The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-12-07
ST. CLAIR ON TRIAL FOR
MURDER
State Presents It's Case-De-
fense Puts st. Clair on Stand
Insanity the Plea.


of his wife September 8 on the road
between Montuor and Sweet, was
called in district court Monday and is
still in progress. Large crowds from
all sections of Gem county crowd the
court house at each days sessions.
A jury was secured Tuesday after
noon, after the regular panel OF 40
was exhausted and seven of the spe-
ial venire of Is were examined. The
personnel of the jury is as follows:
B. B. Davis, Emmett, former drug
gist; ]. B. Middleton, Emmett, farm
,er: Arthur A. Richards, Emmett, fruit
grower; A. E. Pomeroy, Letha, dairy
man; Frank J. Edwards, Emmett,
capitalists; E. Nichols, Falk, farmer;
John c. Jensen, Pearl, farmer; Fred
Raish, Emmett, fruitgrower; Joseph
I. Guthrie, Emmett, farmer; Boise
Riggs, Sr., Emmett, farmer; L. Dres-
ser, Emmett, farmer; Louis Ober-
meyer, Emmett, farmer.
County Attorney ]. P. Reed is being
assisted by D. L. Rhodes, prosecuting
attorney of Boise county and E. j..
Frawley of Boise. St. Clair is repre-
scented by Wood, Driscoll & Wood,
with Judge Wood and Cartee Wood in
charge.
]. P. Reed, prosecuting attorney
made the opening statement to the
jury, declaring that the state would
show that st. Clair married the wife
he killed, in October 1912, and from
that time on the husband and wife had
frequent partings and reconciliations
up to the time of the tragedy, and
further that the state expected to
show that the defendant had develop
ed an intense hatred for his wife and
threatened to kill her.
He announced the state would show
a child was born to them, boy, now
aged three years, and that the last
separation occurred in Washington in
December 1915. After this st. Clair
threatened to come to Idaho and kill
his wife and father-in-law if necessary
to get his child, it was stated.
Mr.. Reed told the jury that in Aug
ust 1916 Mrs. ST. Clair commenced
suit for divorce at Emmett and asked
for absolute custody of the child. He
then took up the tragedy and told how
on September 8 st. Clair had hired
an automobile at Boise to drive to
Horseshoe Bend in search of his wife
and child, and after long trip had
met his wife and baby boy and his
father-in-law on the road between
Montour and Sweet, drew the gun
and stopped the team, had 10-minute
with his wife over the pos
session of the boy, which Mrs. st.
Clair had in her arms, and upon her
refusal to give up the child, the de-
fendant shot his wife five times.
The prosecutor then told the jury
how st. Clair had attempted to pre-
vent his father-in-law from driving
on, but how he had whipped him off
and drove with his daughter to Sweet
for medical aid. He next informed the
Jury of st. Clair's attempt to escape,
of his capture near Payette, and of his
making the statement in the presence
of several witnesses that he was glad
his wife had died.
The case opened with testimony
by DR.. M. Vadney of Sweet, in whose
office Mrs. St. Clair died on the even
ing of the tragedy, followed by Drs.
Clark and Reynolds of Emmett, all of
whom gave descriptions of the bullet
wounds, and testified that any of the
three which had entered the abdomen
would likely have proven fatal. DR..
Vadney testified that Mrs. st. Clair,
in his office, had said, "My husband
shot me and am going to die," and
DR.. Reynolds testified he heard her
say, 81 told you my husband would s
kill me-" which statement was made /
while there were several in the room
The testimony of the physicians was I
al to the effect that Mrs. st. Clair ]
vas conscious and rational up to with s
n a half hour before her death. S
The next witness was w. ]. Shilling, t
'ather of Mrs. st. Clair, who lives
,bove Montour and is farmer So
years old. The witness told of meet
ng st. Clair about II a. m. on Sep T
ember s, between Montour and Sweet, ?
Mrs. st. Clair and baby were along
md they were travelling towards d
sweet in lumber wagon. {
The automobile with St. Clair in it c
anne towards them and stopped. e
killing said: 81 kept on driving. st. b
lair got out of the automobile and n
anne running towards US calling, !.
stop, STOP l kept on driving and he Il
ulled out his gun and grabbed the a
mes on the horses and said, If you tt