The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-09-13
IT MADE HIM SMILE
A New Witness Tells About Durrant
and Miss Lamont.
WHILE RIDING ON A DUMMY
Women Push and Fight to Get Into
the Court Room to Catch
Glimpse of the Famous
Prisoner.

San francisco. Sept. 12.-Pouring rain
did not lessen the crowd OF curiosity
seekers at the trial of Theodore Dur
rant to-day. Even the usual large per-
centage of women was among the
throng that pushed and fought for ad-
mission. AS the interest deepens and
the relevant testimony Is gathered in.
all eyes are on Durrant. But the pris-
oner has so far succeeded in battling
all curiosity. He listens to all the tes-
timony without exhibiting any feeling.
Considerable Importance is being at
tached to the weight Of Blanche La
mont at the time of her death. The de-
fense will lay stress on the inability OF
one man to carry a heavy body up such
a steep flight of stairs as leads to the
belfry OF the Emanuel church. Hence
the prosecution was elated at the tes-
timony to-day of Richard Charlton, a
grocer. who stated that he had weighed
Blanche Lamont once week for six
months to see If she was growing heav-
Ter by reason Of her residence here.
On March 9th or 2sth she weighed
lis pounds. A week later she disap-
peared. Her greatest weight was 12l
pounds.
A new witness appeared in the person
Of Henry J. Shalmouth. a cable car
conductor, who testified that Durrant
and Miss Lamont had ridden together
TO school on the morning of April 2.
He had seen them frequently before,
and his attention was particularly d.
rected to them this day by their beha-
vior and their evident intimacy. When
he described Durrant sitting on the
dummy with mis- arm around the seat
behind Blanche and lavishing sweet
words on the girl, Durrant and his
father, from their seats In the court
room, smiled broadly. The son seemed
to relish the remembrance, while the
father acted as II ne considered the
affair huge Joke.
Several other witnesses were intro
duced to prove that Blanche Lamont
and Durrant went to school together on
the fateful morning. Then the defense
admitted the fact that they were to-
gether, and this line of inquiry was
abandoned by the prosecution. Her
man ]. Schlagler, a classmate OF Dur
rant at the medical college, was on the
stand and proved a good, but unwilling
witness for the people. He manifestly
tried to shield his college acquaintance.
bu admitted that four days after
Blanche had disappeared and before
Durrant was mentioned in connection
with her absence, Durarnt had asked
Schlagler II he had remembered seeing
hA o.
member that Durrant parted from
Blanche before Durrant left the car.
Witness was unable to remember that.
and Durrant volunteered the informa-
ton that Blanche was missing. The
prisoner told the witness that Blanche
was easily led and controlled by him,
and that he feared she had gone to
some questionable abode.
Miss Minnie Bell Edwards, who had
been a classmate Of Blanche Lamont.
gave the following testimony: ION the
afternoon Of April 8 Blanche Lamont
and / left the normal school together.
AS we approached the car she was join
ed by a young man whom recognized
as Durrant. They boarded the car to-
gether, sitting on the dummy. while l
went inside At that time Blanche had
parcel Of books and wore a black
dress, both Of which I now identify. l
was particularly attracted to Durrant,
and fully Identify him. last saw the
couple at the corner OF Market and
Powell streets, where I left the car. !
had never seen the defendant before.
I next saw him at police headquarters,
where I fully identified him. ! also
recognized his portrait published in the
papers when Durrant was arrested. No
one spoke to me about my testimony.
/ told my schoolteacher what I knew
about Blanche, and was then summon
ed as a witness" On cross-examina-
tion, the witness was made to describe
minutely all the movements Of Durrant
herself and Miss Lamont before and
after they boarded the car. She was
also made to describe Durrant's attire
minutely. She stuck to her story and
made an excellent witness for the pros
ecution. To accommodate one of the
Jurors, a recess was here taken until
Monday morning.