Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-05
TEMPORARY INSANITY
PLEA OF MRS. De sAULLEs
Attorney Intfmates That VIII Be Her
Defense When Put on Trial
for Murder.
SHE SHOWS NO REMoRsE
Slayer Of Husband, Former Football
Star, Remarkably Cool and Self
Possessed In Cell at MineoIa Jail.
Glad She Killed Him.
rB Associated Pr,.. :,

NEW YORK. August 4-Belief that
Mrs Blanca DeSaullea was temporarily
Insane when she shot and killed her
former husband, John Longer De-
Saulles, famous Yale football player,
at his Long Island homo last night was
expressed to-day by Henry A. Utter
hart, counsel for Mrs. DeSaulles. Fear
that Mr.. DeSaulles would insist upon
keeping their four-year- old son longer
than he Is said to have agreed was as
signed by Mr.. Uterhart as the cause
OF the mothers dementia.
Mr.. and Mrs, DeSaulles had an asree-
ment under which custody of the child
alternated each month. Mr.. Uterhart
said Mr.. DeSaulles kept his Hon from
June 1 to July s. sl1 days over the
agreed period. and on that account he
agreed that the boy should remain with
Mrs. DeSaulles from July to August s.
Desiring, however. to have the child
at his home during visit Of his par
ents and other relatives yesterday, Mr..
DeSaulles sent for the boy, with the
request that he be permitted to spend
the afternoon at his home. the attor-
ney said.
BELIEVES MOTHER BROODED
OVER ABSENCE OF SON
The mother granted the request, with
the understanding that the child was
to be returned in the evening, Mr..
Uterhart said Mrs. DeSaulles told him.
When o'clock came and the boy had
not been returned. Mr.. Uterhart be-
lievcs. the mother brooded over this
fact until she became temporarily de-
mented."
Statements made to-day to the dis
trict attorney are said to have con-
tanned assertions that Mrs. DeSaulles
drove to the home OF her former hus-
band several times during the last
week. but did not so in. Officials re-
gard this as strange. as they say she
had the child in her custody during
that time.
The funeral Of Mr.. DeSaulles will be
held at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. in
this city, and burial will be made In
Greenwood Cemetery. in Brooklyn.
REMARKABLY COOL
AND SELF-POSSESSED
Despite the seriousness OF her stua-
ton, Mrs. DeSaulles, according to the
prison officials, remained remarkably
cool and self-possessed to-day. and
showed no indications of remorse. She
formally notified District Attorney
Weeks that she had retained Uterhart
& Graham as her counsel. Henry a..
Uterhart. a member OF the firm that
| defended Mrs. Florence Carman. who
was acquitted on a charge Of murder
at Mineola several years ago. arrived
| at the Mineola prison and went into q
| lengthy conference with his client.
Priv of ~
represented Mrs. DeSaulles in civil
litigation. also called at the Jail to
consult her. He secuted the idea that
She went to her husbands home last
night with the intention to shoot him.
He explained her carrying a revolver
| by the fact that she was going on q
| long and lonely ride at night, and
wanted tie weapon for protection.
TALKS IN LIGHT VEIN
AFTER DOING MURDER
District Attorney Weeks and Sheriff
| Seaman went to the scene Of the STAY
Ing to-day to go over the ground and
question persons in the house. From
| the Jail last night Mrs. DeSaulles
called up somebody in New York on
the telephone. according to Sheriff Sea-
man. and held a conversation which,
no said, on her part was in a light
vein. After she had said that she had
shot DcSaulles because he would not
;ive me back my baby" the voice at
the other end OF the wire exclaimed:
MY God! my God!"
"Oh. you make mo tired saying My
God"" the sheriff quoted her as saying.
A deposition filed by Deputy Sheriff
Leonard Thorne states that he found
and arrested Mrs. DeSaulles with her
maid near the DeSaulles house after
tho shooting. and that Mrs. DeSaulles
Continued on Sixth Pagal