Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-11-30
TWENTY THOUSAND
WORDS CONSTITUTE
ONE QUESTION ASKED
In Answer Doctor Wight
Says Mrs. DeSaulleS Was
Not Responsible Mentally
By Hugh BaiIlie
Omitted Press staff correspondent

I
Mineola, L. T., Nov, 3O.-Answering
10000 word hypothetical question,
DR.. J. Sherman Wight, defense alien
ist, declared today that Mrs. Blanca
DeSaulles was "not responsible when
She killed her divorced husband, John
L. DeSaulles.
Under New York state laws, per
son who "lacks responsibility at the
time of committing a crime cannot be
punished for it.
In mis- reply to the long question, Pr.
Wight declared that Mrs. DeSaulles
g did not know the nature and quality
of the act committed" And that she
was not mentally sound the night o1
august 8 when she shot De Saulles.
Every Juror in the box has said he
will eeouit Mrs. DeSaulles, if he has
a reasonable doubt of her sanity
on that night.
The 10000 word question was read
only once, all alienists being IN the
room and listening at the same time.
Mrs DeSaulles who had entered
cheerily, looked downcast and the
sliphs color faded from her cheeks as
Defense Counsel Smith read the
lengthy query which made mention OF
Ian the sadness and tragedy in her hte
One of the Jurors dozed. He was
awakened by his neighbor.
District Attorney Weeks made sew
eral objections, but all were overruled
HE attacked DR.. Wight's right to ties
tifv as an alienist. Wight asserted he
was a qualified examiner for the state
llunaey commission. He added that Mrs
IDeSaulles suffered from pressure on
the brain, that she had sustained
series of psvchic shocks and that she
was afflicted with hypothyroidism.. !,
The hypothetical question, which
took m the entire history of Mrs. DE-
Sarllos, life frome the time she fell
and hurt her head, when eight years
old, concluded: ,,.4;
!" Assume, doctor, that in addltlou
to all the foregoing, that upon various
dates mentioned in the people eA
hibits, she wrote these exhlplts (loV'
letters to .DeSaulles.)
"Assuming all the foregoing tact'
and having in mind your personal eA
animation of them, in your oplnlon wa M
4he defendant mentally sound AT .n.
time of the shooting on August ., ~
" Assuming all these foregoing iacl
and having in mind your personal eA
animation of the defendant, IN you
opinion did the defendant know tne ma
ture and quality of the act commletea
Assuming all the foregoing lacts
did the defendant know the act "a'
wrongY" oho.n
DR.. Wight was cross examined snarp
tly by District Attorney Weeks Du'
sI1ch to the conclusions he had drawn
| He declared that hypothyroldlsn
would have caused mental bianKnes'
and said that a history Of MIS-: ~
oanlles case showed she had suffere,
otncr lapses. Weeks asked if Wigh.
could cite some authority that woui!t
cav mixodema was sudden. The physl
cisn replied in the negative, but point
ed ont that lapse of memory Is oitei
caused by shell shock.
In response to question, wight sal'
he did not think that serious mehta
shock mioht cause another lapse O.
mind on the part of Mrs. DeSaulies
Hypothyroidism is not present now II
When reference to shell shock wa
made Major Gregory Cole of the Unit
Cd states army medical corps was eali
ed TO the counsel table by Weeks. IL
carried several X-ray plates. when on
of Coles plates was presented =
Wight and he was asked whether
showed a depression or fracture, Wig1h
said something was wrong put n y
would not attempt to say what, as l
The testimony of Cole followed tina
~ exnerts for the defense who had de
ciared the Chilean beauty, on trial TO
tbe murder of her husband, was not re
snongible for her act. The fact that
skull fracture, suffered when she wa