Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-08
MRS. BE|SEL ACCUSED
Jury Charges Her With Muir
der of Capt. Erb.
DEAD MANS WIFE Is HELD
Victim Assailed With Missiles Be-
fore Shooting, Say Witnesses.
TESTIMONY GIVEN AT INQUEST
Beth Women Committed to Jail
Without Bail, Although Coroner's
Verdict Does Not duplicate Wife.
TESTIMONY GIVEN AT INQUEST

Verdict Does Not duplicate Wife.
PHILADELPHIA October SIT is eX-
pected that there will be speedy trial
in the case of Mrs. katherine Beisel OF
, this city. who is in the Delaware county
Jail. at Media. charged with the murder.
Tuesday night. of her brother-in-law. j
Clayton Erb. one of the best known men
in Philadelphia. The dead mans wife is
also in the Jail.
No charge has been lodged against her.
The testimony brought out at the in
quest. last night. at which Mrs. Beisel
was formally charged with committing
the crime. showed that Erb had beer
beaten before he was shot. There was
deep cut on his head made by a vase
that is believed to have been hurled a,
him.
The most important testimony was that
of Thomas Simpson, the constable who
took Mrs. Beisel to Jail. According to
the constable Mrs. Beisel said:
Il shot Capt. Erb. l am sorry for It
But I couldn't help 1t.
He pointed the revolver at me. I took
it away from him and shot him.
The trouble which preceded the shooting
is said to have been due to a legal paper
served upon Mrs. Beisel to keep off the
ported her sister in her differences with
Erb. Mrs. Besers action became SO
annoying that he was compelled to legally
warn her to cease coming to the house.
There is contest on for the possession
| O.. the murdered mans body. Couns i
| for the widow insists she has the prior
claim under the law. Capt Erb's rela.
; tives contend that the body belongs to
| them.
| The body is still at Red Gables" the
| of the dispute no arrangements have
been made for the funeral.
Tragedy Revealed At Inquest.
grim tragedy of RED Gables''-the bitter
quarrel the struggle and the Staying OF
Capt. Erb, confidential man Of Israel w.
Durham for twenty years-was recited
at the joint inquest and a-raignment OF
Mrs. Beisel in Chester.
1t was told how Capt. Erb. according to
his sister-in-law 8 alleged confession, had
fought both his wife and sister-in- Ia W
had drawn a revolver upon Mrs. Beisel
and had been shot six times by the
woman.
That Erb. aroused from his sleep, en-
tered dimly lighted hail. where, in adj
vance. escape through one door had been
prevented by a barricade: that he had
encountered rain Of missiles - vases
pitchers and flower pots-some of which
inflicted wounds on his body, the princ.-
pal one opening his scalp and causing a
severe hemorrhage, was the testimony OF
witnesses at the Chester inquest and of
friends near Red Cables who told of the
tragedy to the reporters.
Trapped and unable to devote a moment
to thoughts of escape while objects
crashed about him, the revolver bullets
came almost before there was cessa ton
in the heavy onslaught and killed him.
Mrs. -Beisel sat calm and not perturbed
in the least during the Chester inquest.
Mrs Erb sobbed convulsiveiy throughout
the recital.
No Mention of Mrs. Erb.
The verdict made no mention of Mrs
Erb. W. Roger Fromefield. her counsel,
fought to save her from being held. Dis
trict Attorney MacDade, however, asked
that both women be held. After the in
quest they were driven in a closed car
riage from Chester to Media, where they
were lodged in prison cells to await trial:
On the witness stand last night, Richard
Doyle. the detective who arrested Mrs.
Beisel early yesterday morning. swore
that she had confessed having fired the
shots that killed Erb.
In the meantime, however. she had
engaged counsel. The assertion was made
yesterday afternoon that she had made
no such admission. Further than that,
she was silent
Other witnesses were found. however.
among servants of the big country house.
hold who testified that they had seen
the shooting.
AS whole, their stories were that when
Capt Erb came home his s!ster-in-law
was not there, but at the village green
inn. not far away. Soon afterward Mrs.
Erb Joined her there. and after little
while both returned to the house.
Capt Erb had retired by that time. but
was still awake and heard them talking
about him in an offensive manner. He
arose and went into the room where
they were.
Assailed With Missiles.
Words followed. Presently he was at
tackled with fusillade of glassware. vases
and other ornaments of the house. the
fragments Of which were found by the
police authorities. AS he turned his back
to escape this shower. SO the servants
swore, the shots were fired. six in all,
four Of them finding Judgment in his body.
1t became known that the primary
cause of the trouble between his wife
and Capt Erb was his objection to the
relations she held with her sister. whom
his thresh hold. There had been many vio-
lent quarrels on this point when he re-
turned home unexpectedly and found only
the two women together.
Then, according 10 statements by per-
sons who will be called as witnesses, the
lively parties at Red Gables, in which.
however, Erb took no part, followed. Erb
himself is quoted as saying that these
revels were carried on for the purpose
of wearing him out" so that he would
consent to a settlement OF his property
upon his wife and leave her.
George s. Graham, for many years dis
trict attorney of Philadelphia, and vino
now practices largely in New York, has
been engaged as private counsel Tor the
prosecution Israel w. Durham. the lead
or of the machine in this city and Capt.
E.rb's patron and associate for years, de-
clared that all the machinery OF the law
would be utilized to punish ED s slayer.
He said that as recently as last Mon
day, when the captain TOOK part IN one
of the parades OF Founders week, ED
discussed his domestic affairs and remark
ed They will get me yet.
Property in Wife's Name.
Intimate friends Of Capt. Erb shed a
| new light upon the case. declaring tha'
he had recently told them that he had
| been foolish enough to use his own
phrase. to place most of his assets in his
| wife's name. and that she and her sister
were determined to get possession OF the
| whole. He made no secret OF the fact,
| so they said that he had taken this action
| only in consequence OF tine disclosures
! made at the time of the investigation OF
! the insurance department of the state OF
! Pennsylvania, of which he was an &C
, tuary.
| =. IS matter of record that at that