The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-26
police force of the City and County of San Fran

police force of the City and County of San Fran
cisco. State aforesaid.
have been present in the courtroom of the
Superior Court of the City ana County OF San
Francisco, Department thereof, on the ed
day of July A. D. 1895, and have heard read
the affidavits OF William Henry Theodore Dur
motion for change of venue made by the de-
fendant in the case of the People of the State
of California VS.. w. II. T. Durrant, charged
with the murder of Blanche Lamont
l admit that the Evening Post, the Daily Re
port the Evening Bulletin, the Examiner, the
San Francisco Chronicle and The CALL are
newspapers of general circulation, puDllsned
daily within the City and County OF San Fran.
them so printed, published and distributed
from the 1st day Of July, 1895, until the date
OF this affidavit. l further admit that In SUCH
newspapers hereinbefore mentioned, and dur
ing the month OF April, 1893, the several artl,
cles which are attached to the afiidavlt OF SAID
w. b. 7. Durrant, subscribed and sworn 10 on
the 22d OF July and filed in this court in sup
port of his motion for a change of venue, were
published by said newspapers in the manner
following; that is TO say, in the issues OF the
Evening Post of April 49, 1895; April 16, 1895;
April II, 1885; April 19, 1895; April 20, 1895,
and the issues of the Daily Report of April 15,
1895; April 10, 1895; April 20, 1895, and in
April 16. 1895; April II, 1895; April 1S, 1895;
April 10, 1895; April 20, 1895, and in the
issue of the Examiner Of April 16, 1895; April
IL, 1895; April IS, 1895; April 20, 1895, and
Is. 1895; April Is, 1895, and April 10, 1895.
l deny that from the newspaper articles,
together with the headlines thereof, which
are set forth in the aforesaid affidavit OF Dur
rant or by any other means known TO me, that
the minds of the citizens OF this City and
County are now infamed against the defend
ant herein, and / deny that there is any
prejudice or bias against the defendant herein,
whether on the part of the public or the press
of said City and County, and deny that q fair
and impartial trial cannot be had OF the action
now pending against the defendant IN said
City and County, State aforesaid; but, upon
the other hand l am informed and believe,
and, therefore, state the fact to be, that the
defendant herein was arrested for the crime
upon which he is now sought to be brought to
trial on the 14th day of April, 1895; that the
newspaper publications of which defendant
complains, and upon which he in part bases
his application for change OF venue in this
case were published from the 18th to the Goth
days of April, 1895, inclusive; that the last one
of said articles, which appears in and is at
tached to the first affidavit subscribed to and
filed by defendant upon this application, bears
the date of April 20, 1895, and since the pub
LEGATION of said article last mentioned ninety
four days have elapsed; that by reason OF
this long period OF time, / am informed and
believe, and therefore state the fact to be, that
such excitement as may have existed in the
public minds at the time of these murders and
at the time of the arrest OF the defendant
herein has altogether subsded; that there is a
deep interest taken in this case by the citizens
of this City and County OF San Francisco, but
that said interest is in no way biased or preju-
diced against the defendant herein, and that
the present condition of the public mind is
such that the defendant can have perfectly
fair and impartial trial within the City and
County of San Francisco, and have all the
rights given to him by law preserved. That
since my connection with this case in my
official capacity have been spoken to by many
persons, citizens and taxpayers of San Fran
cisco, and liable to be called upon to do jury
duty therein, and that while many of these
persons, being reputable citizens and men of
knowledge, have perused the daily papers and
have seen such articles as have appeared from
time 70 time commenting upon this case, from
their conversation with me am informed and
believe, and I therefore state the fact to be,
that Notwithstanding what they may have read
and what they may have seen, or the converse
ton that they may have had, that those citi-
zens and taxpayers who have eonversed with
me are able to, and would If called upon to
serve as jurors, give this defendant perfectly
fair and impartial trial and render judgment
in this case in accordance with the law and
the evidence as it might be produced before
them.
l admit that the enormity of the offense with
which the defendant is charged aroused the in