The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-12
SIXTH DAY OF THE TRIAL.
dered GirI-Mrs. Mobiles Cross
Examination.

Examination.
Maud Lamont, sister of the murdered
girl, came into the trial of William Henry
Theodore Durrant yesterday. Her entrance
was not at all sensational, nor was her tes-
timony of a surprising nature to those
familiar with the general details of the
case.
Yet when Mr.. Barnes sa id, Call Maud
Lamont" a wave OF suppressed excite
ment spread over the audience and every
head was turned toward the door.
Detective Seymour led her ina very
slight girlish little figure, draped all in
black and displaying luxury of auburn
locks that hung down her back in a thick
braid. Evidently she was a stranger to
courts of justice, for she took the witness
seat that Mr.. Barnes pointed out to her
without waiting to be sworn.
What she had to say was scarcely audible
to the audience, yet all could see that she
answered even the most perplexing ques-
tons of her inquisitors without hesitation.
She was the younger sister, she said.
Blanche was GA year older than she.
Blanche was also a trihe taller, but she
could not have weighed much more, IN
less Maud is mistaken.
When Blanche first came to San Fran
cisco her health was poor, said this little
authenticated sister of the murdered girl.
Thatwas in September. They went across
to the grocery store one day shortly after
Blanche's arrival and there Blanche was
weighed.
"What was that weight2' asked Mr..
Barnes.
hun dra1 4
And then-such is the force of legal
technicalities-thi answer was stricken
from the record Though hardly from
the minds of the jurors), because the wit
ness had not marked the figures on the
scales, but had accepted the statement of
the clerk who did the weighing.
1t is apparent that upon this point, the
weight of the murdered girl, hinges con-
siderable part of the defense that will be
set up. Every particle of testimony con-
corning the weight and size and general
appearance of Blanche has only been ad-
mitted to the record under the protest of
Attorneys Dickinson and Deuprey.
If Blanche Lamont weighed lao pounds,
as DR.. Barrett, the autopsy physician, said
she might have, then the point will be
raised that Durrant, unaided, could not
have carried so heavy body up to the top
of the belfry.
But all this is in the future. It will be
weeks, at the present rate of progress, be-
fore the peoples case against Durrant is
all in and the defense begins.
Maud Lamont told the same story yes
terday that she told the Coroner ana the
Police Court Judge at the preliminary ex-
animation. She identified the clothing,
the rings that came through the mail, and
the schoolbooks of her murdered sister.
She told of the intimacy between Blanche
and the defendant, and she told of Dur
rants bringing the story-book to the
house.
During the main examination Mr..
Barnes brought out the dress-form upon
which is draped the basque and skirt
worn by Blanche. He stood it near the
Witnesses that she could identity the
clothing-and all could see how near of a
size the two girls were.
The cross-examination of Maud was very
searching, like that of the aunt, Mrs.
Noble, who preceded her in the witness
chair. Mr.. Dickinson was particularly
anxious about the strap that was found
around the schoolbook. And he wanted
TO know if Durrant had not said thus and
so that evening when he called at the
house with Dr. Vogel. But neither Maud
nor Mrs. Noble would accept Mr.. Dickin-
sons version of the conversation, nor
would either of them affirm that the two
girls were first introduced to Durrant by
their aunt.
Durrant was deeply interested in the
testimony of Maud. He pulled his chair