The Washington times., 1908-10-08
WIDOW AND SISTER
STILL HELD IN JAIL
Mrs. Erb and Mrs. Catharine
BeiSel Committed for Death
of Pennsylvania Man.

PHILADELPHIA oct S,-1Irs. Cath
arine I5eIseI, aad her Sister. Mrs. J..
Clayton Erb. are today In the Media Jail.
having been committed by the coroner
for the murder Of Capt J. Clayton Erb.
on Tuesday night
Efforts viii be -ade by counsel for
Mrs. Erb 10 have her released on ha-
beas corpus. but L is the belief Of the
police that such an application VIII De-
refused
Mrs BelseTs part IN the tragedy Has
told az the inquest by herself She said
Il shot Captain Erb- am sorry,
but 1 could not help It. I took the It
volver from him and pulled the trigger
Il kept on shooting I could not stop
Il"
Mrs. BeiseI, the coroner's jury decided
killed Captain Erb. The verdict made
no mention OF Mrs. Erb nor Roger
FrOuedeld. her counsel, who fought 10
save her
The widow and relatives Of Erb are
now cOntesting for possession Of his
body. Counsel for the widow insist
that she has the prior claim under the
law while counsel for his relatives con-
The body OF Erb remains al Red
Gables, b0th body ana house being IN
charge OF a deputy coroner
Pending adjustment Of the dispute, no
ARRANGEMENTS have been made for the
funeral
Developments Come Fast
Developments Of a sensational nature
followed each other In quick succession
in the case. Hardly had County De
JeCtive Berry and Deputy Coroner
White begun the first investigation
made Of Captain Erb's death than Mrs.
BeiseI was whirled away a prisoner 10
the county prison. From her lips the
officials and Constable Simpson. Of Ash
ton township, early claimed 70 have
wrUng the admission that she killed
Captain Erb, but had shot him in self
defense.
The picture drawn by officials and
witnesses Of the manner In which Cap
tain Erb met his tragic end showed
him suddenly involved in a quarrel with
his wife and her sister: his HAVING
arisen from his bed only to be assaiIed
by a heavy vase and other objects
and then 70 be shot down with a re-
vOlver in the hands OF his siSter-In-iaw
I on the other hand, evidence was pro
duced 10 show that Mrs RefSaI 1ba5
claimed that he had threatened her WITH
the weapon that caused his death. and
thaJ she insisted that IN trying to yvreSr
the revolver from his hands the fa+al
shots We're discharged by her Ia self
deIenSe- witnesses testified that after
the shooung, they had observed thar q
sleeve OF Mrs BeiseTs dress was badly
torn, and that she had went byster.
lcaliy protesting that she had not
meant 10 do IT."
Comes Home Early.
Servants In the Erb household +as,;.
fed that Captain Erb. uDon arrivi1,
home early, had Inquired before sittf1p
down alone 70 dinner whether his y,-5fe
was in the house and whether his sic
/ ter-in-law was there also. From the
lips OF the same witnesses fell the story
that Mrs. Erb and her sister had sDan-
the early part Of last evening al rbe
Village Green Hotel. with two Of the
servants, although one Of the latter in
sisted that glass OF porter OF beer
was all that was drank by any of the
party. Mrs Erb returned 20 the house
with one Of the servants. leaving hel
sister at the hotel
Other servants testified that shortly
after Mrs. Erb had returned home and
| had gone up stairs that they had heard
( her scream Beyond this they professed
/ 10 know little OF what occurred betueer
! Captain Erb, his wife and sister-in-lav y
until shots rang out in the house, and
I they found him lying dead. clad only iu
| paJamas, IN the hallway outside Of his
] room