New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-16
NEWMAN ERB
VICTIM OF POISON
TAKEN ON TRAIN
Railroad Head Swallows
BichlOride of Mercury
by Mistake.
TO HOME,
CRITICALLY ILL
News of His Condition Causes
Sharp Decline in Minneapolis
and st. Louis Securities.

and 81. LOUIS Securities.
Bichloride of mercury tablets, car
ried in a bottle that once contained
/ bicarbonate of soda and which still
! bore the original label, may cause the
/ death of Newman Erb, railroad presi-
/ dent, copper magnate and financier,
/ who took two of the tablets Tuesday
/ afternoon.
/ At The Corners, Mr.. Erbs summer
home at Deal, n. j.. it WIS said last
night that his condition was critical,
although he was not suffering much
pain. Members of the family declared
| that the drug was taken in error, Mr..
/ Erb believing that he was swallowing
/ bicarbonate of soda tablets to relieve
a slight headache and an attack of in
/ digestion.
/ The news OF the serious illness Of
Mr.. Erb caused sharp decline yes
/ terday in the stocks and bonds of the
/ Minneapolis e. St. Louis Railroad, OF
which he is president. The improve
ment in the condition Of this road in
the last couple of years has been large
| ~ due to the efforts of Mr.. Erb. The
4 per cent bonds declined from 4S12 to
A. The common stock showed loss
of 3 points for the day and the pre-
/ ferred stock points.
Besides being a director OF a dozen
or more railroads, Mr.. Erb also is
president of the Tennessee, Alabama
/ & Georgia Railroad and the British
Columbia Copper Company.
Drug Taken on Train.
On Monday Mr. Erb went to Phila-
delphia. He returned to Deal that
night, and next morning went TO his
Office, at AZ Broadway. Returning, he
boarded a train leaving the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Terminal at 2:3O p. m,
for Elberon, which station is nearest
his home. At Newark he suffered an
attack Of Indigestion, and reached IN
his grip for bottle containing the BIZ
carbonate of soda. Instead, he picked
m a similar container and swallowed
two of the tablets. He carried the
bichloride of mercury for treating
cut on the leg, it was said.
Mr.. Erb became i'll almost at once.
The conductor had the station agent
at Matawan telephone to The Corners.
David W. Matthews, Mr.. Erb's valet,
was the only occupant of the house
Both of the railroad man automo-
biles were out with members OF the
family, and the valet hurried to the
Elberon station and engaged taxicab.
"My God! | have swallowed bi-
chloride of mercury by mistake!" SAID
Mr.. Erb, according to the valet, as he
was assisted from the train.
Matthews drove to the home OF Dr.
Robert Orenbach. The physician was
on the golf links, but the servant went
70 the kitchen, found several eggs and
beat up the whites, as a "frst aid
Mr.. Erb swallowed this. He was then
taken home.
Mrs. Jesse Mayer, daughter Of Mr.
Frb. who lives at The Corners with her
two children and husband. New YORK
stockbroker, and Mrs. Irving NJ. Often
hoefer. another daughter. who has a
summer place at West End. Long
RranC, were summoned by telephone.
Dr Edwin 6. Sternberger soon arrived.
Late Tuesday night DR.. Leo kessler, OF
Mount Sinai Hospital, an expert IN the
troatment of bichloride of mercury
noisonirp. was summoned. He remained
over night. returned to Manhattan IN
the morning. and went back to Mr..
Erb's bedside last evening.
Prescribed for Himself.
DR.. Ofenbach, the Erb family physi-
scian. said that Mr.. Erb had oeen IN
Good health all summer. He had not
been called to atteI him once, he said,
until Tuesday afternoon. He said Mr..
Frb's knowledge of medicine was con-
siderable, and said that he delighted
in doctoring himself for minor all
ments. DR.. Ofenbach said that hrp
received a cut on his leg recently, ana
that he understood he was IN the haolt
of cleansing the wound WITH Solution
of bichloride of mercury.
Mr.. Erb was vice-presldent Oh ne
Pere Marquette system IN 1898: ne
built the St. Louis, Memphis d South
western line, now part OF the Frisco
system. and is at ! re ent a director OF
tbe Wisconsin Central. Ann Arbor,
Chattanooga Southern, Manistique and
Lake Superior railroads, as well as OF
the Empire Trust Company, the United
! c,o,ae Iioht and Car Heating Com