The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03

with some article of food on the table,
she said He blamed it on me. He
swore at me and I ran to my room. He
followed and yelled at me, You must leave
this house at ONCE or I will blow your
brains outr He got his revolver and
put it away again. I got it and hid 1t.
When he came home later, he demanded
it and chased me to the library and as L
took the revolver from behind some books
he caught me and grabbed for the pistol.
As we struggled for the weapon he de-
iberately bent over a davenport, put his
knee on my stomach and pressed till L
cried for mercy and let go of the re-
volver."
Mrs. Erb had to be helped to her room,
she said, and next morning was ordered
to leave the house.
After telling of her movements she said
she went to the Erbtown house in Phila-
delphia.
ut was there" she said, that the col
ored man. Poulson, climbed into my win
dow one night to open the door when 1
would not let the captain in"
Spreadeagle Incident
She then went on to tell of the so-called
snreadeagle incident. After first insulting
her in the presence of the housekeeper by
calling ber names he told her he was go
ing to spreadeagle her.
Getting some straps he threw me on a
sofa she said. I am going to begin
now he shouted I am going to make
# hot for you He did not do it, but
swung his first under my chin and drove
my teeth through my tongue He kept
me on the sofa until o'clock In the
morning, threatening to spreadeagle me,
but finally he decided not to do SO.
Zone summer afternoon he picked my
sister up and threw her out of the house
Later he began choking her. I will choke
the life out of you,' he said. I'll put that
other eye on the bum, SO that you can
get another glass one,' he cried. l thought
he was killing her, so l grabbed up
whisky bottle off the table and hit him on
the back of the head. He dropped Mrs
Besel and we ran for our lives
Hunting New Home.
On the day of the shooting of the cap
! tain. Mrs Erb said she had gone to olney'
inst outside of Philadelphia, to look at a
house as she intended to live apart from
her husband after making settlement
with him. She returned to Red GABLES
that night with her sister. but when she
learned that the captain was coming
| home from Philadelphia she advised her
sister to go back to Philadelphia but she
decided to go to the Village Green hotel.
captain E,rb, she said, flew into
pa ssion when he heard that Mrs. Belsel
had been at the house. She went to
the hotel herself, with her two maids,
and remained there with her sister un-
til late in the evening before return
ing TO Red Gables. When she entered
the house, Captain Erb rushed out OF
his room and when she tried to get
mast him at the head of the stairs he
intercepted her
HE struck me on the breast she
said land tried to pull me into his
room I fought him and finally got
away and picked up brass cuspldor
and threw it at him. did not stop TO
see whether it struck him, but ran to
my room. I heard him following ours
ing me. He was almost upon me when
I grabbed up vase of flowers and
hurled it at him. Then 1 got into my
room and locked the door"
The Fatal Clash.
Mrs. Erb the telephoned for her sis
ter. The latter went into the bath
room when she arrived and came in
time to meet the captain coming out OF
his room carrying revolver.
1.-THE captain" she continued, aimed
the pistol at me as / came out OF my
room and exclaimed: TIL get rid of you
nowp / screamed and ran into my
room.
Mrs Beisel flew at my husband. I
| heard the shutting of feet and then
heard a shot Then more shots. When
all was quiet 1 looked out of my room
| and l saw my husband lying on his
/ face and my sister unconscious on the
| floor beside him. I ran wildly down
| the stairs to call for help"
! With the defense beginning it's tes-
timony today it is believed the trial
will be concluded about the middle Of
| next week