Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-04
KILLS DIVORCED
HUSBAND TO GET
CUSTODY OF SON
Wealthy Woman Sought Her
Child After Divorcing Ath-
lete and Political Leader
is SOCIALLY PROMINENT
DeSaulles Had Declined APP
pointment as u. S. Min
lister to Uruguay
BY associated Press

New York, Aug. A. Repeated
differences over the custody of their
son, four and one-half years old,
whom the mother was ANXIOUS to
take with her on visit to her own
nome in Chile, were assigned to-day
as the cause of the murder last night
of John Longer de Saulles by bis
divorced wife, Mrs. Blanca EIrazurjz
de Saulles. Mrs. de Saulles spent
last night in the Jail at Mineola,
Long Island, where she was taken
after a brief hearing which resulted
In her being charged with first de-
gree murder
Beyond sending for her attorney
and notifying her mother in South
America, of her arrest, Mrs. de
Saulles declined to make q state
ment.
Quarreled Over Son
The story of the shooting, as
pieced together by the police, serves
to confirm the belief expressed to-
day that the repeated quarrels over
the custody of the child, was the
only cause for the murder. Mrs. dc
Saulles, who has a summer home at
Roslin motored over to the cottage
occupied by her former husband last
night and requested that her son be
allowed to spend August with her.
Mr.. de Saulle refused the request and
then followed few moments of
earnest conversation between the
two and Mr.. de Saulles turned as If
to enter the house when Mrs. de
Saulles shot him five times in the
back. He died soon after being
taken to a hospital.
Interesting CourtShip
Last nights shooting came 'as d
climax to a romance that interested
two continents. 1t started with the
courtship in South America in the
spring of 1910 when de Saulles went
to Chile as a representative of a
company interested in railroad con-
struction. A year later he married
Blanca Errazuriz in Paris. At the
time of his marriage de Saulles
spoke of his wife as the loveliest
girl in the world" and the first intl-
nation that the couple were not
happy came to their friends in .July
of last year when Mrs. de Saulles
began a suit for divorce and named
popular Broadway dancer and
actress as correspondent.
Although reputed to be worth
MANY millions in her own right Mrs.
de Saulles was awarded alimony of
$500 n month, which was to be cut
in half should she remarry.
De SaulleS Popular
John Longer de Saulles first won
prominence as a quarterback at Yale
and after his graduation he carried
his popularity among college men
into politics, successfully heading
two organizations, during the cam
paign of 1912 for the election of
President Wilson and second for the
election of Mayor Mitchell. AS a re-
ward for his work in 1912 President
Wilson appointed Mr.. de Saulles
minister to Uruguay, but he never
visited that country, preferring to
decline the honor to engage in the
real estate business in this city
He was the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Arthur de Saulles of South Bethle-
hem, Pa. His father, who was n
major on the staff of General Polk
of the Confederate Army, was one
of the witnesses of the shooting last
night. Mrs. de Saulles is twenty
three years old, a member of one of
the richest families of South Am
erica and a niece. of a one-time
president of Chile.
Message From Mother
Tt was recalled to-day that sew
eral months ago shortly before Mrs.
de Saulles applied to the court for
permission to take her son on a visit
to Chile that a message of few
words was delivered to her by n
priest. The messenger. the Rev.
James Kent Stone of the Passionist
Fathers in South America. said that
he came more than 1000 miles to
deliver the message and refused TO
disclose its contents. The message
is said to have been delivered to the
priest by the mother of Mrs. de
Saulles, who pledged him to secrecy.