Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-08
Laces and EmbrOideries.

RI ho rid ~ her for a stipulated sum
without the necessity Of fighting d.
yorce or alimony proceeding IN the courts.
In these assertions there is no lhtlma-
ton that Mrs. Erb ever went to such eN-
tremes as would justify her husband IN
defying her and procuring his release
without paying any price. but 1t Is no
secret that she and her sister. Mrs. Beisel.
entertained lavishly at the Glen Sldoie
mansion for the primary purpose Of con-
yincing the captain that he would be bet
ter off to pack up his effects ana make a
peaceable departure. leaving them In pos
| session.
Erb Was Insistent.
Erb. however, was not the kind OF man
to quietly retreat from any situation. he
was aggressive. fiery tempered and insist
ent upon what he considered his own
rights.
| He had remained a bachelor until he
was nearly fifty years old and often re-
marked in a semf-jocular way. that he
would end his life in that condition.
mo married life for me-" he said only a
| few days before he surprised his friends
by the announcement Of his marriage.
about two years ago. 1T would be my
| luck to get in wrong and have trouble
always"
But after he had assumed the matri-
monial yoke and his domestic trouble be-
gan to be talked about among his club
friends he said more than once:
Il guess I got in wrong after all, and
they'll get me sooner Or later"
All this. together with much more mat
ter of the same trend is in the possession
of District Attorney Albert Dutton Nc
Dade, who has charge of the prosecution.
For example there is an interesting tale
| told in chronological order of the adven-
lures of Mr.. and Mrs. Erb and Mrs. Bel
sci. dating up to almost the time Of the
shooting.
The first of these encounters led Capt.
| Erb to call to Red Gables a justice Of the
/, peace, suggesting that he had better bring
with him a half dozen blank warrants OF
arrest.
, According to the justice, the cap
| tain declared that he had been attacked
! with an ice pitcher. but the identity OF
his assailant was not made clear. Later.
| however. it was declared that while the
| ca plain had Mrs. Beisel on the floor. try
| ing to choke her, Mrs. Erb threw the
| pitcher at him.
Charges Against Coachman.
The case did not get to the courts. as
Erb said he would have "Iz' Durham set
tie it, and settled the case was.
| Then came the affair of Ernest Poulson.
the negro coachman for the Erbs. who
was arrested on charge made by the
wife that he had threatened to shoot
her when she informed him that he was
acting as the captains spy.
AT the nearing ED opposed his wife
] and gave bail for the coachsnan. Next
day Erb announced that he stood by
| Poulson because he expected him to be a
star witness in a suit which he meant
| to bring against Mrs. Erb and Mrs.
1 Bcisel. by both of whom, he declared.
he had been and was being 1uped., After
| that Mrs. Erb had her husband arrested
| on q charge of assault and battery and
he was held in $500 bail for trial.
Before Justice of the Peace Williamson.
as recently at September % last. Mrs.
| Erb admitted that she had lived with the
| captain as his common-law wife for
some time previous to the performance
| of the marriage ceremony This admis-
| sion was made when Erb made an appeal
| against a judgment brought by the Phil
| adelphia Auto Company for $G6 for motor
| cars hired by tho woman before the mar
! riage.
! The charges made by Mrs. Erb against
PouIson were scheduled to be heard In the
| Delaware county court at Media. before
Judge Broomall, September 30. but were
POSTPONED until the December session.
Next. not long after this action. came the
sudden and mysterious illness OF Erb.
| His physician said it was due to pto-
maine poisoning. Erb charged that he
had been poisoned by his wife and her