The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-15

Nvi!liams In company lsst Friday night.
me also state Shat when .,, search ,sa We sss
pocket Of his coat was found a purse which
Miss Williams was known to have carried
Dirsnt Is i about twenty-three years. Of
age and was. born and raised IN the neigh
III e u rradn nlta of the cosgeswel Nigh
School and has been studying medicine for
9 year. He Is member OK the second
superintendent or Emanuel Church Sunday
school. He was always OF a quiet dis
position. and his friends refuse TO believe;
In spite OF the evidence, that he committed
the crimes attributed to him. The police,
however, think Durant Is another lack lack.
state that tx is highly probable Durant ~
responsible for the killing OF Eugene ware;
a young drug clerk, who was found stabbed
TO death several months ago In the store
where he worked. No trace was ever
that Durant killed him. No motive. for
this murder was discovered, and the reno
I'D srgeiy asss, esss e t5e beef that
1t was the work of an insane person. Du-
rants parents are highly esteemed people
father il CHIEF engineer in Buckingham &
Hecht's large shoe factory, and. while not
a go good Led educat cato and start them in life
Detective Anthony met Durant and his
companions coming back from Mount dab
To- They were in uniform and had been on
a signaling expeditions. When Dufant was
plsced under arrest his comrades AZ nrst
wanted to resist the officer, but finally SUI
fered him to be taken TO walnut creek
where the officer and Durant boarded a
train for San Francisco. When they ar
rived at the prison, Durant in his regi,
mentals taken to the ch1efs ONCE anu
MAS very cool and even when arrested by
Anthony and told that Miss Lamonts BODY
hal been found, he did not lose n ms nerve
although he appeared greatly shocked.
ss DURANT'S STATEMENT.
After the examination by the chief,
Drrant was taken to a cell where he was
coined by his parents and lawyer. lie
made the following statement: Ine last
time met Miss Lamont was on the morn
Ing OF the day she disappeared. We talked
about books and promised to bring book
for her to prayer meeting that night. MISS
1.sn.ont did not come to the meeting, ana
tho following day, Friday. j took the book
10 her house and gave it TO her sister. The
latter told me Blanche had gone 70 sch9 ss
appearance secret. That is all ] know of
the Lamont case. The last tine tine ! 90 saw y,
When confronted by the evidence that
Miss Williams's purse had been 1ound III
his pocket puran gave me 5eom noil fhe meet
ing at Vogle's Friday night. when my 1901
struck Small object on the sidewalk. |
I nTn Ne.,e by was purse which
also picked up. ] took both home with
lind. II was late however, and / went
right 10 bed In the morning | was in a
hurry. to set away with the sisnai coipS
and forgot all about it,. .
The police take exception to Dura mt,
statement that he had not seen MISS VIII
aiams for three weeks. They say they can
prove that they saw him with her on
Monday or Tuesday and possibly later.
From all appearances Miss Lamont was not
murdered in the room where her body was
found The body had been dragged TO tne
belfry stairs and into the tower room. her
clothing was found stuffed into various cor
ners OF the room About the, time this
morning that Miss Lamonts body was was
found the congregation of Emanuel Church
were on the way TO attend Easter service
When they arrived and learned OF the
frightful crime they fled, horror-stricken
from the place. The church was guarded
all day.
Rev DR. Gibson asserts his belief in Du-
rants Innocence. but is unable to o oihal
any theory as to the guilty party. rms
much can be said for Durant: he did not
act like guilty man when arrested. ana
his preparations to leave were made with
out concealment, before the murder or MISS
Williams. Even the police were forced 70
admit it seems incredible that he would
commit the crime unless afflicted with
mania for that sort of work. No charge
has been entered against Durant