National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-23
THE DANCE OF DEATH.
NETTIE GREEN KILLS SAMUEL ElCH-
ELBERGER AT A DANCE HOUSE In

NETTIE GREEN KILLS SAMUEL EiC ID
ELBERGER AT A DANCE HOUSE In
ALEXANDRIA.
About 1880 O'Clock on Monday night, at uAnoe
house on Union street, near Queen, In AIe1a'I-
dria, formerly kept by Terry Ryan, out no" ny a
man named Bird, q canal boatman, owner 81 the
boat NJ. Lewis came to his death oy pistol shot
from Nettie Tremaine, alias Green.
Nettfe Green had her preliminary examination
Yesterday morning before Hon. K. Remper,
mayor Of Alexandria. John NJ. johnson, ESQ.,,
attorney for the Commonwealth, appeared for
the prosecution, whom the following witnesses
were called:
Ella AppIeby lives with her mother, Sarah APP
pleby, but was at the dance, but saw oothing OF
the occurrence. Early in the night witness heard
that = fuss had occurred, but knew nething more
Jennie Warren lives at her house; saw EicheE
berger take some tumbIers from the bar, when
Nettie told him to put then down. He said he
would not steal. She told him If he would not
steal he had better let the tumblers alone. He
then pulled of his coat, and said If she bet
ter woman than he was q man he was ready for
her. She told him she had no man to fight for
her but she could Eight him herself Witness
then went up stairs but Nettie soon called to her
and said: ELLA, come down; I've shot a man and
don't know whether I've killed him or not" Wit
ness heard no pistol shot; the first intimation Of
the shooting was the call Of Nettio.
John Ferguson was one of the violinists He
testified that EicheIberger was drunk and inter-
1ered with the dance. Witness said to him "Do
you want to break this music upP If yeu do I'll
get man to help you stagger." He kept for some
time interfering with the dance, and then went to
the bar. Nettie Green soon said: "Ysu got my
lumber" "Hope Christ may kill me If have"
Nellie went around and brought back the tumb-
Ter, saying: al got the tumDler out of your
pocket" WhereupOn Eichelberger cursed her
for going in his pocket, and threatened to whip
her. She said, 81 am lone woman; I've got no
man to fight for me, but I'll whip yoE." He said,
at don't lay in the seat Of your breeches to whip
me. If you think you are a better woman than
an a man just shed yourself He still continued
to abuse her, when at last she said: "NoW, d-n
your dirty heart, I'm going to take no more of
your abuse" She then took hold of him and
pushed him into the street. He came back into
the house again, and witness heard him say:
"Go back! Go back !''-bim, pistol-shot fred
and Eiehelberger fell to the ground. crowd
rushed up, and witness saw more of him.
Some one asked Eettie what she shot him for
She said, 81 told him to stop, to go away from
me, but he kept following me up" One of the
bystanders said, you've killed the man." but
he said nothing more. The man fell back without
word.
John Murray testified in substance the same as
the last witness.
the door the last time; then ran in and grabbed
Nettie and told her not to shoot him, for he saw
she had pistol; she wheeled away from witness
and shot Eiehelberger, who had made two steps
from the door.
Jas. A. Kaiser: Came up near II O'Clock; danced
a set with young man; didn't get a lady part
ner; heard Nettie say, I'm going to kill that son
OF a b-hr' but did not know to whom she re-
ferred. When Nettie had shot Eichelberger he
took hold.Of her and said, jeanette, what in the
name Of sense are you doing2" She said "Well,
can't help it; somebody gave it to me to shoot
him."
Rufus Steele went at o'clock and danced He
cOrrOborated the statements Of the previous wit
nesses and remembered hearing Nettie say in
reply to threat of the deceased: Cd d-n
you, I'll blow your brains out if ever you lay your
hand on me-" Early in the evening she called
witness to her end of the bar and showed witness
her revolver; witness does not recognize the re-
TOlTer shown. Eichelberger's brother was with
witness, and he showed the accused his pistol.
Witness heard the deceased abuse Nettie in the
house. He afterwards saw her chase him out Of
the house with her pistol in her hand; saw her
point the pistol at him out in the street. She did
not fire then, but went back. He said "Oh, damn
your pistol" and went in the door. A few min
utes after witness heard the pistol discharged in
side.
John Mccormick saw Nettie beat the accused
three times and tell him to 20 out Of the house.
As he was going out he saw her shoot him. Wit
ness had been drinking.
Commonwealth Attorney. Yes, I am certain
you had. You can go.
Captain Webster and Policeman Crump testi-
fed that Nettie told them that a man whom she
did not know handed her the pistol and told her
to shoot.
Policeman Walker testified that about an hour
before the shooting a woman named Ellen Casey
came from the canal to ask the protection Of the
police, saying that a gang of canal boatmen had
made plan TO go down and have fuss at Nettie
Green's, and then come and tear her house dswn.
The mayor committed the accused to Jail for
court. The deceased was a canal boat owner,
and resided at Hancock, Md. The accused has
long been a woman of the town