Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-29
GRACE TRIAL OPENS
Woman Charged With Trying
to Kill Husband.
JURY is QUICKLY CHOSEN
Large Crowd Fills the Courtroom at
Atlanta.
RUMORS AS TO THE DEFENSE
Alleged Victim, Paralyzed From the
Waist Down, Is Present at
the Proceedings.
RUMORS AS TO THE DEFENSE

ATLANTA, Ca, July 29.-Dasie Ulrich
Opie Grace was placed on trial today on
the charge of having attempted to kill
her husband Eugene II. Grace. last
March. Accompanied by her mother and
a. nurse, Mrs. Grace appeared in the
courtroom early, and after the charge
against her had been read pleaded not
guilty Her voice carried to all parts of
the room, and she appeared cool under
the gaze of spectators.
The work of selecting jurors pro-
ceeded rapidly. and when court ad-
journed at noon the entire panel had
been named.
After the jury had been chosen the
invalid husband, paralyzed from the
waist down, was carried into the court
room Mrs. Grace was worked up to
such a pitch of excitement that a
trained nurse administered a hypo-
dermic She looked frequently at her
husband but finally hitched her chair
about so that one of her attorneys OBJ
secured her view. Grace was brought
from his mothers home, at Newman Ga.
After quiet was restored the prose-
cutor called the first witness for the
state. Policeman r. \. Wood, who went
to the Grace home the morning of the
shooting.
Repeats His Accusation.
Before leaving Newman Grace reiterated
his accusation against his wife with the
declaration that woman shot me, SO help
me Cod
Various rumors were in circulation as
to the defense which would be made by
counsel for Mrs. Grace, but no state
ments In this connection could be OBJ
tanned from an authoritative source.
Owing to the belief in the minds Of
many that sensational revelations will
be developed as the trial progresses, the
courtroom was crowded. Judge L. s..
Roam presided
Grace told the police who found him in
his bedroom in the afternoon of March
( that his wife had shot him hours be-
fore. while he was in bed asleep, and that
she then had gone off on visit. previous
ly arranged, to his mother in Newman.
Mrs Grace, an attractive woman, several
wears her husbands senior. was located
In Newman and returned to Atlanta of
her own accord. She was arrested here
as she stepped from the train. At the
hospital her husband accused her to her
face.
Admitted to bail the day after the
shooting. Mrs. Grace was rearrested when
her husbands condition took turn for
the worse. Several times since then at
different stages Of the case she has been
rearrested and as often released under
bond. During one of these intervals OF
freedom she paid visit to Philadelphia
to see her mother and young blind son
by a former marriage. Finally she was
indicted by the grand jury on the charge
of assault with intent to murder
Despaired Of His Life.
From the first physicians despaired OF
Grace's life. Before he left the hospital
here he was told that he could not live.
The bullet penetrated lung and reached
his spinal cord. The lower part Of his
body is paralyzed. Repeatedly he has
denounced his wife and declared she shot
him for a twenty-seven-thouSa
life insurance policy taken out at her re-
quest.
Within two months after the death of
Mrs Graces first husband, a wealthy
Philadelphia named Opie, she married
Grace They came to Atlanta to live.
With money which Mrs. Grace claims
she furnished Grace set himself up in
business as a building contractor.