The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-04

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 3.-The
trial of Theodore Durrant for the
murder of Blanche Lamont in Eman-
uel church really began today.
The court room was crowded to
hear the opening statement of District
Attorney Barnes.
At the request of the defense all
witnesses in the case were excluded
from the room during the address.
The defendant listened attentively to
the statement of the chief prosecutor
At every point against him alluded
to by the district attorney, Durrant's
brows contracted, and he continually
whispered suggestions to his counsel
The defendants attorneys objected
to several statements in the address
They disliked an illusion to the con-
versation of the school girls, who
identified Durrant as the man who
had walked off with Blanche Lamont.
They also objected to an explanation
of the reason Mrs. Leak set so long at
her window on the afternoon, when
she said she had seen the murdered
girl entering the church with Dur
rant. The court overruled the second
objection, but sustained the first.
Though counsel for the defense had
said that they would be willing to
have Blanche Lamont and Minnie
Williams cases tried jointly, when the
district attorney referred to the find
ing of Minnie Williams body the de-
fendants counsel objected to the in
PRODUCTION of anything relating to the
Williams murder, which he said was
the basis for a separate action.
The court said he would permit ref
erence to the discovery of Minnie VIII
liams' body as an incident leading to
the discovery of the body of Blanche
Lamont He said he would not rule as
to the merging of the two cases, until
the question should be presented to
him directly.
At the conclusion of the opening adj
dress, the opposing counsel and the
court held a consultation. Then at the
suggestion of the defendants attorney
the court ordered that after recess the
jurors. the defendant, the judge and
the official stenographer in charge of
the sheriff visit the scene of the muir
der in Emanuel church.
The Opening Address.
District Attorney Barnes spoke as
follows:
"At this point in the trial. and be-
fore proceeding with the evidence, it
becomes my duty, as a representative
of the people, to make what is called
the opening statement of the case.
The opening statement should not be
regarded by you in the light of teSti-
mony, neither should it be regarded
as an argument upon the facts. 1t
should not have any weight with you
nor should you consider it as mitigat-
ing against the prisoner. 1t is merely
a statement of what the people ex-
pect to prove-a statement of the evil
dence which they intend to present
for your consideration, and upon
which they will confidently rely for a
verdict at your hands which shall
sweep away the sophistries and the
technicalities that have enveloped
criminal proceedings in this state as
with a garment, and shall declare that
the land we live in is blessed not only
with the manifold gifts of nature and
of God to man, but is further blessed
with the hard, clear, common sense
that can rise above the tortuous en-
vironments that surround the criminal
and punish the crime committed in the
manner required and demanded by all
laws. both human and divine.
Blanche Lamont.
1--WE will show you that in the month
of September, 1894, Blanche Lamont, a
girl about 20 years of age, came to
San Francisco from her home in Dill
Ion, Mont, in the hope that the mild
Col oicr11, 4 n or
health She went to reside with her
aunt and uncle, Mr.. and Mrs. c. G.
Noble, and from the time of her arri-
val here until April 8, she was en-
gagged in attending school. She was
not a society girl in any sense of the
word She was of a quiet disposition
housekeeping and religious. She never
attended parties nor theaters or other
places of amusement except in COM
pany of her relatives. We will show
that Blanche Lamont in her life time
was we'll, too well, and yet not well
enough acquainted with the prisoner,
Durrant; that he was in the habit OF
accompanying her home from church
and prayer meeting; that he was d
caller upon her at her aunt's house
that upon the only occasion upon
which she ever went anywhere with
formed, she visited the park one after
noon in company with Durrant We
will give you a history of her life and
her movements as far as we are able
up to the 3rd of April, 1895, in order
that you may form a just aprecia,
ton of the character and habits of this
| unfortunate young girl.
Connection with the Defendant.
1--WE will show you her connection
with the defendant, and we will show
you the reason why, when the muir.
dered body of Blanche Lamont was
found in the darkened belfry of Eman-
uel church. and the question sprane
from the lips Of every resident of this
city and this country: Who is the
murderer?' What it is that the state
answers that he who was responsible
for the slaughter of this young life is
William Henry Theodore Durrant
Durrant, once the friend of Blanche
Lamont; Durrant once in charge OF
the Sunday school library; Durrant