The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-10-26
The Opening Argument for
the Defense Begun.
WAS DICKINSON'S MASTERPIECE
sIdering the Case--ClOse Atten-
tiOn Paid.

SAN Francisco, Oct. 20.-General
Dickinson began the opening argument
for the defense in the trial of Theodore
Durrant this morning. Without any
preliminary remarks he began discus
sion of the incidents of April 3. First
he wished to consider the personality of
the young man accused of the crime.
Durrant was ambitious, studious and of
the highest character, as the speaker
contended he is now. General Dickin-
son alluded to the contention of Assist
ant District Attorney Peixotto, made
yesterday, that Miss Lamont was a VIC
tim of Durrant's unDridled passion. He
said there was nothing in the mass of
testimony taken to show that Durrant
was not moral young man. Durrant's
whole demeanor, both before and after
his arrest, he said, had been that of an
innocent man. The defendant himself
had told Mrs. Noble on the night Miss
Lamont disappeared that he rode to
school with her in the morning. On the
day of his arrest, and when on the stand,
he said the defendant made the same
statements. The fact that Durrant left
book at Mrs. Mobiles for Miss Lamont
on April Sd, he said, contained too much
method for guilty man, and he, there
fore, considered that as a circumstance
going to show the innocence OF the ac-
cused.
General Dickinson next made refer
ence to the roll call upon which it Is evil
dent, the defense intends to base its
case. He said if the correctness of the
roll-call were admitted, the prosecutions
case fell to the ground. He said Drs.
Cheney aad Gray, the only two persons
who ever had the book in their possess
sion, made no alterations, and he chal-
lenged the prosecution to show that any
body else had. He said the mute testi-
mony of the book was corroborated by
all of the students in the class, who tes-
titled on the witness-stand that they did
not answer to Durrant's name. The
statement of the prosecution that the
students were unwilling witnesses, and
withheld the most important testimony,
was ridiculed, as he said the students,
Glazier and Graham, the prosecutions
two most important witnesses, were
willing to tell what they knew.
The notes of the lecture were next
considered. Dickinson showed what he
said were Durrant's' notes taken by him
self at DIR. Cheney's lecture, and said
they had been in his Dickinson's) pos
session since April II. Dickinson said
this fact had an important bearing on
DIR. Graham's statement to the effect
that on April Goth Durrant told him he
had no notes and asked to borrow Gra-
hams in order that he might establish
an alibi. The notes of Glazier and Dur
rant, arranged in parallel columns, were
read to the jury, to show the dissimilar-
ity of the two. Dickinson said the notes
plainly showed that when Durrant and
Glazier compared papers on April 10th,
Durrant did not copy from Glazier.
General Dickinson said he made the
assertion with confidence that when DR..
Graham testified that on April 20 Dur
rant told him he had no notes, he made
a mistake. Graham, he said, he be-
lieved. had been unduly influenced by J.
S. Dunnigan, newspaper man, who is
his most intimate friend. Dickinson
did not mean that Dunnigan used i'm
proper methods to induce Graham to
give the testimony, but said Graham
had become so excited over the matter
that he had become confused. Dickin-
son asked the jury if they did not be-