New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-20
Chilean Heiress Listless as
Murder Charge Is Pressed
at Mineola
Insanity Will Be
Pleaded by Defence
Talesmen Picked on Prop
osition State Must Show
Her Sane When She Shot
[Staf Correspondence

crly, fatherly men, chosen out Of
miscellany of ten times that number Of
their Nassau County peers, sat in the
Jury box facing little Mrs. Blanca De
Saulles this afternoon when the rap
of Justice David Manning's gavel
closed the first session of her trial for
the murder of Jack De Saulles, her di-
vorced husband.
In the end chair was John c. Bucken,
Of Rockville Centre, for many years
lookkeeper for ]. P. Morgan Goa
man of family and of substance; big,
gray and rudy, with the punched end
of a Communication ticket peeping out of
his waistcoat pocket.
Retired Grocer Is Chosen.
To Bucken's left was Philip H. Ohm,
who sold his Richmond Hill grocery
store in 1908 and settled down In Bell
more to enjoy his competence in re-
tirement so complete that he confessed
before they lifted him out of it he had
rever read nor heard of Blanca De
Saulles and her troubles.
Juror No. was distinguished not
only by the kindly aura Of his neigh
bors, but by Christmassy white beard
that well matched it. He was Edward
X. Pietsch, of Roslyn Heights, an cleo
trical engineer.
IL was the boy of the jury who occu>
MED the fourth seat. Louis Comellas
was his name, and Freeport his home.
For suburban real estate agent of this
day he must have led singularly IN
worried life. With not thread of gray
in his hair or mustache, he confesses to
ffty-one years.
These four were men of the type
which the defence seemed anxious to
have chosen to sit in judgment on the
frar nilean donna who, as will be 'on-
tended. was carried away beyond le-
gally measurable responsibility by love
of her son when she took the life Of
the boys father. Each Of them was
himself a father; each of an age in
which human understanding and SYM
pathies come most fully into play.
Burden Seems on State
More than that, a great burden OF
proof appeared to have been trans
ferred to the shoulders of the state in
the examination which preceded the
seating Of each juror. The proposition
of the defence or which Iney were &C
cepted was that the prosecution must
establish beyond doubt the sanity and
responsibility of Mrs. De Saulles at
the moment she turned loose on JACK
De Saulles the fire Of his gift revolver.
Thus it is left only TO build up that
doubt No dispute as to the facts OF
the shooting is contemplated. Upon one
talesman after another Henry A. Uter-
hart, Of counsel for Mrs. De Saulles,
impressed as ne went along that every
concrete criminal circumstance which
the state can adduce is admitted IN ad-
vance. But there is nevertheless an
expert alienist, as yet unnamed by the
defence, held in the background as
trump.
IL still lacked a few minutes Of 10
o'clock when Mrs. De Saulles, crossing
the threshold Of the courtroom, made
her first public appearance since the
night of August last when she walked
into her erstwnile husbands home, on
Hempstead Plains, demanded that little
lack be restored TO her custody, and
then. at the word Of refusal, blazed
away.
Mrs. Phineas Seaman, white-haired
wife of the Sheriff to whom Mrs. DE
Saulles surrendered after the shooting,
was at her side. To the younger wom-
an she has been more mother con-
lessor than jailer during the last few
months.
Greeted by Relatives
Al the door the two paused. From
the spectators benches had sprung the
defendants brother, Guillermo, and her
sister Amalia, with whom she had
shared a commanding position IN Cnll.
ga, societv when the uncle OF all Of
them was President Of the republic
and the family fortune was intact.
In the greeting and the brief chat
that followed Mrs. De Saulles seeme1
10 have exhausted all the vivacity at
her command. Throughout the rest OF
the day she was so listless as almost
70 appear Indifferent 10 what was trans
spiring. She rose mechanically at a
nudge from Mr.. Uterhart ween Justice
Manning came from chambers in his
robes. and seated herself at another
nudge.
II had been expected that she would
Bend her intuition 70 counsel IN the
5ask Of picking jury. She did no such
ching. Her fate, so far as she seemed
concerned, was out Of her hands. In
Che position into which she sank after
court had been opened she remained as
inanimate as doll, her cheeks as white
as the uncolored bisque, her jet black
hair combed straight back from q mar
bic forehead, and caught in a loose knot
on her neck.
White and black, too. was her cos
tune; the white waist Of crepe de
chine, the skirt Of silk and black.
Her big eyes, when now and again
she opened them wide and lifted them
toward the chair % which talesmen
succeeded IN an endless series, were
dolls eyes. blank and unseeing. Most
y they were downcast, hypnotically en-
gagged with the CLEAN Of patent leather
on heeting display beneath the hem OF
her skirt.
Eleven talesmen had been painstak-
tnRly examined and either excused by
NE court or peTemptorily challenged
before Bucken was reached.
Talesmen Challenged
Thomas J Mclaughlin. an insurance
man o. Hampstead looked 10 long at
the defendant and Was 20 uncertain az
Ter his inspection Of his attitude on
the question o. capital punishment that