Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-24
That Is What Renault Proves
to Be.
His Insanity Dodge Plea Fails
to Succeed.
A Jury Pronounces Him to Be a Sane
Man.
The Proceedings of Yesterday In the
Rape Fiend,s Trial-The Experts
Say He Is ALI Right.

The trial OF Jean Renault for insanity
was commenced before Judge Smith and
jury in department one of the superior
court yesterday forenoon, and lasted
throughout the day, resulting finally in
verdict that the defendant is at pres
sane man.
Wen court convened yesterday morn
ne following jury was selected from
tas sps,ial venire ordered by the court
the day previous, to try the defendant's
mental condition: Worth Keene, Sam
Prayer, P. 2. Keefer, r. w. Fowler, G..
A. Schroeder, T. G. Woodbury., J. &.
Nichols, John Moriarty, B. Mcclure, A.
Valla, A. j. Spencer and J. A. Inman.
Attorney Dawson objected to impanel-
ing jury to test the question OF Re-
nault's insanity, but the objection was
overruled and the trial proceeded, the
first testimony being introduced by
Renault's attorney to prove his client
insane.
sSDr. Nadeau was first called to the
stand and testified that he had known
the defendant for several years. Renault
had two hobbies, one of which was an
exaggerated idea of his success with
women. He was continually talking of
capturing erich widow" Another
hobby of his was that the Masons were
prosecuting him, and that all his trou-
bles were caused by that order.
DR.. w. A. Reed, Renault's physician,
testified that the defen 1ant came to him
for treatment for palpitation of the
heart. The witness thought, from bis
knowledge of Renauit and from the un-
natural dilation Of che pupil of the eye,
that he was suffering from softening of
the brain. On one occasion Renault
had seen the doctor coming out of a
patients house and asked him if there
were any young ladies in the place. The
witness told him that there were, and
Renallt haunted the house for days,
dressed in his best suit of clothes, in the
hope of catching a glimpse of some of
the ladies. The witness had known
Renault over since he lived in Los An
geles-some seven or eight years.
F. Eudell, proprietor of the Hotel
Strasburg, testified that Renault had
boarded with him about five years. He
was continually primping himself be-
fore mirror and when alone would
laugh to himself in silly manner.
William Teller, street grader and
contractor, testified that RenauIt
formerly worked for him ON the Laguna
ranch, until he fell in love with some
woman in the city, when he moved to
the Hotel Strasburg.
AT this point an adjournment was
taken till 80 p. m.
At the afternoon session Attorney
Horace Bell, who defended Renault on
49, f.. -. -, kAo
titled that he could never make his
client understand the enormity of his
offense. When discussing the matter
he seemed to consider it more of a joke
than anything else.
Renault himself was then called to
the stand and questioned closely in re-
gard to the events that occurred on May
18th last, on which day he is alleged to
have assaulted Mrs. Eicholz. He could
remember exactly every detail of the
affair except the assault, and in regard
to that, denied emphatically that he
even laid hand on Mrs. Eicholz. He
often had pains in his head, he said,
over the eyes, but his principal trouble
was with the heart. He admitted that
he had been arrested ON previous occa-
sion, two years ago, for an assault with
intent to commit rape, and also admit
ted having shot Martin Aguirre, at that
time sheriff. When Renault left the
stand, Attorney Damron announced that
his case was closed.
The state then called Mrs. Eicholz, the
complaining witness in the assault case,
who testified that Renault did not act
at all like crazy man when he came to
her house. His conversation was ra-
tional and he appeared to be perfectly
sane.
Drs. Cochran and Wernigk, who made
an examination of Renault at the county
Jail yesterday morning, and who sat in
the court room all day yesterday and
watched the defendant, were then called
as expert witnesses and gave
it as their unqualified opinion
that Renault, though perhaps little
eccentric, was perfectly sane man, and
able to distinguish between right and
wrong.
The testimony was then closed, and
Attorney Damron made an argument in
favor of the plea of insanity. District
Attorney McLachlan said that he would
leave the matter to the jury without
further discussion, and Judge Smith
read short instructions.
The jury left the court room at p.
m. and returned in less than ten min
utes, with verdict to the effect that
''the defendent Renault is at present
sane man."
The assault with intent to rape case
will be continued this morning at 10