Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-05-03
POLICE LOSE HOPE
Change Their Opinion Regarding
the Medical Student
THERE is NO DIRECT EVIDENCE
Second Day of the Preliminary Trial
Afforded Few Incidents OF
Note Either Way.

that the Emanuel Baptist church muir
ders, the killing of Miss Blance La
mont on April and of Miss Marian
Williams on April 10, may go down as
unsolved mysteries in the criminal an
nails of San Francisco. The police have
gathered much evidence, all circum-
stantial, but the witnesses OF the state.
under the fire of cross-examination.
have not held SO firmly to their state
ments-they wavered in the matter of
identification when pinned down.
The result of the second days prelim-
mary examination led Chief of Police
Crowley to remark that is was rather
disappointing. Certain 1t is that Dur
rant, the medical student accused of the
murder of Marian Williams, has not yet
lost his assurance or nerve. His de-
meanor is SO peculiar, SO enigmatical,
that the conclusion forces itself upon
the observer that he is either most
consummate monster or most cruelty
wronged man. 1t is said he is anxious
to make his defense in the police court.
relying upon the weakness of the case
and his ability to prove an alibi. but
his lawyers are too cautious to permit
him to have his way.
The police have abandoned their
search for additional evidence, and say
they have the net woven good around
Durrant. The public, or at least large
portion of it, is skeptical, but as the
police still have some rs witnesses and
perhaps more, the evidence of which
the people have not been apprised, it is
possible that the police may be right
and will succeed in presenting evidence
strong enough to hold the accused for
trial.
THE PROCEEDINGS.
When Durrant entered the courtroom
this morning he appeared refreshed and
was as self-composed as ever. He con-
versed with his attorneys earnestly for
some time before court opened.
Mrs. Amelia Voy, with whom Miss
Williams was to stop before going to
Tacoma, testified that Miss Williams
| came to her house on the afternoon of
the murder and left about 8 o'clock
alone. Mrs. Voy was not allowed to tell
where Miss Williams was going. She
| identified the clothes worn by the dead
| girl when she left the house and which
were found on the murdered girl.
| Adolph Hobs of Oakland testified that
he had seen Durrant at the ferry on the
| afternoon of the 18th. Hobs says that
Durrant was in the company of young
| lady smaller than himself. He did not
| see the lady's face
| Miss Florence corroborated her moth
ers testimony. Half dozen witnesses
for the prosecution failed to respond to
| their names.
| DIR. Gibson was the next witness call
| ed. He answered the questions put to
him in loud, clear voice. DR.. Gibson
| said that he had seen Durrant on Good
| Friday night at the Christian Endeavor
meeting held at DR.. Vogel's home. He
| thought Durrant came to the meeting
| about $50 O'clock after the conclusion
of the business meeting. Durrant re-
manned until the party broke up. Wit
| ness had seen Durrant alone in the IL
| brary of the church on March II. Wit
| ness was at the church on the morning
that the body of Miss Williams was
| found. He heard a noise in the church
but did not investigate. He had known
Miss Williams and saw her for the last
time to his certain knowledge March
2, in the Sunday school room, when she
told him she was going away and bid
him goodby.
The prosecution reported that they
| had discovered a new witness in Den
mis- Welsh an Alameda policeman, who
| was introduced during the afternoon.
Welsh says he saw Durrant and Miss
Williams together on several occasions
| about two weeks prior to the discov-
cry of the young lady's body in the
| church.