The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-30
HYPOTHETICAL
QUESTION READ
TO ALIENISTS IN
De SAULLES CASE
Preamble Recounts The
Life History of the Chill
can Heiress
CBy Associated Press.l

Mineola, n. Y, Nov. 30. - Mrs,
Blanca de saulles was not mentally
sound, did not know 'the nature or
quality OF the act" and did not know
that it was wrong" when she shot
her former husband, John L. de
Saulles at his LOnd Island home, ac-
cording to experts who testified to-
day in her behalf.
This opinion was given, in re-
sponse to a $4,000 word hypothetical
question put by attorneys for the
defense. IL, in brief, summed up the
evidence given during the trial by
witnesses for the defendant.
To brain pressure resulting from n
skull fracture received In childhood,
and to hypOthyreosis, a disease OF the
thyroid gland which Affects the brain
and nerve centers, was ascribed Mrs.
de Saulles' alleged lapse OF account
ability. 1t was during the blank
space" that the defendant claims she
fired the revolver shots.
Because District Atty. Charles r.
Weeks did not approve OF the hypo-
thetical question put by Mrs. de
Saulles' attorneys. he said he would
prepare one Of his own TO submit to
alienists called in behalf OF the
state.
This Is. .sxpected to lengthen the
taking ID imony considerably and
IT is believed the examination OF ex-
pert witnesses will not be ended be-
fore Monday or Tuesday.
In reference to the phrasing OF the
hypothetical question put today u
was pointed out that the New York
laws provide no person shall be con-
victed Of q crime committed while
the defendant was suffering from
such q defective reason as not to
know "the nature and quality of the
act or as not to know that 1t was
wrong"
Mineola, n. Y, Nov. 3e.-The trial
of Mrs. Blanca de Saulles for the
murder Of her divorced husband,
John Longer de Saulles, was resumed
in the supreme court here today with
the reading Of hypothetical question
to alienists. The question begins:
Assume, doctor, that Blanca Err
razuriz de Saulles was born near San
tiago, Chile, April %. 1884" contin-
uing, 1t gives Mrs. de Saulles' life
history.
The question concludes in these
words:
Assuming the foregoing facts and
having in mind your personal exami-
nation OF the defendant, in your
opinion was the defendant mentally
sound at the time Of the shooting
on Aug. 3. 1917?
Assuming all the foregoing facts
and having in mind your personal
examination OF the defendant, in
your opinion did the defendant know
the nature and quality OF the act she
was committing?
Assuming all the foregoing facts
and having in mind your personal
examination Of the defendant in your
opinion, was the defendant mentally
sound at the time Of the shooting on
Aug. 8, 1917?
Assuming all the foregoing facts
and having in mind your personal
examination of the defendant, in
your opinion, did the defendant know
that the act was wrong?
At Justice Manning's suggestion,
Drs. Smith Ely Jeliffe and Lewis c.
johnson also called by the defense
and Drs. Islam Harris. Charles W.
Pilgrim and George III. Kirby, sum-
moned by the prosecution were given
seats near the witness stand SO that
a repetition OF the long question
would not be necessary.
Lewis J. Smith, associated with Mr..
Uterhart, began the reading Of the
Continued on page III