The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-01
NO HOLIDAY GRANTED
IN ERB-BEISEL CASE
Fourth Day of Trial Begins
in Media, and Defense Has
High Hope.
CONTINUED from First Pase5


tunity 20 place this material before the
jury.
This knowledge, however has not
caused the defense TO alter it's plans and
the positive announcement is made to-
day that both women viii Doe called as
witnesses when the defense is ready to
put its case Iu-
Ine prosecution scored a big point in
Its effort 10 show a conspiracy when il
placed ON the stand q salesman from a
Philadelphia department store who tes-
TINED 10 selling Mrs. ETb two reyolvers
last February one of which, he tCsti-
heds Mrs Erb had ordered delivered TO
lhe home OF her sister, Mrs. BeiseL
Prosecutions Hope
The prosecution looks upon this bit
of evidence as a strong link in the chain
OF circumstantiaI evidence being woven
il support of the contention that Cap
tuin Erb was not killed on the spur of
The moment but that his death had been
planned for a number of months, ex-
tending over the period that Captain
and Mrs. Erb had frequent quarrels.
The testimony OF the revolver Dur
chased tor Mrs, Beisei by Mrs. Erb was
one of the little sensations of the day.
Tor II was one OF the very few bits OF
testimony that was absolutely new, the
1acl never having become public before
yesterday.
Eugene PouIson, the negro coachman.
VINO Inquired so prominently I'm the do
mestlc troubles of the Erbs for q seW
weeks previous TO the Red Gable fra
gedy was on the stand for some time.
ana told or many quaTrels between his
master and Mrs. Erb.
COachman Testifes.
Poulson testified that while he was
in Captain Erb's room on September 18.
preceding the shooting. when Captain
Erb was sick Mrs. Erb came into the
room with a revolver in her hand.
Il was giving Captain Erb some medi-
cine, said the negro in testifying, land
when Mrs Erb came into the room
with the revolver, she told me she would
XIII me II came upstairs again. 80
P0ulsOn told OF another quarrel at
ked Gables during which dishes and
glass were thrown about the house AT
that time the COlOred man said CAPTAIN
Erb had called to him and told him 10
so Tor a constable, when Mrs Erb
o1rerhearing the order. said. speaking TO
the captain:
IF you do, you know what's coming. %
Despite the fact that IL is New Year
Day. there was as large a crowd about
the Media court this morning as there
mas been during any day OF the trial
and there was the same morbid cuTios-
Sly to see the two sisters as they en-
tered the court room as has been dis
Holiday Crowd Present.
New Year Day being a holiday offered
more people an opportunity to come 10
the trial Especially keen is the inter
est anent the manner in which Mrs.
.Erb secured the revolver with which
Captain Erb was shot. Ii was under
stood all along that "Clayt' Erb pre-
scented this handsome and deadly 60
caiiber Colt weapon to his wife so thar
IN his absence from Red Gables" she
could protect herself.
1T was therefore a distinct surDrisa
that the prosecution sprung when -hev
introduced Witness William Kuhn from
a Philadelphia department store. He
identified the pistol with which Cap
tain Erb was shot as one sold bv him
self 20 Mrs, ETb last February ans reSti-
fed that on the same day Mrs. Erb
had sent a .38-callber revolver 10 ga
person named BeIsel."
For haIT an hour after court convened
this morning there was an argument as
20 the admission of certain testimony
which the Commonwealth desired % i'm
trOduCe, but which was objected TO by
counsel for the defendants II was
stated that this testimony vas OF a
nature attacking the past life OF Mrs.
Erb, based upon discoveries made by
the detectives who have been 1T work
on the case beginning before the death
OF Captain Erb.
District Attorney AiCDade said this
morning that he hoped 20 have all tile
testimony for the prosecution before the
jury by tonight
Both women appeared ina court TODAY,
both iu better spirits than have been
displayed by them during the trial be-
fore. Mrs. Belsel. usually sad-faced
and quiet was jolly and laughed and
jOked as she talked with her lawyers
while waiting for court TO convene.