The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-26

Durrant's classmates at Cooper College
will be put on the stand to testify regard
ing the defendant at lectures and his con-
duct while at college. The main point ex-
will be to prove his presence at DR..
Cheney's lecture April 3, and in this con-
nection DIR. Cheney will himself be called.
He will be the important witness OF the
day, for by him the defense expects to
prove beyond doubt that Durrant was lis
been on his way to the Mission in company
with Blanche Lamont. Mr.. Deuprey
stated in his opening address that DR..
Cheney would testify that DurranJ was
present during his lecture.
When seen last evening DIR. Cheney
said: "Mr. Durrant is marked present on
my rollcall for April 3. L think he was
there, and will so testify; but 1 could not
swear positively that he was or was not
present"
Dr. Cheney denied that confusion is the
general order in the lecture-room during
rollcall, as was stated by the prosecution.
THAT is all mistake said he; 81 am
very careful about my rollcall, and perfect
order always prevails. That is the chief
reason l say think be was there"
Mr.. Deuprey also stated it would be
shown that Durrant entered the church
alone. The defense claims to have a wit
ness, a woman, who will testify to having
seen the medical student pass the portals
of the sacred editice and alone. They re-
fuse to disclose the identity of the wit
ness, but intimate that she will be called
to the stand at the proper time.
The story OF the witness is said to be to
this effect: She was passing Emmanuel
Church at about o'clock on the evening
of April 3, when directly in front of the
building she met young man, whom she
took to be friend, and spoke to him. I'm
10 he ct a kpu
hurried on, but the likeness of the young
man to her friend was so great that she
turned to get look at him as he entered
the church, and saw his face plainly.
Later, when Durrant was accused and his
picture appeared in the papers she remem-
bered the person she met that evening and
knew it was he. She is said to have come
forward and offered to testify, only when
she saw how important her testimony
might be.
The attorneys for the defense have re-
ceived stack OF letters and communica-
tons of a varied nature from cranks.
General Dickinson displayed a package Of
them nearly foot thick yesterday. They
contain all manner Of suggestions and
theories of the most absurd sort, and not
few are anonymous letters taking MessTs.
Dickinson, Deuprey and Thompson to task
roundly for appearing in the case for Dur
rant. In one received yesterday from
NOA IOpully MT. blCklOSO0 was dC-
cused of being cogniZant of Durrant's
guilt. and pronounced in emphatic terms
a scoundrel for defending him. These
communications serve as laughing stock
for the attorneys, who assert the utmost
confidence in Durrants innocence.
We will show you that the marks upon the
belfry door show the marks of chtsel, and
that the chisel found in the pastors study in
toolbox formed them.
The above was part of Attorney Deu-
preys opening statement for the defense,
and in this connection there occurred an
interesting incident. Immediately after
the adjournment of the court for the day
Captain Lees FASTENED toEmmanuelChurch
and issued orders for several officers and
patrol wagon to meet him there. The
arrival of the vehicle and the small posse
of officers and the subsequent hammering
in the vicinity of the belfry of the church
soon attracted quite a number of people,
even number of passing wagons hating
to await developments. After Lees and
his posse had been at work within the
church about an hour, they emerged carry
ing the belfry door, which was placed in
the patrol wagon and hauled to the new
City Hall, to be used as an exhibit in the
Durrant case.
Mr. Deuprey charged that chisel marks |
on this door had been made by a chisel |
taken from toolchest in the pastors |
STUDY. Ut. OlDSOn was asked through MS !
secretary as to this toolchest and the fol- |
lowing statement was made:
The study at all times was entirely open and |
the toolbox was situated in the study and any |
one in the church could use the tools at will, |
and they were so used.
A special telegram to The CALL from San |
Rafael last night stated that P. Connolly |
and Thomas King of that city had been |
subpenaed in the Durrant case by the de- |
Tense to impeach the testimony of Witness |
Phillips, and that 2. Mulvaney and Mr.. |
Murphy of Tomales had been subpenaed |
for the same purpose in reference to the |
testimony of j. Clark, the thirsty friend of |
Quinlan.
The following dispatch was received last
evening:
OMAHA, NEBR.. Sept. 25.-To-day promi-
nent meinber of the Pinkerton Detective
Agency passed through this city. He had just |
come from San Francisco, and is familiar with |
the proceedings in the Durrant murder trial. |
When pressed by q friend for tip on the sur
prise that Durrants lawyers were holding |
put in court he had no objection to telling |
what the secret was.
The detective said that Durrant had now in
his possession and would soon show TO the
innocence of the crime with which he is
charged This letter was written by Blanche
Lamont day or two after the date on which
she is supposed to have been murdered. Con-
corning the contents of the letter or its exact
date he would not speak, but he said that
there could be no doubt but that the letter was
written by Miss Lamont later than April 3.
Mr.. Deuprey was seen concerning the
truth of the dispatch.
"There is nothing in it," said he.
Nothing of the sort will be introduced as
evidence. If we had been in possession Of
L