The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-17

Mrs Cordes, Unable 70 Raise
IS. 600 Bal. WIN Spend
Night ii Jail.

Unable to furnish the $4,000 bond
iesnapded for her appearance before
me Grand jury ~ Alexandria. Va.
f6lloufne = hearfzle this at erfaDcn
lyefOre Alexandria coroiler's
~ Rettie Cordes. of sIs
oronoco. street. Alexandra, held in
cOnnectiof, with the fatal shooting
OF Bernard A. Ehrmantraut, So
Tenth street southeast. at her home
on December 81, will spend tonight
in a cell in the Alexandra jail.
Tells story 70 Jurors.
Mrs. Cordes refused to appear be-
fore the cOrOner's jury during the
public hearing of the case, but later
was called to annear before the
members OF the jury behind locked
doors.
Her appearance before the jury
was speedily followed by the fix.
ing OF the 5000 bond by Judge
Frederick G. Duvall. The grand
jury, before which she must APP
pear, will not be in session until
next July. The woman's lawyer,
W. s. Snow, declared that his
client would be able to furnish
the bond required by tomorrow.
Detective Testifies.
The coroner's jury found that
Ei1rmantraut "canle to his death
from the effects of guTshot
wound in the left hip fired De-
cernber 81, between 4 and o'clock
p. M, at SIS Oronocle street by
some one unknown to the jury,
and died January Is in the Prov
idence Hospital, Washington, d. c.,
due to blood poisoning caused by
the wound"
Detective Sergeant E.. j. Kelly,
Of the Washington police headquar.
tiers staff, was the first witness
called during the afternoon. He
testified that, following his visit
to Alexandria to arrest Mrs. Cordes,
she told him that on December 81,
the day of the shooting, Ehrman.
traut came to her home shortly be.
fore o'clock in the evening and
found her sick in bed
Accident. Her Claim.
She said, Kelly testified. that
drunk, then undressed and insisted
on getting in bed wit hher. She
declared that when she resisted he
got up, went to the bureau. and
took out a revolver. She said he
came to the bedside and fired a
shot into the wall, after which he
dropped the gun. She said she
got out of bed, Kelly continued
and picked up the gun. whereupon
1t was accidentally discharged, the
bullet striking Ehrmantraut.
Lee Outlaw, Washington taxi
driver, testified that he drove
Ehrmantraut to Alexandria on the
afternoon of the shooting and that
he later went back and picked
Ehrmantraut up and brought him
back to Washington, taking him to
916 First street southwest. He said
he later brought woman to this
address from 26 Seventh street
southeast, and also brought a DIR.
Valentine to the place.
Husband at Hearing.
Albert Wilson, colored, who lives
at the First street address, said he
had been employed as a driver by
Ehrmantraut's father. He said the
injured man told him he had been
shot by negroes and said that the
injured man had had his wounds
dressed at the house and had later
been taken away by the woman in
a taxi-cab.
Mrs. Cordes, when called before
the Jury behind locked doors, was
accornpanied by Snow, who later
told a Times reporter that she had
merely corroborated Sergeant kel.
Iy's testimony.
Mrs. Cordes' husband, though
very Ill from influenza, attended
the hearing.
Mrs. Cordes, arrested last night,
Continued on Page 2, Column g.