The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-15
Two Hundred and Fifty More
Drawn in Judge Murphy's
Court.
THE VISIT OF MRS. GROCER,
Not a Bit of Sensation Lingers
About That Very Clumsy Bit
Of Work.
THE DURRANT CASE IN A MINUTE-THE
AFFAIR OF MRS. GROCER.

AFFAlh Vi MhS GtsO0ER,
The police have thoroughly convinced them
selves that Mrs. Sarah GROCER of SIC Leaven-
worth street is not parsonage of any moment
in the Durrant case. So have the attorneys for
the defense. General Dickinson is OF the i'm
preston that her visits to Mrs. Durrant were
made merely for the purpose of extorting
few dollars from the mother OF the accused
This attempt, if such it was, was decldedly
clumsy, and failed of its own weight. AT any
rate, the propositions advanced by Mrs. GROCER
are found to have been based on fiction, what
ever her motive may have been. No further
attention will be paid to her.
Two hundred and fifty more veniremen were
drawn from the box by the County Clerk
yesterday and will appear in divisions Of 125
each in Judge Murphy's court on Friday and
Monday mornings to answer as to their quail
fications to act as jurors.
NOTE TO THE READER If you wish only to
know what was actually accomplished in the
Durrant case yesterday the foregoing summary
will give you that information. If, however,
1t is your desire to learn the particulars of this
interesting trial you will find subjoined clear,
succinct, impartial account of all important
matters. Under no circumstances will the
offensive details be admitted. They are not
essential to an intelligent understanding of
the progress of the case, and will be accorded
no place in these columns.
The names of $50 more veniremen were
drawn in Judge Murphy's courtroom yes
terday morning by Deputy County Clerk
Piper, his Honor managing to get down,
| despite severe cold. to supervise the
drawing. The owners of them will appear
in court on Friday and Monday lbs each
day, to answer as to their qualifications to
act as jurors in the Durrant case. Out of
this number it is confidently hoped that
the four jurors necessary to make up the
| full jury will be secured.
| While all this was being done Durrant
himself was taking things easy at the Jail
reading in the papers the accounts of the
strange actions of Mrs. Sarah GROCER, who,
it was at first sup posed, had assumed the
role of iury-fxer on speculation. That
supposition was exploded yesterday, how
ever, and Mrs. GROCER remains merely a
deluded woman and not another sensation
In the Durrant case.
"There is nothing in the story concern
| ing Mrs. GROCER at all" said Captain Lees,
who had examined her, yesterday. "Some-
body is trying to make mountain out of
molehill, but l really cannot place the
motive. l can say now that there is posi-
| lively no evidence that Mrs, GROCER has
made any proposals which could be con-
strued into an attempt at bribery"
| Mrs. GROCER is merely queer incident,
| not sensation, despite the fact that on
last Saturday she called upon Mrs. Dur
rant. At that time she could help the de-
Tense "as much as three witnesses would,"
and when questioned by the mother of
the accused she added that she "had a
relative and two friends in the case and
could influence them so they would bring
about a disagreement" She then left
agreeing to return Monday evening.
Durrant, the father, followed Mrs. Gro
ger and saw her enter pawnshop at
/ Turk street, after which she went to her
| home, SIG Leavenworth street.
When the police located the woman
after having been informed of the visit by
Durrant's attorneys, Mrs. GROCER was
brought into the presence of Chief Crowley
and there stated that she had merely
acted for another woman, who had offered
Durrant. She failed totally, however, in
any definite information concerning this
other woman.
The police and the attorneys for the de-
Tense are at a loss to know what to think
of the matter. They agree that the woman
| is sane and Dickinson is inclined to think
it was simply clumsy attempt to secure a
few dollars from the Durrants.
Mrs. Durrant is of the opinion; however,
that some enemy was at the bottom of the
whole affair, with the intent to tell the
story had she been foolish enough to have
| given Mrs. GROCER any encouragement.
Whatever may have beea the reason,
everybody connected with the case is sat-
istied that Mrs. GROCER made propositions
based on fiction, and she therefore drops
quickly out of the matter.