Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-10-10
DURRANT ON THE STAND.

is, SIS second-claSs matter.
DURRANT ON THE STAND.
The sensation of the defense in the
Durrapt case in San Francisco was in
troduced yesterday when Theodore
Durrant took the stand. He walked
to it with a firm step and related his
story of what transpired on the 3rd of
April with characteristic GOODNESS. He
was permitted to trace his movements
from the time he left his home in the
morning until be retired at night.
He said be started from his home to
visit that of orgauist King, but on the
way met Blanche Lamont, who wss
standing on corner waiting for car.
AS she said she was late for school,
Durrant, at her suggestion, accompa-
MED ner as far as the school while be
himself went to Cooper College where
he remained until noon. At the inter-
mission he left the college for half
hour. On returning he learned that
the early afternoon lecture had been
postponed.
He then walked few blocks with
another student, remaining away from
the college about an hour. He men
toned two students with whom he
conversed at the college after noon.;
One of these, student Diggins, has al
ready testified that he had g conversa-,
ton, as stated by Durrant, but he did
not remember the date. Durrant said he
attended the lecture of DR.. Cheney that
afternoon, which began at $3.50 and
lasted forty five minutes. He said he
remained at the lecture until its close.
and took notes, which were produced
and put in evidence. These notes, as
introduced, were made by him at the
lecture.
After the lecture, Durrant said he
left the college and went by car within
block of the church and, and thence
walked to it, entering by the rear dooif
He went to the library room, there left
his coat and then went to the audi
torium floor. His purpose for going to
the church was to fix the vibrator on
the electric apparatus connecting with
one of the sunburpers, and he intended
at first to reach this by going up to the
attic in the rear of the church. He
did start up that way, but changed his
mind and went up to the gallery in
front, leaving door in the rear open.
In the gallery he turned the gas part
ly on and then ascended to the space
occupied by the sunburners by means
Of a ladder. He repaired the electric
vibrator on ore of the burners, then
tried all the jets to see that they
| would light from the electric spark
and finding everything satisfactory de-
scended to the gallery and turned of
the gas. While working on the vibra-
tor the odor Of the gas nauseated
him and made him feel faint.
From the gallery where he turned off
the gas there was staircase in front
by which he could have descended to
the library room on the first floor
where his coat was, but instead
of taking it he passed through the
auditorium of the church and went
down rear stairway to the floor
belo where organist King was
practiciug on piano. His reason for
going down this way was that he de
sired to close the rear door he had left
open when he changed his mind about
the way he should get to the sunburn-
ers.
Durrant said he heard King playing
on the piano while he was at work on
the sunburner and knew King was in
the Sunday school room when he went
thither.
Had he desired to do so, be might
have gone down the front staircase,
got his coat, and left the church un-
known to King, who did not have q
view of the front part of the ediice.
Durrant's description of what occurred
when he came into the room where
King was agreed with what King had
testified to. While King was absent to
get him the hromo.seltzer, Durrant
said he lay down on platform, with
his hands under his head, and rested
until King returned.
Durrant admitted that there was an
odor of gas in the lower part OF the
church when he entered, and said it
| was strong enough in the upper part to
| nauseate him. He did not know where
the gas came from which caused the
odor, and said he knew nothing about
gas or gas fixtures. ALI the repairing
he had done in the church was on the
electrical apparatus.
He was questioned by jurors as to the
gas which he said had overcome him
and answered in satisfactory and un-
hesitating way. He also took fac
smile of an electric vibrator he said he
was fixing, and standing before the
jury box explained in detail what was
wrong with it and how he remedied
the defect. He showed his competency
as an electrician and gave a plausible
explanation of his action at the time
when it is believed the murder OF
Blanche Lamont was being effected not
100 feet distance from the position he
says he occupied. He also made a
diagram; on a blackboard showing one
of the sun burners in a very clever
drawing.
Durrant said that when he took of
his coat in the library he looked at his
! watch and saw it was 4:55, or thirty
] FIVE minutes later then the witnesses for
the prosecution testified they saw him
near the church with Blanche Lamont.
The most dramatic of the incidents
of the day was when the counsel came
to ask him directly about the murder.