Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-04-24
Durant Declared Guilty.
The San Francisco's COroner's Jury Says He
Killed Miss Williams.


SAN Francisco, CAL April 19.-The
coroner's jury which has been investi-
eating the cause of the death of Miss
Minnie Williams, one of the two young
ladies found dead in Emmanuel Baptist
church in this city last Sunday, render
ed verdict to-day declaring w. II:
Theodore Durant, the young medical
student under arrest, guilty of the muir
der of Miss Williams. The case of Miss
Blanche Lamont, the other young lady,
will be taken up by the coroner later
The usual crowd of curiosity seekers
was present when the inquiry was re
sumod this morning. Durant and his
attorneys were also present.
One of the witnesses was Elmer Wolfe,
an intimate friend of Durant. Wolfe
was in the neighborhood of Emmanuel
Church on the night Miss Williams was
murdered and claims to have seen Du-
rant within a block of that edifice as he
went home. Some of Wolfe's state
ments seemed contradictory and he
was recalled to the stand. He offered
to produce witnesses to substantiate all
that he had previously said in regard
to his movements on the night Minnie
Williams was murdered, but the coro-
ner declined the offer. and both that
official and the chief of police said they
were satisfied with Wolfe's statement
and did not believe he was connected
with the crime.
Two of Durant's comrades in the Ma
tional Guard Company were examined
and said that on the afternoon of the
night Minnie Williams was murdered
they saw Durant lettering about the
| ferry at the foot of Market street and
talked to him. They said Durant told
them he did not expect to be. at the
armory that night and he asked them
to respond to his name at roll call.
DR.. Bartlett, who conducted the au-
topsy, testified that Minnie Williams
died of asphyxiation as result of hav-
ing part of her clothing forced down
her throat by the murderer, and that
the knife wounds found on various
parts of her body were inflicted after
her death. He also testified that the
girl had been outraged and that pre-
vious to the time of the tragedy she
had led blameless life.
Several other witnesses were examin-
ed on minor matters, and about II
o'clock the coroner announced that he
had no more testimony to offer. He
then called Durant to the stand. and
the prisoner left his seat as if to present
himself for examination. He turned
toward his attorneys, who advised him
not to speak, and no further effort was
made to question him.
The jury did not occupy an hour in
celebrating, and returned q verdict
charging Durant with the murder of
Minnie Williams.
That section of the city where EN-
manuel Church is located was original
| ly the Mission Dolores, founded by the
Friars hundred years ago., and is to
this day generally designated as ''the
| mission" Popular sentiment of the
mission favors the razing of the edifice.
This feeling extends even to those who
are not financially interested in the
property. but have an interest in the
moral atmosphere of the neighhorhood.
The church has always been under a
cloud. A stain of human blood marks
its history from ole p stor, who killed
a newspaper proprietor and who blew
out his brains, and thence to the awful
tragedy that is now before the people.
Everywhere is heard the expression
Burn the place down." The feeling
| is that the church should never again
| be opened as place of worship. AS a
result of these threatening expressions
the insurance companies have Cancelled
their policies, and the police have been
on guard there since the tragedy.
1t is reported that Durant and his
lawyers are preparing a statement, out
lining the defense, which will be an en-
deavor to prove an alibi.