Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-16
Chain Of Evidence Against Darrant
Complete.
an IMPORTANT WITNESS APPEARS
Saw Him Enter the Church With
Blanche Lamont.
STRONG CASE AGAINST HIM

SAN FRANCISCO. August 1e-A local
paper says that the last link in the chain
Of evidence against Theodore Durrant the
alleged murderer of Blanche Lamont, has
been discovered.
A woman who lives across the street
from Emanuel Church has reported to the
police that she saw Durrant and Blanche
Lamont enter the church at 410 on April
B. the day of Miss Lamont's disappearance
The woman's name is Mrs. Leake and she
lives at 124 Bartlett street. She is fifty
years Of age and has been a member of
the church number of years. She knew
both Durrant and Miss Lamont intimately
and therefore cannot be mistaken with re-
gard to the identity OF either.
She says she has remained silent since
the discovery of the bodies of the two girls
because she did not wish to undergo the
ANNOYANCE Of being a witness in the case
and did not consent to divulge her informa-
tion to the police until she became con-
vinced that 1t was duty she owe ed to the
state.
On April 3 Mrs. Leake sat at the window
OF her residence nearly all the afternoon
looking for her daughter, whom she ex-
pected to arrive from San Mateo. At
o'clock she saw a couple coming up the
street, one of whom she Instantly recog-
nized as Durrant, but at first she was puz-
zled over the identity of the girl. She first
thought that the young lady was Lucille
Turner. but as the couple came nearer. Mrs.
Leake recognized the girl as Blanche La
mont. Miss Lamont wore short school
girls dress and carried package of school
books. The dress and the school books
were afterward found secreted in the
church.
When the couple reached the church gate
they stopped for a moment. Durrane
opened the gate and they passed through.
Mrs. Leake from her point of observation
was watching them, and when the girl
stepped through the gateway she said to
herself: What an imprudent thing for
her to do.'
Mrs. Leake knew nothing detrimental to
Durrant She had always considered him
such an exemplary young man." but. not
withstanding that fact. II was exceedingly
imprudent for the girl to go into the church
with him alone. She imagined that they
had some errand in the church, and ex-
pected in a few minutes they would come
out. She watched carefully, but the gate
did not open. -
There is only one entrance to Emanuel
Church during the week, and that Is by
the side gate and rear door. Mrs. Leake
knew the young people would have to pass
through the gate, and she wanted to see
them on the street again before she left the
window. She waited long time, but
household duties finally called her to an
other part of her fiat, and she was obliged
10 give up the vigil.
Mrs. Leake's testimony completes the
chain of evidence against Durrant.
Three school girls saw Durrant and
Blanchc Lamont riding on Powell street
car at 3:30 on the day that Miss Lamont
disappeared. Attorney Quinlan saw the
couple a few blocks from the church
few minutes before o'clock. Now comes
Mrs. Leake, who says she saw Durrant and
Miss Lamont enter the church a few min
utes later.
George King the organist, has already
testified that he entered the church about
o'clock and saw Durrant coming out
down from the attic. Durrant's hair was
disfeveled, his face was red and he was
painting for breath and was In a state OF
utter physical and nervous collapse In
answer to inquiries he explained that he
had been engaged in repairing electric
wires for the organ loft. He afterward
examined the wires and testified that NO
repairs of the nature Durrant claimed to
have made had been made within six
months.