The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-04-01
JAZZ MATR|C|DE
CELEBRATES
BIRTHDAY
Born on April Fools Day,
Tells State AIienists
She Is Sane
BY ELLIS III. MARTIN,
international News Service.

6CIVACG.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, April l..
-Jestingly, Dorothy Ellingson a few
weeks ago said, I'm an April fool, .
in revealing that she was born on
April 1. Then she laughed at her
own joke.
This afternoon, on her seven
teenth birthday, her own attorney,
against her will and consent, will
set grimly and relentlessly about
the business Of proving her jest,
by attempting to show that the
jazz baby" who 30 recently was
"the life of the party is insane.
Only shadow of the gay figure
that fitted through the Jazz palaces
OF Chinatown and the Ocean Bea CHI
ut a few months ago. the girl
who killed her mother that she
might go out nights faced the trial
in q rebellious mood.
Sane, She Insists
Whe told Doctor Joseph Cation,
State alienist, that, she is now sane
and would prefer to plead guilty
than to be found insane and sent
to an asylum.
Her attorneys denounced tho
States interrogation of her on this
point as an outrage and an at.
tempt ito sneak behind the backs
Of the girls own attorneys
The States attorneys declined to
confirm reports that they held a
statement signed by the girl. re.
pudiating the insanity plea and ex.
pressing desire to plead guilty to
charge of numbering her
mother. Reports persisted, though.
that they held this trump card.
The possibility Of its legal intro
duction was a mooted one. AL
though also denying the existence
Of the reported document. Doro-
thy's attorneys were prepared to
battle desperately to prevent the
Stnte using It, provided It exists.
But no one was able to forecast
what the girl may do II seized by
control. characterized by Doctor
FAints for Tenth Time.
This was shown last evening.
when the girl crumpled into a
faint for the tenth time since her
trn' started and fell from her
chair at the counsel table in the
midst OF the court session. Hitherto
she had been able to fight back the
faint impulse" until the session
closed.
Doctor Bail, chief defense alienist.
was to tell again the nine men and
three women Of the jury, selected
to determine the girls sanity, that
insane, a pathological liar
and without comprehension Of the
nature Of the proceedings against
her.
His testimony will follow a sue.
cession Of witnesses who will tell
the story Of her life. Her father
and brother are expected to tell Of
her childish tantrums, her disdain
of restraint, her girlish tempers.
her indifference to the prayers OF
her mother and her mad infatua-
ton for the life of jazz land.
Sheiks to Testify
Then will come an array IF the
girls and sheiks who were her
companions on parties" in the
her vagarIes and conduct which
before she killed her mother made
her 1.-THE life Of the party"
In order to permit this array Of
witnesses to be summoned. court
was in adjournment until 2 o'clock
this afternoon. In the proceedings
this afternoon the array of Legal
battle will be somewhat changed.
The burden Of proof is now upon
the defense, instead Of the State.
But balancing that disadvantage
was the necessity of proving her
insane only by a preponderance of
the evidence, instead OF beyond
all reasonable doubt" as incumbent
upon the State in criminal case
And in the present case nine OF
the jurors can arrive at a verdict.
instead Of the unanimous agree.
ment required in a case.