The Washington times., 1908-12-30
Attempts to Prove She, In
stead of Sister, the
Principal.
LEADING WITNESS
TAKES THE STAND
Maid Tells of Events at RED
Gables" When Tragedy
Occurred.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Dec. S0.-De-
termined to prove that Florence NJ.
Erb, and not her sister. was the prin-
Cipal in the tragedy at Red Gables on
the night OF October C. when Capt. J.
Clayton Erb was shot and killed, Dis
trict Attorney McDade sprung another
surprise when court convened today, by
calling as the first witness Beatrice
Matsui. a maid in the 5rb household.
and regarded as the most important
witness the prosecution has
Instead OF convenins court at 10
o'clock, the usual hour. all the prin-
EipaIs were on hand At o'clock, and by
p15 the first witness was under exam
ination. This decision to call the case
for trial an hour earlier was agreed to
by both sides. and it is expected to do
much toward bringing the trial 20 a
close this week.
Beatrice Matsui. a maid in the Erb
household, and one of the most inn
portant witnesses for the Common
wealth, took the stand and was ex-
emined by District Attorney McDade.
Maids Testimony.
She testified that she had been II
''Red Gables" about a month when the
tragedy occurred.
do you remember when Captain Erb
came home from the city the night OF
the shooting?" asked the district at
torney.
Z remember it distinctly" said the
witness.
WAS he under the influence Of liquor
30 that you could notice it2"
NO; he was perfectly sober. 1 am
Sure of that"
1t is chiefly by the testimony Of this
witness that the Commonwealth hopes
TO prove that II was the wife, instead
of the sister-in-law, who killed Captain
Erb, and because of the Importance at
tached TO the maids testimony, it was
nOt believed she would be called upon TO
testify until the foundation for the case
had been well laid.
The self-defeusc plea was ridiCuled
by the prosecutor and he made Il plain
That the case would be conducted alOuE
the lines Of straight. cOld-bloOded
murder.
Interest Increases.
That interest in the case has fncree sed
Since it became known that the Com
mOnwealth would attempt to prove Mrs
Erb the principal was evidenced by the
great crowd that gathered about the
media courthouse this morning, seeking
admission to the courtroom, or eager
for a glance at the defendants as they
passed into the building.
The calling of the Red Cables maid
Bs the first witness means that The
strong points i'm the States case Will
be brought out at the very outset, al
though the prosecution hints at evidence
of a sensational character that has
never yet been made public
In further testimony. the maid told OF
Mrs Erb and her sister meeting at a
hotel and talking Of asking the captain
FOR money Mrs Erb returned 70 the
house and met her husband. saying:
don't like the job but have to ask
you for some money"
Mrs. Erb then went upstairs, said the
maid, followed by the captain. Wit
ness heard a scream and the crash OF
breaking glass Then there was the
sound Of some one sweeping up the
broken Elass In the hall.
Witness then went up 10 the third
Hoo, where she heard Mrs Erb tcle-
phoning. This was fifteen minutes after
The quarrel had ceased She then heard
some one 20 down stairs, and, Iookiug
over the banister, saw Mrs. Erb in the
front ball. Mrs. Erb called her and
told her she was waiting for Mrs
Beisel.
Mrs. Erb then went into a small room
under the stairs and the maid went
toward the kitchen.
Hears Shots.
She had not entered the kitchen wher
she heard shots
The maid stated that the clock strucl
fen as the first shot was fired Just be
fore the shot rang out, she heard tn,
captains voice, but no other noise
There were six shots in all, accordin.
20 her testimony -Four shots IN rapi,
succession then a pause followed b,
two more.
The witness then said she went TO tn,
dining room and stayed there twenty
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