Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-29
NOT ALLOWED BAIL.
Tailor Erdman's Story Of His Mid
night Arrest by Detective.
HURRIED OFF TO PHILADELPHIA.
Not Even Permitted to See Physician
When He Was Very Ill.
THE DETECTIVES SIDE OF THE STORY

David Erdman, well-known merchant
tailor on the Southside, arrived home from
Philadelphia on Friday after lively ex-
The DISPATCH, he had been sued by
Klein, Putzel & Co. and S. Wilson, two
wholesale clothing firms of Philadelphia,
for money due them, the claim being made
that he had fraudulently concealed goods
with intent to defraud, and was about to
leave the State. Mr.. Erdman is also
travelling salesman for New York firm,
and was in Indianapolis at the time the suit
was entered last Saturday. His attorney
Immediately notified him and he came
home. Mr.. Erdman himself tells the re-
mainder of the story as follows:
II arrived home last Tuesday and spent
all day lettering around the Court House,
so that if warrant were served on me
there would be no trouble to find me.
Nothing was done. however. and that even
ing 1 went to lodge At IL o'clock that
night, lust as 1 was stepping into my home
on the Southside, Charles Porter, an officer
connected with Heiner's Detective Agency,
nabbed me and started for the Central
Police station. 1 protested and offered to
furnish bail if he would take me to some
Magistrate before whom a bond could be
entered. He refused to do this and de-
clined to send to any of my friends. 1 was,
therefore, locked up. He told me that his
instructions were that nobody was to see
me, and that was to be kept away from
everybody. Therefore I was completely
isolated while in the lookup, not being able
to reach any Of my friends to let them
know where 1 was.
COVERED WITH A GUN.
"At 2 o'clock A. M. that night was
taken to the Union depot by force and
started for Philadelphia, Porter still being
my travelling companion. He did not hand
cuff me, but he took great pleasure in show
ing me revolver, with which, he said, Ed
Coffee had shot Policeman Evans The
worry and excitement made me sick on the
trip, and 1 told him that the first thing L
wanted, when got to Philadelphia, was to
be taken to physician. He said l could
not do that until 1 was out of his charge.
Reaching Philadelphia Wednesday after
before whom the information had been
made, but hurried him to the Office of the
plaintiffs attorney. Porter afterward told
me that this attorney paid him for his
trouble"
That afternoon Mr.. Erdman was released
on bail furnished by Mr.. Wilson, one of the
business men suing him. Yesterday his at
torney, S, A. Will, Esq, took Mr.. Erdman
to Mr.. Heiner's Office and demanded of Mr..
Heiner the cause of his instructions for such
summary treatment. Mr.. Erdman says
that Mr.. Heiner refused to give the informa-
tion.
HE breads A PLOT.
Mr.. Erdman has been in business on the
Southside for IA years. He denies the
charges made against him by the Philadel-
phia firms, and says that plot has been
hatched to ruin him. He proposes, in the
near future, to enter few suits himself.
A DISPATCH reporter called on Detective
Porter, who arrested Mr.. Erdman. to ascer-
tain his views regarding Mr.. Erdman's
statement. With great emphasis Mr.. Por-
ter said, "He's liar" He refused to say
anything further than that he took Erdman
before Police Magistrate Albert H. Gladd-
ner when he arrived at Philadelphia.
Mr.. Kerr, connected with Mr.. Heiner's
agency, said: 'Erdman could not have
seen Mr.. Heiner to-day, for he has not been
at the Office. He is confined to, his
house with rheumatism. 1t is a very fine
point at law whether an officer would be
justified in allowing a prisoner to secure
bail in this county when he was wanted in
another county. 1t is the general custom for
officers to convey their prisoners directly to
the magistrate who issues the warrant, if it
is in another county"
S. A. Will, the attorney for Erdman, OBJ
tanned rule yesterday to show cause why
the attachments should net be dissolved.
The rule is returnable on October 9, at
o'clock P. NJ.