The record-union., 1895-04-23
Preliminary Examination of TheO-
dOre Durrant Begun.
CHASTITY PHOTOGRAPH OF THE
DEAD GIRL IN EVIDENCE,
Showing Her as She Lay in the Casket,
With the Hideous Wounds Which
Caused Her Death-Did Not Seem
to Disturb the Accused Very Much,
HOvavap
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

BAN FRANCISCO, April ZZ.-1neouore
Durrant gave a Iurther exhibition Of his
extraordinary mperturbability to-day. 1t
was duringihis preliminary examination
for the murder of Minnie Williams be-
fore Police Judge Conlan. The prosecu-
ton had introduced in evidence a large
photograph of the dead girl. 1t was
CHASTITY thing, showing her in her casket.
stripped, with the hideous wounds in her
head, breast and wrists in strong relief.
The purpose of the picture was probably
to illustrate the savagery that attended
the murder. So CHASTITY was it that the
lawyers, IN showing it to the witnesses
to identify it as the dead girl, only un-
rolled enough OF it to show the face.
In the course ofits introduction IL was
handed TO Durrants lawyers Thomp-
Gon, Dickinson and Dempsey looked
it over carefully even their faces show
ing horror at it.
Durrant sat behind his lawyers. When
the picture was unroIled on the table be-
fore them he leaned forward and looked
aL il curiousIy. Not a muscle OF his face
changed; there was not the livid express
sion Of horror, recognition or anything
else. 1t might have been the cover of u
law book for all the impression it pro-
duceG on the man who was there to an
sWer for the infliction OF those wounds.
Durrant did not look well to-day. The
\ anxiety, the confinement or some other
cause has taken the color from his face
and he appeared before Judge Conlan yell
low and dull-eyed. lie had seen the big
crowd that blocked McAllister street-a
platoon OF police prevented u nearer ap-
prOach 10 the ErisOn-tO watch him as he
was brought from the Jail to the court
room, and 1t shook nina. But distressed
physically, as he obviously was, he gave
no sign OF weakening.
The testimony at the preliminary eX-
animation embraced nearly everything
brought out at the ing quest, and consider
able new testimony.
The strict rules OF law interfered with
the hearsay testimony received in tho in-
curry before the Coroner, so no mention
was made OF the statement of Minnie
Williams to her guardian that Durrant
had tried to seuuce her. The evidence of
q number OF school girls that they saw
Durraut near Emmanuel Church after
9o'clooN on Friday night, when Minnie
Williams was murdered, was also intro
duced. That is i flat contradiction OF
Durrants tale on that evening.
District Attorney Barnes, assisted by
Prosecuting Attorney Nakenan, ex-
amined the witnesses Tor the prosecution
General Dickinson examined them for
Durraut. The crosse examination was
neither long nor searching. The indica-
tiOns are That no fight viii be made for
the prisoner IN the Police Court, but that
the defense VIII simply make the prosecu-
tiOn expose It's case as far as possible
taking 1t Tor granted thai the case must
60 TO the Superior Court anyhow.
Another witness who saw Minnie
Williams being ted to her death in
Emmanuel Church mas been found by the
police, and, like all the other Witnesses,
he describes DurTant as the man in com
orr Iar
I. hodgdon, railroad empIoye, Is the
new witness, and he says that on the Fri
day night Miss Williams was murdered
he saw at s:lJ o'clock q man and woman
about two hundred feet from the church,
and going IL that direction The woman,
who was unusually small, was hanging
back. ana the man was cOaxing her.
Their actions were so peculiar that HOdg-
don went across the street and took a
careful look at them. Then he walked to
cigar-stand a short distance away, and
when he came back III few minutes the
couple had disappeared.
The description Hodgdon gave Of the
men answered that Of Durrant and when
the prisoner was brought before him he
said Durrant was undoubtedly the man
though he was under the impression that
the man he saw was taller than Durrant
That appearance OF talIness might be
owing 10 the slight short figure in con-
trast with that OF the man.
The police are highly delighted with
this discovery, and now claim that they
have chain of evidence that cannot be
broken, and viii show that Durraut was
seen with Miss Williams near the church
shortly after o'clock, at the time Dur
rant says he was on the way TO the Signal
Corps armory.
THE EXAMINATIOE.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 22.-For hours
before the preliminary examination OF
# 20 in,
Conlan's court this morning a crowd
commenced To gather, ana squad OF
police were stationed at the entrance 20
The hall 10 preserve order.
Judge COnlau's courtroom was crowded
to sunocation, and policemen were sta
toned IN different parts OF the room on
tho lookout for numerous cranhs who
have written threatening letters 10 the
Judge
The court opened at II o'clock. When
the defendant arrived in court all eyes
were turned upon him. The prisoner
looked pale and concerned, but showed
no emotion. \ photographer exhibited
several photographs of scenes IN the
Ghurch, and two large photographs of
Marian Williams, showing the wounds,
were also exhibited and attracted great
attention. They presented a revoiting
sight
Mrs. Morgan, with whom Miss Will
Jams lived in Alameda, was called to the
stand. She said that she last saw Min
ME Williams OH the morning of the 18th
inst, and that deceased had told her she
was going 70 Mrs. Foy's house She
knew Durrant He had called at her
house last summer, and had stayed half
an hour. She could not identify faces
shown IL photographs az that Of Miss
Williams.
Charles II. Morgan, husband of the
preceding witness, said that the girl was
counted as one OF the family. He could
tographs either. lie also failed TO iden-
tify the purse found in Durrant's over
coat pocket.
Here the name of a. Z, williams. the
father of the dead girl, was called. bur in
his place young woman rushed 10 the
stand and said that no one should testify
before her. She gave the name OF Will
iamson, and said that she would he one
to Judge Durrant, and ordered him re-
leased. The police tried TO remove her
but she would not let them. She left the
stand voluntarily, after some words. She
handed an incoherent letter to the Clerk.
She said she was sent by God to Judge
Durrant.
The woman was subsequently identi-
fed as Lucy Laura Gould Williamson of
ITO Leavenworth street. She declares
herself to be an ''emissary OF God" She
disappeared after being removed from the
courtroom. The letter she lett was as
follows:
"To the citizens Of the Gig and County
of San Francisco, to the Pu6tic Q8tci0tS-