The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-30
DURRANT ON HIS FUTURE.
His Declaration to Repay the
Amount Expended in
His Trial.
THE MYSTERIOUS REMEDIES.
Wants to Study In Germany and
Practice Medicine in Central
America.

Ingratitude does not appear to be one of
the traits of w. III. T. DurranU.
The boyish face of the youth accused of
the crime of the century was aglow with
enthusiasm as he said to CALL reporter
yesterday: 1.-THE one ambition of my life,
when l am free, will be to make enough
money to repay those who have helped me
in my trouble. The expenses of this trial
are heavy, but l hope to be able some time
to discharge every obligation"
A moment later he seemed to realize the
incongruity between his purpose and his
environment for a glance at the narrow
cell and the small window was not encour-
aging to any determination but that of en-
durance.
He smiled slightly and said: "But there
is a great difference between what one
hopes and what he expects. hope to be
acquitted, but L expect nothing. Oh, no!
l do not mean that anticipate the worst;
only that l do not allow myself to expect
anything definite, for I realize what odds
there are against me, and the worst of
these odds ls-perlury."
Would he exhibit as much malice toward
those whose testimony was DANA ging his
case as gratitude toward those who had
helped? The question was anticipated by
his next remark.
81 am sorry there are some of my friends
who have formed opinions and been led to
say they knew what they only thought,
but | bear them no malice, for | am GER
tain that some day they will find they have
made great mistake"
There was a good deal of apparent in
genuousness about the remark. He looked
as he might if saying: ''All right, old fell
low l accept your apologies. | knew
you would find you were in the wrong, but
expected you to see it sooner"
Then he reverted to his plans for the
time when he might be a free man once
more. There has been no change as to
details since my Imprisonment. / looked
forward to the time when | could follow
my sister to Germany and pursue my med
ical studies at Heidelberg for four or FIVE
years. Afterward l expected to go to Gen.
trail America to practice medicine. Shortly
before my arrest a lady friend, who shall
be nameless, brought me some medicines
used by the Indians of that country with
great success. She explained their virtues,
and l became greatly interested in them,
and was fully resolved to use them in my
practice in the South. | believe | would
like tropical climate.
Surgery would be my speciality if | ac-
complished my ambition. l found it espe-
cially interesting and think l might be
served that those who have mechanical
skill and can make working drawings and
models always become good surgeons. Ny
studies in civil engineering course helped
to make me an adept at drawing"
Referring to the trial, he said the most
trying feature was the curiosity of crowds.
He had always attended to his own bust
hess and he was surprised to find how
many hundreds there are who do not do
the same. ~ overhear such remarks as
| He's fit subject for the hangman.' That
isn't particularly cheerful, you know" he
said with a laugh, in which Chief Jailer
Sattler joined.
The accused expressed much indigna-
ton at the story published In one of the
dailies that he turned pale and shrank
away when Warden Hale of the San
Quentin State Prison entered the court
room.
81 did not know until / saw the picture
that the man who shook hands with Mr..
Morse was the hangman," he said. 81
put down the paper in disgust and have
not looked at it since. / did not have the
least curiosity as to who the man was,
to say nothing of turning pale at seeing
him. Neither my father nor mother knew
who he was, so they could not have shown
any concern"
The calm face looking out from the
wicket of cell "29' took on a shade of
firmer determination with the answer to
the question whether going. upon the
stand would not be severe ordeal. 81 do
not dread it in the least" was the answer.
II have my one simple story-the truth
to tell. That is all | can do have seen
what a cross-examination is and / do not
know whether l will stand or fall down
under it, am trusting to higher power
than mine"
He had received, he said, much spiritual
la+,x l.
1t was that he believed which had up
held him throughout the trial and all that
had preceded it. 81 asked the Lord to
help me to avoid any show of weakness
that the newspapers might use to my det-
riment, and he has given me the moral
strength l needed. He has preserved my
physical health. Before my illness year
with weight of So. The morning went
to Mount Diablo l weighed lis pounds.
Since. that time my weight has been
steadily increasing till yesterday it reached
100 pounds. That does not indicate a tor
tured conscience" he said, with smile.
There is no denying that / have been Sc
verely tried" he continued, "but by
have been supported and led. | feel
no anxiety. / do not worry about the
future. l am simply enduring what comes
from day to day and trusting that only
what deserve shall be melted to me-"
Whether religion or phenomenal en-
durance be Durrant's stay, who knows?
There is nothing of the attitude of an ex-
cited saint about him, nor is Uriah Heep
his prototype. There is something sug-
gestive of grown up child repeating au-
tomatically the phrases caught in past
years Of Sunday-school training. He does
not seem to be striving after dramatic
effect. Whatever Theodore Durrant does
or has done is an expression of his nature,
and that is a strange one