The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-23
DURRANT DEFENSE RUMOR
He Is Said to Have Two Dis
tinCt Chains of Evidence
Prepared.
One to Prove an Alibi, Another to
Disquallfy Witnesses Who
Have Testified.

New theories developed in the Durrant
case yesterday concerning the probable
line of defense the attorneys will seek to
establish.
Among these an alleged mysterious wit
ness figured whose identity is as problem
atical as is the likelihood that he will
appear for the defense and testify to the
story 1t was alleged he will tell. This mys-
terions parsonage is said to be profess
sional man and to have been passenger ont
Powell-street car one day in April on which
Theodore Durrant and Blanche Lamont
also rode. Accor ding to the report he at
first believed it was the Sd of April that he
observed the young people together on the
car, but that he has since changed his
mind and is now convinced 1t was another
date. 1t was said his testimony would be
offered by the defense as link in the
chain of evidence by which it expects to
show that Minnie Belle Edwards, May
Lannigan, Mrs. Dorgan and others who
testified to seeing Durrant and Blanche
Lamont together, were confused in their
dates.
Still another mysterious witness-for
those who will testify for the defense are
all mysterious as vets man who is al
legged to have ridden on the same car with
Mrs. Elizabeth Crosett the day she Jour
neved across the city to the Mission, and,
it is alleged, that he, too, remember that
the trip was taken on another day than
April 3. Still another rumor had it that
the two mysterious gentlemen are one.
These theories of the rumor-mongers
are in keeping with another which has
gained some currency, and is to the effect
that the defense, in establishing its alibl,
will bring forth witnesses whose testimony
will form a chain of evidence showing
hat Mt at nj a nj
on April at which he is alleged to have
been by the witnesses who have testified
for the prosecution, and that it has chain
of evidence to show that all the witnesses
who have testified TO seeing Durrant and
Blanche Lamont together may have done
so, but on another day, and not April 3.
These reports are OF course rumor, and
though, apparently, they come from an
authentic source, only such reliance as
rumor is entitled to may be placed in them.
Durrant was not without his enjoyment
of the sunny weather yesterday. In the
morning he was permitted an airing for a
couple Of hours on the rear porch of the
County Jail, and in the afternoon he had a
number of callers, among whom were
Signors Jose Schlide and Manuel Robes of
Guatemala. They are friends of young
Melendez of Salvador, with whom Durrant
was at college. He is now travelling in
Europe and desird his friends to convey to
Durrant his sympathy and an expression
OF his firm belief in Durrant's innocence.
At the resumption of the trial this morn
ing Adolph Oppenheim will again take
his seat on the stand to finish his testi-
mony relative to the alleged visit of Dur
rant to his place. He will be followed by
w J. Phillips in confederation, and
then the gasftters who put in the
savers al the Emmanuel Church will
be called. This will close the States case
unless the District Attorney should decide
to place one or two other unimportant wit
nesses on the stand. 1t is possible, there
fore, that the State may rest to-day,
although it is not at all certain.