The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-02

DAN L FRANCISCO NOV. Theodore
Durraut was to-day convicted of the
murder Of Blanche Lamont, for which
he has been on trial since July % last
The jury was out twenty minutes and
arrived at the verdict on the firss bal
lot. As there was no recommendation
Of mercy the punishment was fixed at
death.
The scene in the courtroom when the
verdict was announced will never be
forgotten by those who were present
Junge Murphy finished his charge at
$3.50 O'Clock and the jury at once retired.
Although there was supposed to be lit
tie prospect Of verdict being returned
before or o'clock this evening, the
throng Of spectators who had remained
In the over owded courtroom all the
afternoon to hear the judges charge,
settled themselves back In their seats to
await the return of the jury.
Mrs. Durrant aud the prisoner talked
and laughed together as If an scuuit-
tai wero foregone conclusion. They
were surrounded by half doz,n friends
and the conversation WAS animated,
the jury had agreed upon a verdict In
an instant hush fell upon the little
circle that had gathered around the
prisoner. DurranL's face, always pal
lid, assumed CHASTITY hue, and his
mother was spec CHESS. Then the door
at the resr OF the room opened and the
jury filed In and took their seats in the
box Intense excitement followed.
The courtroom, although filled to it's
utmost capacity, was almost as quiet as
II IL had been vacant.
Judge Murphy, who had retired to
his chambers, was summoned and took
his place upon the bench. Clerk Morris
asked the usual question a, to whether
the jury lad agreed upon verdict
foreman Warren Dutton arose and re-
piled in the ufirma alive. "We, the
jury" said he, find the defendant,
William Henry Theodore Durrant,
guilty Of murder in the flrst degree"
AS the aged foreman, palo and tremb .
ling, read tho words which settled Dur
rants fate, low rumbling noise like
the roar of mob arose from the rsar of
the courtroom. The next moment mon
were cheering wildly while women weps
HISTORICALLY in Excitement. Tho bailiff
raped loudly for order, but the tnmult
continued for minute before anything
like quiet could be brought out OF the
disorder.
When District Attorney Barnes arose
and asked that day DO set upon which
the sentence Of death should be passed
upon the prisoner, Judge Murphy said
that sentence would be passed next
Friday, upon which day he would also
set the day for the trial Of Durrant on
,he charge OF numbering Minnie Will
liams.
During the tumult that followed the
announcement of the verdict Durrant
and his mother were lost sight OF, ex =
ceps by t few who SAT nearest them. Az
the last words Of the verdict were
uttered Durrant made a spasmodic
effort to arise to his feet, but before he
could do so his mother with half sigh
half moan, threw her arms around his
neck and sunk back His mothers grief
seemed to make Durrsns forget his own
position and for the next few minutes
he sat with his arms around her neck
trying to soothe her.
The long strain of tho trial, however,
had completely shattered her self con-
troll and it was GONE time before Mrs.
Dnrrant could leave the courtroom.
Durrant's father was not in the room
when the verdict was returned. Asgoon
as the jury retired he went out Into the
corridors, not believing that the Jury
would return for several hours and he
first learned thai his son had been con-
victed when q cheer went up from the
crowd in the building as the news
spread.
Durrant recovered his old time COM
posure as soon as he left his mother
and prepared to return to the county
In 49,, H.
over his arm he walked leisurely out of
the room, twirling his slight moustache
with apparently "a little concern as If
he we're merely spectator instead Of
the principal figure in the exciting
scene.
ASIDE from the spectators Mrs. Noble,
Blanche Limont's aunt, and Maud La
mont, the dead girls sister, were ap-
parentiy the hnppiest persons in the
room AS soon as Durrans started to
leave the building the crowd gathered
around the door out of which the pxis-
oner usually came to reach the prison
van. Fearing that some violence might
be offered the prisoner, he was taken
out OF another door and driven by cir
cuitous route to the county Jail. The
verdict fell with all lis force on Durrant
and his family. who had banked ell
their hopes on disagreement.
While Mrs. Durrant knew that IL was
not among the possibilities that her son
would be acquitted, her friends said she
steadfastly maintained that q shadow of
doubt would rest in the mind of one of
The jurors and that her son would not
te convicted. She was, therefore.
totally unprepared for the jury TO find
her son guilty in twenty minutes. When
the verdict was announced the whole