The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-17
I: ACNE Of A1ROC|EY
ii Crowley Talks OF the
Girl Murders
CASE WITHOUT PARALLEL
Evidence Against Durrant Is Purely
Circumstantial
Tic Accused Ian Was PassicnateIy Fond Of
Women and Was Constantly in
Their Society

"a fkANClSCO, April lb.-lhere are
few, if any, developments in the murder
of the Lamont and Williams girls.
Chief Crowley is confident that Durrant
is the murderer of Blanche Lamont and
Mimic Williams. In an interview the
Chief said:
Never in the criminal history of San
Francisco has there been a crime COM
mitted so atrocious in all its details as
this one. Do | think Durrant guilty of
the murder of both girlsP Yes, | do. |
can say honestly and conscientiously that
from a consideration of the facts that have
come to my knowledge there is but one
conclusion to make-that is. that lie is
the murderer of Minnie Williams and
Blanche Lamont.
The hurried examination we made
upon the discovery of the body OF
Miss Williams made us believe Durrant is
the guilty person. All the evidence We
have is circum stantiaI, but to my mind
it is none the less conclusive.
The chief then told of the main links in
the chain of evidence, and continued:
II visited the church today and made
q thorough inspection of everything it
contained. From the appearance of the
fioor and walls Of the little room in which
Marian Williams was murdered it seems
certain that the murderer must have had
his hands and clothing smeared with
the blood of his victim. We have searched
Durrant's room and the church and have
as vet been unable to find the clothes
which he wore that night.
''Durrant will not be formally accused
Of the murder of Blanche Lamont at
present, for the charge already placed
against him WILL in my opinion, be all
that is necessary. If he escapes one we
will try to convict him of the other.
During the many years | have been at
the head Of the police department have
had to deal with hundreds of criminals of
every grade, but / have no hesitancy in
saying that in view of the terrible nature
of the crime for which this man is held
responsible, he is the peer in all GOODNESS
and the power of self coutro.
Durrant was more than passionately
fond of women, and at every opportunity
be sought their society. In this, how
ever, he confined himself to the purer and
better girls OF his circle of acquaintance.
The demi-monde had no attractions for
him. A theory is held by some of the
faculty of Cooper College that Durrant
was afflicted with pyscyho mania sexualis.
a not unknown though infrequent mental
disease. Numerous cases OF this terrible
insanity are recorded in medical his
tory.
Curious crowds fl ed Bartlett street along
the block in which the deserted house of
worship is situated. They stand gaping
at the tower where the body of Blanche
Lamont lay for so many days and gazing
in through the windows OF the little room
where Miss Williams met her death.
Shortly after midnight Sergeant Witt
man found small paper box at the en-
trance to the central police station. He
picked up the b and on opening it
found a woman's glove and loci, Of long
brown hair stained with red ink inside
In the glove was the following note
printed in large Roman characters on a
beet of yellow paper:
- Ou are on the wrong trail. Got the
wrong bird. My handiwork. Harry the
hacker. Find me if you cam
There is no question but that the affair
is practical joke.
This afternoon at the inquest on the
body OF the Williams girl no facts outside
OF those already published were elected.
The inquest will be continued tomor-
row. This afternoon Durrant was
arraigned in the police court for the mul-
der of Marian Williams. The hearing was
resumed their search of Emanuel church
this afternoon for further traces of
Blanche Lamont's murderer. Under
beam in the roof OF the church the girls
shoes were found. Her school books were
discovered secreted between the plaster
and the framing. This discovery is i'm
poFtant, showing that Miss Lamont did
not go home from school after her meet
ing with Durrapt. Blanches missing
glove and hat pin were also found secre-
ted IN the roof. Police Detective Anthony
has identified Durrant as the man who
OF an ex-policeman to San Jose and there
betrayed her. After returning mere,
Anthony says Durrant forced the girl to
become an inmate of a disreputabe
house. The police now believe Durrant
intended to burn the church and to de-
stroy the evidences of the crime.
Durrant spent quiet afternoon TODAY.
He received large number OF friends.
who are members of the signal CORPS or
students at Cooper medical college They
all shook him by the hand warmly and
assured him Of their belief of his limo
cence. This was very comforting to
Durrant after his trial at the coroner's
inquest. He got inc better spirits and
by the middle of the afternoon was more
composed than he has been at any time
since his arrest. He showed no sigus
whatever. of breaking down.
He said: 1.-The story that | was
friendly with Eugene Ware is fake. l
never knew him, don't think l ever saw
him and never heard of him till the news
of his murder was published. | don't
think he ever belonged to the signal
corps.
coroner's inquest that | attempted to as
sault Minnie Williams is absurd. There
are plenty of girls in San Francisco for
me to call on without having to 20 to
Alameda. 1t is nonsense to even think
| would be so greatly attracted by a thin
sickly little girl like Minnie Williams.
have always thought she was good, kind
little girl. but she never attracted me in
the way alleged in the least.
81 realize that the circumstances look
bad at the present time for me, but |
feel confident that will be able to estab-
fish my innocence. 1t is case of mis-
taken identity on the part of the three
young ladies who think they saw me on
a Powell-street car with Blanche Lamont
the day she disappeared. l will be able
to explain away at the proper time the
other pieces of circumstantial evidence
which lead people to unjustly accuse me.
mo. | have not the slightest idea who
could ha e killed the two girls. I cannot
believe that anyone of my acquaintance
could have committed the awful deeds.
| have no reason to believe that a con.
spiracy exists to prove ME guilty in order
I" protect some other person. / am sur
prised at some of the reported actions
taken by DR.. Gibson. George King Clar-
ence Wolfe and DR.. Vogel, but I am sure
that none of them could have been con-
1iected in any way with the horrible
crimes We were all young men together
In the church and [ would be sorry to
hear anything against them"
+. A. Saderman, the janitor of the
chm CHI contradicts the statement of Du-
rant in regard to the gas fixtures in the
church being out of order. They had
been ont of order but had been repaired
= Uyf