The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-06
WOMAN MAY PLEAD GUILTY.
BERTHE CLAICHE'S COUNSEL
STILL IN DOUBT ABOUT 1T.
II She Doesn't, She VIII Testify To-day
District Attorney Wont Accept q
Plea Below Manslaushter in First
Degree - Court Rebukes women.

District Attorney Wont Accept .
Plea Below Manslaughter In First
Degree - Court ebuke Women.
Counsel for Berthe Claiche considered
Yesterday whether or not to advise her 10
plead guilty Of some degr ee OF homicide
for having killed Emil Gerdron on July .
East. 1t was also said that il the girl got
a promise of a suspended sentence she
would tell all she knows about the opera
tions of the vice squad in the Tenderloln'
When the proposition was submit ed
to District Attorney Jerome he refused
to accept anything less than a plea OF man
slaughter in the first degree, which did
not suit Berthe's lawyers. 1t was said
last night that they had not made up their
minds. II they do not advise her to plead
guilty she will be a witness some time to-
day.
After Justice Bowling had formally
opened the March term Of the Supreme
Court, Criminal Branch, yesterday, 1t was
adjourned until the Claiche trial Is finished
Justice Bowling sat on the bench with
Justice Davis the rest of the day.
1t didn't take very long to open and ad-
journ the court, but while it was being
lone Abe Levy, Assistant District At
torney Ely and Justice Davis were having
a conference. When Justice Davis went on
the bench he Immediately without a mo-
ton, adjourned the trial until ? O'CLOCK,
giving up the morning session entirely.
After hat there was a conference among
Mr.. Levy, ex-Judge Rosalsky. Berthe,
Mrs. .Deon, her mother, and Berthes eldest
sister. 1t was held in the counsel room,
and when it was over Mr.. Rosalsky went
looking for District Attorney jerome.
After a talk with Mr.. Jerome the latter sent
for Mr.. Ely and Assistant District Attorney
Vandlver, who nave charge Of the Claiche
case.
Neither side would say a word as to what
the negotiations were about. When the
afternoon session opened Mr.. Jerome
came into the court with an eXpectant air
1t was the second time he has been at the
trial. There was a delay Of a few minutes
and then Mr.. Rosalsky called a witness.
That seemed to be MIR. Jerome's cue that
there was nothing doing" and he hurried
out of the court. 1t was limited later In
the afternoon that while there had been q
hitch it was not improbable that the CIR
might plead guilty to-day. 1t was pointed
out that while she might tell a story in
volving the police il would be worthless as
legal evidence unless corroborated; or on
this trial would probably be barred as
irrelevant.
The report that the girl might plead
guilty brought the curious to the court ir
droves at the afternoon session. The
painted and powdered women and their
Tenderloin c%onsorts were there as usual
When Berthe cried, which she does wheT
she sees some member Of her family, they
pointed at her and Cackled. Once severa
women laughed shrilly at the testimony
of a demonstrative French witness. Justice
Davis threatened to clear court room
saying that the trial was serious business
and not for the amusement of men OF
women.
Mrs. jeanette Roumain, Berthe's sister
was the principal witness yesterday. She
said that she came to this country in Novem'
her, 1904, and that GtTdron met her at the
steamer. She visited Berthe and Gerdror
last April.
HE struck my sister and struck me-,
said the witness. He took her head anc
beat it against the wall; l couldn't tell how
many times he did that. Five or six days
later | wen to the house. | went to the
kitchen door, which was open. He, was
her neck. When he saw me he Went out
When he left my sister fell into my arms
She had been crying,
Mrs. Roumain said that she had G
llttle QauRnIeT named DeTlne, Dup uenleC
that Gerdron was the child's godfather
"The baby hasn't been baptized she said
She denied that she has been in the work
house since she came to this country.
"You would do anything TO help YOU
sister, wouldn't you?" asked Mr.. Ely
Yes, but only by telling the truth,
che said.
CharleA Dumas, a caterer in West Twenty
eighth street, old of having seen Gerdror
strike Berthe in the street. Dumas sale
it was some time in the summer of 1904
She was walking through the street, Ger,
dron met her and hit her in the face. She
fell down an areaway. He described Ger
dron as a man Of -forbidding appearance,
but that was ruled out.
William Hoffner. who talked to Police,
man Harry Morton at T~wenty-fifth street
and Seventh avenue on the night that Ger
dron was killed, said that he saw Morton
and Policemen Billnfer and M%artineau, bu,
that he didn't see Berthe. 1t has beer
testified that she was near Morton while
Hoffner was talking to him, and that she
walked across the street with Morton anc
Martineau when they arrested Gerdron
but Hoffner sold he didn't see her unit
the shooting. He also fixed the time o.
the murder at 1890 o'clock at night, wher
it was OPS o'clock. He admitted that HI
had known Morton for about ten years
and that he called him Harry.
Edward Forbach. or Moyne. a brother OF
tho how who told tho story of having seer