The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-01-12
ERB WAS BANKRUPT
Sister Says Wife's Extravagant Ways
Were Responsible.


Philadelphia, JAM 12.-While in the
Erb trial in Media was at its height
last week, Mrs. Berlin, one of the sis
ters of Captain ]. Clayton Erb, made
the statement that the estate of the
captain, when inventoried, will be
found to be bankrupt.
Since the trial, on the advise of
lawyers, both the Erb sisters and the
acquitted wife of Captain Erb have
refused to talk about the estate.
Blames Wife's Extravaganza
"That woman over there" said Mrs.
Berlin, pointing to Mrs. Erb, will not
she is acquitted, because she ran up
bills so extravagantly that it will take
all that is left of my brothers estate
to pay them. She bought dozens of
expensive dresses and hats, which she
would give to her friends when she
did not want them herself, the bills
for which would be sent to Captain
Erb.
"One of her favorite means of ex-
tracing money" continued Mrs. Ber-
lin, 4" was to go to his friends and
represent that the captain had not
paid, for furniture bought on the in
stallment plan, which would be taken
away if the money were not forth
coming. In this way she secured
sums of money from these people.
Her Many Silk Stockings
"You would be amazed if / were to
tell you the number of bills that must
still be paid by the estate that were
contracted in the name of the captain
by his wife. 1t was enough to drive
a man mad. After the trial, when
she was in Jail in Media, several
dozen pairs of silk stockings were re-
moved from under that famous chiff-
onier you have heard about and taken
to her at the Jail. She would never
wash or mend silk stockings, but
would throw them away after she had
worn them two or three times"
Other instances of the widows al
legged eXtravagances were related by
Captain Erb's sister during the lulls
in the trial, and she wound up with
the statement that Mrs. Erb would not
get penny from her husbands es-
tate. and that she would never again
come into possession of Red Cab
les."
RED Gables is closed for good"
said Mrs. Berlin.
Widows Attitude.
That Mrs. Erb is not confident Of
the result of the inventory being taken
of Captain Erb's estate is shown by
the fact that she has already, through
her attorney, George Wharton Pepper,
filed widows exemption claim for
$500 in the Orphans court of Phila-
delphia
Letters of administration have been
granted to Miss Kate Erb, the cap
tain's sister.
! AS Mrs. Berlin has been helping her
sister in arranging the affairs of the
dead man, she is in an excellent posi-
ton to know in just what condition
the estate is.
Why Widow Wants Revolver
Mrs. Erb. who, with her sister, is
now in Atlantic City recuperating
from the strain of the trial, has taken
steps to obtain the revolver with
which the shooting was done at Red
Cables on the fatal night of Octo-
Der 6.
In explanation of an attachment di-
rected to District Attorney MacDade
to surrender the revolver it is said
that it is necessary for the common
wealth to return all property Of a
prisoner when acquitted. and that the
revolver belonged to Mrs. Erb was
proven beyond doubt.
The facts are these: Mrs. Erb de-
clared she did not care what became
of the weapon. w. C. Alexander, her
junior counsel. requested it as SOU
venir. Mrs. Erb requested District
Attorney MacDade to give it to him
This was the attachment"
1t was said today that the man
who sent threatening letters to Judge
Johnson and to the attorneys for the
defense in the Erb case is known
and that he will probably be placed
under arrest. The offense is serious
one. and if the Judge takes the letters
seriously their writer can be sent to
prison for long term of years.
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