The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-18
THE SLAVE GIRL Is INDICTED.
TO BE TRIED FOR MURDER OF
PANDER WHO LIVED BY HER.
Minority OF Coroner's Jury Find That
Berthe Claiche Shot GerdrOn In Ne f.
Defense Evidence That He Displayed
Gun and Threatened 10 kill Her.

berthe Claiche shot Gertiron in Se f.
Defense Evidence That He Displayed
Q Gun and Threatened 10 Xiii Her.
The Grand Jury yesterday afternoon
indicted for murder In the first degre,
Berthe Claiche, who killed her master,
Emile Gerdron. An hour before the Coro-
ner's jury which had held an inquest brought
In verdict finding that the little French
girl had killed the pander. Five OF the
Coroners jurors made a minority report
saying that the girl fired in self-defense.
Berthe Claiches mother and two sisters
were with her In Coroner Scholer's court,
the mother, Mrs. Louis Deon, being a wit
ness for the defense. The prisoner was
represented by Otto Rosalsky and MIR.
Turnbul appeared for the District Attor-
ney's Office.
William Hoffner a grocer at 4ls Sixth
avenue. told OF seeing Detective Morton
arrest Gerdron at Seventh avenue and
Twenty fifth street on the night of July g.
Just before the girl fired the shots Gerdron
broke from Morton's hold and half turned
toward her, reaching for his hip pocket
Harry Moyne OF 5i5 Franklin avenue,
Brooklyn, saw Gerdron beat Berthe Claiche
shortly before the Frenchman was arrested.
She was bleeding about the neck. but she
got away from Gerdron and started toward
the Tenderloin police sta ton. Moyne and
his brother met Gerdron and told him that
the girl had gone for policeman.
whether she comes with policeman
or not, I'll shoot just the same replied
Gerdron according to Moyne. GerGron
showed a revolver to the Moyne brothers
and remarked, If lose her lose every"
thing.
Mrs. Deon told her story through an
interpreter. She said that Berthe is %
wears old and was an embroiderer IN Paris
until she met Gerdron He put her on the
streets six years ago, registering her under
York a year later. Mrs. Deon came here
eighteen months ago with Gerdron, who
went to France to get her. She pretended
to be Gerdron's wife so that she would
have no trouble with the immigration
officials here.
six months in French prison for theft
and that Deon is not her husband. Claiche,
she said, disappeared fifteen years ago.
Berthe was good girl until she met
Gerdron,' said Mrs. Deon. She was only
not yet her away from him, she was in
such fear that he would kill her. He said
he would cut her head of. Gerdron talked
about marrying the girl, but never did So
Mr.. Rosalsky put in evidence letter
which GerdrOn SeliU 10 MIS, beoh io"
DAYS before the shooting. The interpreter
translated it as follows:
am surprised at the accusations against
mo. and / defy you to produce any proof
Frat have never had an American mis-
tress here or in other parts.
IL these are the means that you com 10
take my wife from her duties, you nave
acted very disgustiney. You are recon-
pensng me in a very peculiar manner LOT
what have done for you. If my wife Il not
with me by the first Of the month. | will see
what will do. You have done wrong. now
do right as il is the best thing. to do. ! have
my wife's letter, and don t believe she be-
iieyes a word of what has been said against
me: as for me and my wife, once more DO you
wish peace or war? ! salute.
Were they married." asked Mr. Turn
bull!
aNo."
"Then why does he Use the word femme'?..
THAT means either wife or woman,
explained the interpreter.
Coroner Scholer told the jury to tnd
that Berthe Claiche killed Gerdron. and
also to decide whether. on account OF his
threats and actions, she was justified,
III you agree that she was JUSTIFIED. 40
return your verdict. II you think she was
not justified, hold her for the Grand Jury,
II there is any doubt in your mind. leave
the matter to higher court. said the
Coroner
The majority verdict was that Berthe
Claiche killed Gerdron, while the minority
verdict added -in elf-defense.' The girl
was sent back to the Tombs.