Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-20
New Form
Of Insanity
to Be Plea
'Dementia Materna" the
Defense Of Mrs. De Saul
les, on Trial for the Muir
der of Husband.

Mineola, L. l., Nov. 20.-"Dementia
materna" is the plea that is to be ad-
vanced in an effort to save Mrs. Blanca
De Saulles from conviction and possi-
bly, death, for the murder OF her for
mer husband. John Longer De saulles.
AS the trial Of the beautiful Chilean
heiress is taking its place with other
sensational struggles of New York's
court history this new pfea promises
to rival the famous "dementia Ameri-
cana" of the Thaw case.
WANT "soUARE JAWED MEN,"
Attorneys. for the defense are deter
mined to get jury of square jawed
men"to pass on this plea. After re-
peated appeals for possession OF her
five-year- old son. Jack, 1t will be ar
gued that Mrs. De Saulles' mind was SO
affected that she was Temporarily ir-
Responsible.
Going to The Box" the De Saulles
home, she made a final effort to OBJ
tain the boy. The dashing young
clubman she had divorced turned his
back on her. Then she killed him.
Four jurors had been accepted when
court reconvened today.
DEFENDANT uNMovEp.
Mrs. De Saules, pale, as an ivory
figure. listless and .demure, listened
apparently unmoved to the preliminary
wrangles in the battle for her life.
She seemed the most unconcerned
person in the room.
The battery Of four prosecutors had
one stock question: Would the fact
that De Saulles had been divorced by
this defendant for infidelity on his
part influence you in your verdict in
this case"
The state expects surprise attempt
by the defense to expose some Of Do
Saulles secret y life in court, probably
stage characters.
FEARFUL OF TRAP.
The defense is also wary of a sus-
pected prosecution trap. When Utter
hart has proved through alienists that
Mrs. De Saulles suffered from de
mentia materna" when she killed her
former husband the prosecution-if
convinced first degree murder YER
dict Is Impossible, is expected to pro-
duce expert witnesses to prove Mrs.
De Saulles still insane and send her
to an asylum. Or, failing in this,
alienists may testify that a woman
subject to sudden lapses into homici-
DIAL mania Is not a fit mother for little
Jack, five, for whose possession Mrs.
De Saulles yearns above all else.
A fifth Juror was obtained after six
talesmen had been examined during
the morning today. He IS William b.
Jones, q real estate man of Freeport.
The sixth Juror. John A. Ellard, a
superintendent Of construction work,
was accepted by both sides and sworn
Just before adjournment was taken for
luncheon.
PRISONERS MOTHER OVERCOME.
Mrs Errazuriz Veraga, aged mother
of Mrs. Blanca De Saulles, who trav-
eled the thousands of miles from Val
paraiso, Chile, to be with her daughter
during her trial on murder charge,
was overcome in the courtroom, this
afternoon. She swooned and suffered
a partial collapse at hearing attorneys
asking prospective jurors whether they
were opposed to capital punishment.
DR.. ]. Sherman Wright attended Mrs.
Vegara. She has a weak heart, the
physician said, and the sight Of her
beautiful daughter on trial for her life
for the killing of her former husband
was more than she could stand.
MRS De Saulles was unmoved as her
4,