been rather stern in matters of justice.
After the Tageblatt case, which was the first case in the entire country resulting in a conviction under the indictments which were brought against Werner and his associates, the Grover Bergdoll case of mysterious disappearance is perhaps Philadelphia’s greatest contribution to detective literature. Indeed, there is still chance for a good detective in Philadelphia who can give bond for the production of the body of Grover C. Bergdoll, college athlete, wealthy young man-about-town, skillful mechanician, student of law, X-ray experimenter, radical editor—and draft evader. The Bergdoll brothers, Grover and Irwin, are known as the “slackers de luxe.” They were sons of a wealthy brewer, and having money, it seemed to them that they need not respect the law. They had shown their contempt for it before the draft reached out for them. Grover C. did not register, and Irwin failed to file his questionnaire. A. P. L. was set on their trail, but the young men had both disappeared. From that time until now neither of these men has been apprehended. Grover C. Bergdoll was seen in Mexico, was alleged to have been in the West on a ranch, was reported to have been in Spain, was said to have been seen in Western New York, and was reported also to have been in Philadelphia twice. Sometimes he would send a card to the newspapers just to tantalize the public, or to the officials whom he knew to be after him. Well, money is a present friend in times of trouble. For a time the Bergdoll mystery will remain a mystery. One of these days the life of the Bergdoll boys will fail to interest them. One of these days the law will lay its hands on them, and they will have to settle with the country which they have slighted and scorned and whose citizenship they do not deserve.
It may have occurred to readers of these pages that there was not enough blood and thunder stuff pulled off by the operatives of the A. P. L. It is quite possible that the Department of Justice men have had the harder load to carry in these more violent affairs, because quite often they are obliged to make the actual arrest, on warrants under evidence obtained by the A. P. L. One Philadelphia incident resulted in the killing of the man sought—a negro desperado who carried several aliases but was best known in the saloon district as “Porto Rico.”