New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-10
De Saulles Murder
Not Planned, Says
Slayer's Ex-Lawyer
He Is Sure She Shot in Fear
She Would Lose
Her Son
rrron st.r cor.,pond.n. Of n. rrtbunsI

From a stan Correspondent OF The TriouneJ
SCHROON LAKE, n. Y, Aug. 9.-To
coIdly premeditate murder would be as
foreign to the nature of Mrs. Blanca De
Saulles as to cease to love her son, in
the opinion of Alfred B. Nathan. the
lawyer who represented her year ago
in the legal action by which she di-
vorced her husband.
Mr.. Nathan, a member of the firm OF
Prince e. Nathan, 10 Cedar Street, New
York, to-day gave few minutes Of his
vacation at this Adirondack lake resort
to comment on the De Saulles case.
He is firm in his belief that Mrs. De
Saulles dearly loves little Jack, the
four-year-old son, whose custody she
shared with her former husband. The
latter's death at her hands followed his
refusal to give up the boy.
Says Love for Son Is Deep
"Since Mrs. De Saulles first became
my client, more than year ago" said
the lawyer. 81 never have seen or
heard anything which would lead me
to believe that her love for her son
was not sincere and deep
Mr.. Nathan was steadfast, however,
in his determination not to discuss the
testimony in the divorce trial, in
which the records were sealed-tes-
timony revealing at length and in de-
tail the marital troubles of the De
Saulles, likely to be probed deeply be-
fore the trial of Mrs. De Saulles for
killing has ended.
The reluctance of Mr.. Nathan to dis
cuss the divorce proceedings was due,
he said, TO fear that he might in
some way prejudice Mrs. De Saulles's
chances in the coming fight for her
life.
1t will be a long, hard fight, the
lawyer believes.
"There has been too much talking in
the case already" he said. Though l
have heard nothing from any OF the
lawyers in it, l suppose | am likely TO
be called as a witness. But unless IT
becomes necessary | will not talk about
the case before that time.
"Mrs. De Saulles has been my client.
She is now living i'll in jail, and it will
not be easy for her to regain her free
dom. To do so she will need all the
help she can get, and | for one will not
say anything which might tend even In
some remote way to injure her case"
Never Heard of Counter Suit Threat
Mr.. Nathan characterized as ridicu-
lous assertions that threats by DE
Saulles that he would file a counter
TO consent to his having custody OF
! their son for almost as many months
each year as she. although he was the
defendant and the guilty party. Mr.
Nathan declared he never had heard
of such threats or of any counter suit
being contemplated.
He asserted also that it was not
| unusual for a divorced father to be
given custody Of his child for consid'
| cradle periods of time, unless the
fathers faults had been such as &c
endanger the morals of the child. The
infdelity on tho part of De Saulles
because Of which Mrs. De Saulles Sc
! cured the divorce, do not seem 70 in
volve such faults the lawyer said.
"The case was tightly fought, anC
even though Mr.. De Saulles did not APP
peal it everything possible in the intro
| duction of testimony was done by HI!
| LAWYERS to win the verdict for him"
When Mr.. Nathan's attention was di
rected to statements that he had beer
counsel for a dancer named as core
spondent by Mrs. De Saulles, he admit
ted their truth, but made no comment
Nor would he state how, under the cir
cumstances, Mrs. De Saulles came TO re
tain his firm as her counsel.