New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-02
Mrs. De Saulles Acquitted;
To Get Possession of Her Son

fell upon her said the lawyer, refer
ring for the first time in his argument
70 her "lapse-of -memory" defence.
Mrs. De Saulles's lawyer then
bent his energy toward ofsetting the
claim Of the prosecution that she had
fred every shot into her victim while
his back was turned-a point THAT
had been driven home in the minds
Of the jurors az every opportunity
that presented itself TO the resource
iUl prosecutor.
"Why. she fired as an irrational per
son would" he said. "She fired hve
shots, and the body showed that the
fret took effect in the knuckle Of the
back OF the right hand. showing tnat
he had lifted his arm IN this way
Wkercupon The attorney, straight
cned UP to his entire height Of SIX
feet four inches and reenacted the
tragedy for the benefit Of the jurors
as he insists 10 occurred. lie slowly
turned about until his back was turned
10 the Jury box, indicating the spots
on his own body where, he insists. the
volley from Mrs. De Saulles's gift re-
volver took effect ia that Of the former
Yale quarterback.
lie rc-read the Dada" letters, writ
ten BIZ Mrs. De SaUlles while the first
flush OF motherhood was upon ner; ne
told Of her alteration Of the nan who
had wooed her as q girl Of sixteen; Of
the coming 70 the United States, and
OF her gradual establishments
There was scarcely a dry eye IN the
courtroom. excepting that of the seem
inclv apathetic subject of the address,
when the lawyer made his concluding
appeal. Mrs. De Saulles held one hand
TO her face and stared into space. while
several women sobbed audb!y, ana
there was trace Of moisture IN the
ewes Of more than one OF the Whlte-
haired jurors. :,
at wasn't the pale, anemic wife OF
former DAYS that Jack De Saulles was
up against that night at The Box" said
Uterhart. ale was up against the
greatest force the woEld ever has
known. lie was up against the maternal
instinct-the driving power that MADE
her irresistible.
when something snapped in the
head of Mrs. De Saulles it cast cloud
over that part Of her brain which
makes one think and act independently
and left ner only her subconsclous
mind. II is this mind that is pictured
by the experts as the automatic MIND;
il is the mind that governs the ma
ternal instinct. =,
"Had Mrs. De Saulles been rational
something would have told her: stop,
Blanca; there are court, judges and
juries to protect you, and this man
cannot keep your child. He must give
il up. Don't shoot
"But that wire had snapped. There
was no connection, and she acted just
as the wild tiger would act If you
stuck your hand into its lair and seized
one of its cubs. She fought back with
all her power, and this is the result
Calls Shooting Uniustified
District Attorney Weeks opened his
address with & plea TO the jurors to
forget the sentimental pleas, the sex
Of the defendant and the position in
society she held.
when you came into this jury box
you took an oath to administer the law,
TO see that justice was done, and now
call upon you to keep faith with me.
with this court and with yourselves"
he said.
"Much has been said Of the bad
habits and the faults of De Saulles,
ana i understand lndL LHtIt NtiS many
of them but there is nothing in the
law that justifies the shooting Of
man because he has bad habits.
"The defendant possesses mind as
keen, as alert and as bright as any |
ever have seen in courtroom. Her
acts on the night of the shooting and
after the tragedy have been those of
rational human being. Her pause to
tell her taxi driver where he could OBJ
tain his pay, her remarks to those
about her, the evidences of considera-
tion for her maid, Susanna, all point
to a rational, sane condition.
The lawyer then reverted TO the
point upon which he has dwelt as the
most conclusive evidence of the sanity
of Mrs. De Saulles-her summoning OF
the police after the shooting.
when she had killed De Saulles she
placed her revolver upon the table and,
turning TO those about her, said Now
call the police Is not that evidence
of knowledge that she had committed
a crime? Could you ask for more con
vincing proof that she knew the quality
of her act? That il was wrong: