The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-27
mrs. DfsAUllES TELLS
COURT HER SAD STORY
Her Husband Robbed Her OF Her
Money. Her Happiness. and
Sought to Take Her Baby.
sCoRNFUL WHEN HI HEARD
OF SIZE or HER FORTUNE,
Al Times Utterly without Funds, Al
though She Had Freely Signed
Checks for Faithless Man Who
Wrongcd and Neglected Her.

Mtneoia /. T.. y Y. Nov, cs.--Mrs.
blanca Erraxuriz DeSsulles' recital on
the witness stand today # The last
words spoken b. her husband. John
..onser Desaulles, before she slew him
me utSht OF August :. formed one CT
he most tragic and dramatic scenes
ever enacted ia courtroom The
slender arid beautiful little chilean.
who is lighting for her life against
charge Of murder. held the Toomful Of
spectators breathless. During pause
which seemed interminable. the wit
ness appeared either to be neryiuE her
self to respond 70 a question asked by
Justice Manning or 10 be striving to
reccliect some Of the act which eiuded
aer memoir. The stiffness was broken
only by the sob Of woman. when
which appeared entirely sloodiess, no
ANTI climax enFoed. Had she been
spehSlng a mart written b. the fore
most drsu1atist In the world no ef-
fect more perfect could have been
achieved.
Mr.. pesau.lcs said to re You
amt have harm tlttie jack. You can
never have him said Mira DeSaulles.
Z saw look come or his face--I was
s'pn7sd--I Rad frtsttfuI pain IN my
hest--"
sire paused ead Justice Manning
asked, kindly. TAKE ait the time you
Hsed. what happened next"
stfii Hesrs Ri. words.
&aother long Ta0Sc ensued during
whieh Mrs peSauiles appeared 10 be
br}GSirs rho rleofhx Intervening he
tween ApEust and today. Then. still
sszinE straight ahead with unseeing
syes, she said
IL xtlH seem % ~ hearing those
words"
There was a mariner as tie audience,
which expected description of the
shooting understood the tragedy re-
1ssie6 h. the witness words.
What IS your next recollection "'
asked tho Judge, e5iu employing the
same l.adlv tone.
Nvs T7eSaui1Fs glanced a. aim then
around the room and appeared to recol-
lecf with a start where she was.
II don't seem to recolleci anything
more" she whispered.
Please tell The jury what your next
definite recollection is--the first thing
ydu remember after hearing Mrs. De
Saulle's last words she was prompt
ri
During An apprecia bic period of
iinie she said nothing. Everyone in
he room sat with bated breath. Then
slowly. hesitatingiy, she said:
II heard Or. Wight speaking
She made no answer when the court
asked whether Or. Wight spoke TO her
that night or the following day He
asked where she wsE when she heard
LIZ Might SpeAk----------
y think it must have neAn In the
isd she replied listlessly.
You may retire now" said JUS
lice Manning She turned to him. a
~sn smile PLAYING unoUaentartfy up
on her white lips
MAY ! GO now" she asked. givine
he impression Of a child asking o
favor. She ross, toftered an instant
recovered her poise and started to.
ward the door She wac half sup
ported as she walked back to the iu-
rors, some of whom we're swallowing
hard and blinking and passed from
tbe room
my ~ Tears
Attorney tterhart wept frankly and
openly, without pretense and likewise
without ostentation while Mrs De.
Ssulies as trying~to respond to the
questions of-the court, Many another
handkerchief was quietly used In the
room. But no tears came to the large
dark. sad eyes OF the defendant Il
relieve the nervous strain under which
bit. who wss one of number OF
society women among the spectators
was VISIT afrecseG hy the distress OF
she pale little witness battling In the
shadow OF the electric chair for her
life
IN ore brief sentence Mre. pesauIle.
revealed The fact that life held no
chsrcns for her during the latter part
~ her married life. She and her hus.
bard had engaged passage on the
Lurttsnis for the last fatal voyage the
3fne- made They did not sail az De-
Saul'e7 started for Canada al the last
moment
dow ala YOU feel when YOU learn
ed'the lux,'ar'., had hee9 sunk 90 She
"aF asked by her attorney
---l 4as--@lkc--- / had s1.43-2a+44e4 On
her SIC replied
DcSauiies' scorn.
drs pssauiies told or receiving
ABOUT sioo 900 as an inheritance from
hsr fsthsr-a estate when she and her
husband -sturne ed TO Chile after their
marriage in Parts. She described the
scorn with which Dess ulleR regarded
such oitiful sum of money mere
nothing. az he characterized il
Then. without apparent raneor but
merely as an .unvarnfshed statement
OF fact, she unfolded the details. Incl
oeft oy incident by which her for
'rnc was stripped from her Inv her
husband Apparently she begrudred
MIN nothing, Her Uniformed gfrljsh
mind saw no wrong In following De-
sauifes direction that she write TO
rer mother In Paris for money with
mich to buy an estate in Chile she
trusted him implicitly, a. was evil
nenced ny the manner IN which she
made out checks, payable 10 cash A"
ana gave them 10 him
Cns OF the means shown b. which
h.r husband stripped the cirlish wife
OF money, as revealed In her testi
mony, was the suggestion that she
nuy an automobile from Maurice
Hecksher. This she did and her hus-
hand sold the car. but made n, re-
turn to her Of the money he received
for II
Utterly Pcnniless at Times
Al times she was utterly without
FUNDS and praeticed the most rigid
sconomy In consequence, even as TO
tsthes even considered too small FOR
notice. In one Of her letters 10 her
husband she enclosed three unused
troiley tickets. pitifuily suggesting that
ne might use them, thereby saving ar
TEEN cents. In smother she spoke OF
assAs thin paper to avoid excessive
postage, IS she had Just suffcienf posi-
are for a Iettrr