Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-28
FLATTENED OUT.
About States the Condition oi
Currant's Defense.
HIS ALIBI TUMBLES TO PIECES,


And Two Days Testimony Fails to Freak
the Prosecutions Chainof CircumstantiaI
Evidencc-A Very "Promising" Lawyer
Who Was Going to "Acquit Him in Three
Minutcs"-Remarkable Bearing of Young
Durrant and His Mother
San FRANCISCO, Sept. 2S.-f Theodore
Durrant has anything tangible upon
which to base his denial of the charge that
he murdered Blanche Lamont and Minnie
Williams his attorneys have failed to give
satisfactory evidence of the fact. After
two days devoted to testimony the defense
has disclosed enough to satisfy the prose
cution that Durrant's attorneys are crop
ing in the dark in the hope that some
thing may develop within the next few
days to save the prisoner life. The weak
ness Of the defense is made more apparant
at this time on account of the eytravagant
assertions that Durrant's attorneys have
uniformly made since the trial began.
When the prosecution was engaged in
putting in its case, ard the situation
looked darkest for the young Sunday
school superintendent, Attorney Duprey
was accustomed to snap his fingers and
remark that he had no fears for the future
OF his client.
Duprey Was Too Confident.
We Will clear him in three minutes"
said Duprcy, and the public will be at
IL loss t. understand how Durrants name
was cTcr connected with the case" The
same line of cxtravagant claims was con-
tinucd when Attorney Duprcy made his
opening speech for the defense. Not
only will the prisoner tell with his own
lips the simple story Of his life on the day
that Blanche Lamont was murdered"
said Duprcy but DIR. Cheney will tell
you that Durrant was ut Cooper Medical
college at the very hour when the murder
of lSlanchc Lamont is said to have taken
place. Besides that we will prove to you
that Durrant never tried to pawn Miss
Durrant's ring mt Opponhcimcr's store.
On the contrary we will bring forward
the young man who did try to pawn
ring at Oppcnhcimcr's similar to the one
worn 10y Miss Lamont.
Defense Seems to Have No Defense.
Well, DIR. Cheney has sworn. and the
best he could say was that he did not
know whether Durrant was at the lecture
or not. He did not see him; neither did
DR. Gray. In one day the case of the de-
fcnsc crumblcd, and now Durrant's alibi
has not "a leg upon which to stand. The
man who offered the ring 10 Oppcnhcimer
was not callCd-and yet he was highly
important witness-of the utmost import
ancc to Durrant's ease. If further proof
Were needed Of the claim that the defense
has little to offer in refutaton of the case
put forward by the prosecution it was fur
nishcd yesterday. Instead of placing wit
ncSscS On the stand to testify to some ma
tCrinl tact in connection with Durrant's
alihi two gas-fttcrs We're called to testify
with regard To the sunburncrs in the gal
lcry Of Emanuel church.
Playing for Time, Apparently.
For two hours the crowd was bored and
the jury made tired by II long series of
questions and answers relative to the
minutcst part OF the construction of Il sun
burner. Not once during the entire scs-
sion was the name of Blanche Lamont
mentioned. nor was anything said to in
dicatC that il was not a suit to cullCc. a
plumbers bill instead of murder :rlel
that WAS before the court The evident
purpose of the examination, however. was
10 show that the repairing Of sunburners
would necessarily result in the escape of n
great deal of gas. This testimony will be
1lSVtl 10
that he was suffering from partial
asphyxiaiion when he came down town
from the church bclfry trembling and
flushed and met Organist King in the an
ditorium.
Bearing of the Accused Man.
The apparent hopcies>ncss of his case
produced no change in the dcmcanor of
Durrant Day after day he sits in the
courtroom beside his father and mother
ana listens to the evidence against him
without II sign of emotion. This stoicism
of the prisoner is only surpassed by that
of his mother. Mrs. Durrant seems to
have no conception of the gravity of her
sons situation. Attircd in waving plumcs
and Il tailor-madc gown she laughs and
chats with her friends while the evidence
that the prosecution believes will hang
lcr SON is being put in against him. To
frcquCutcrS Of the courtroom Mrs. Dur
rant, conduct is almost rs unfathomablc
as that of her son. Durrant's father, how
ever, looks carc-worn and gives evidence
OF the intnnsC mental strain through
which lac must be passing