Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-06

heard him say. Now Ill get you; this
time I'll have you
When he said that he caught a
glimpse of me. His arm dropped at his
side and he turned from my sister
What, you here, you -? he yelled.
BY - III get rid of you too
l ran at him. l grabbed him by the
hands. like this. He threw his arms up
in the air and I held on. Then there
was shot. 1 think it went up in the
over the hall, he trying to shake me
loose and I clinging for my life. He
pushed me around and against the wall.
between the bathroom door and the yell
low room. the guest chamber.
He showed his face into mine and spat
in it, like that / hit him a blow and
jerked away. Somehow, I don't know
how. found my hands on the pistol. and
I pushed him and pulled him until l
wrenched it from his grasp.
She Got the Pistol.
Il found the pistol in my hands. like
this. That was the way I pulled it away
from him. He tripped on something and
put out one hand to save himself from
falling. 1 started to run from him, but
he gra bbed me with his other hand.
II struck at him with all my might.
| struck at him with the pistol. Once
toward the bedroom He ran after me
and | turned. l fired al him.
There was a roar of shots. 1 can't
tell how many l don't know II I fired
all the shots in the revolver. They tell
me now that | did. AS the shots rang
out everything grew black before me.
/ have only one eye and the sight of this
went.
after that I do not remember what
happened until ! found crowd of peo-
pie around me. What I did was to save
my poor sister," added Mrs Beisel turn
| toward the jury and holding out her
hands. if in supplication. ooh, my
God. how horribly that man treated her
He would have killed her and he would
have killed me that night II l had not
done what | did. "
There We're tears in the womans eyes
she finished and a shudder went
through her frame, but she repressed
her emotion and signified to her counsel
that she was ready to continue the
deal Mrs. Erb was crying. but never
a tear was seen in the eyes of the
mother of the two women. Perhaps her
glasses concealed her tears.
Mr.. Fronefeld of counsel for the de-
Tense held up to view a womans waist
with one of the sleeves hanging by
thread and the collar torn.
rs that the waist You wore the night
OF October g. Mrs. Beisel?" he asked. She
nodded and Fronefield threw the soiled
and tattered garment at the feet of the
jury.
Justification Is Contended.
On one point the defense was strength
ened by documentary evidence
1t Is the contention of the lawyers for
Mrs. Erb and Mrs. Beisel that the shoot
Ing was justifiable. besides being in self
defense, this because Capt. Erb lad been
brutal. repeatedly cruel. and had threat
ened 10 get rid of his wife and ner sister
There was offered as an exhibit in evil
dence yesterday letter from Mrs Erb
to Mrs. Beisel. bearing date March TO-
1905, and reading a. follows:
Red Gables,
Village Green, Pa
This is the solution of all the trouble in
my life with my husband-before I mar
ried him I told him every secret of my
soul. and this is what he soads me with
until | am driven almost 10 DESTROYING
myself. If it We're not for the fear of
he'll death would indeed. be relief. This
morning he again informed nc how he
would get divorce through foul means.
and lie actually has had his attnrf ey, G.
Horwitz. to believe him wnen he says he
did not know I .oud not bear a child
when | married min. is he not an in
famous liar?
Battles District Attorney.
| District Attorney MacDade did his
best to lead Mrs. Besel into an incon-
! sistency in her story. lie tried to tro
| her into telling what happened after
| everything grew dark, but while the
| woman was less a mistress of words than
! Mrs Erb proved herself to be, she was
| not to be tripped As she was released
| from the witness stand she burst into
| tears, and there were several women in
| the audience who went forward and con-
| soed her.
| Witnesses were called to testify to the
| character of the accused women. Ssv-
| eral physicians were also called TO testify
| regarding the physical condition of Mrs
E.rb at various times and to tell of in
| juries from which she was suffering, and
which she had declared We're caused by
| Capt. Erb's brutality. The defense then
| closed
| In rebuttal. District Attorney Mac
| Dade offered in evidence letters written
| by Capt. Erb to Mrs. Erb while she was
| in a Chester hospital. and at other times.
! in which he advised her to be cheerful
The letters We're all kindly in tone, and
| his wife was addressed as Dear Peggy
| After Offering the letters the district
| attorney began summing up for the
commonwealth He bitterly arraigned
both Mrs. Beisel and Mrs. Erb. pictur!ng
/ the latter as a MISUNDERSTANDING hypo-
| critic. who came into court with her
widows weeds to blacken her husband 5
! memory. He declared the murder to have
manded first degree verdict.
| The first speech for the defense was
! made BY w. Roger Fronefield.