Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-11-07
.DURRANq guilty
HE IS CONVICTED OF MURDER IN
THE FIRST DEGREE.
The Jury Decides ON the First BAL.
lot That Theodore Durrant MUIR.
dered Miss Blanche Lamont In
the Emanuel Baptist
Church April 3 Last,
THE .vERD1oT FI9 APPRovE1
Male Spectators vociferously Cheer,
While the Women Weep Hy-
teFically in Excitement.

Emanuel Baptist church Sunday
school, was to-day convicted of the
murder OF Blanche Lamont, for which
he has been on trial since July % last.
The jury was out twenty minutes and
arrived at the verdict on the first bal
lot. AS there was no recommends
ton Of mercy the punishment was
fixed at death.
The scene in the court room when
the verdict was announced will never
be forgotten by those who were pres
| ent. The throng OF spectators who had
| remained In the overcrowded court
room for several hours to hear the
| judges charge. settled themselves
| back In their seats to await the re-
turn of the jury. Mrs. Durrant and
the prisoner talked and laughed to-
gether as If an acquittal were a fore
gone conclusion. They were surround
! ed by half a dozen friends, and the
conversation was animated when it
| became whispered about that the jury
had agreed upon a verdict.
In an instant a hush fell upon the
! little circle that had gathered around
the prisoner. Durrant's face, always
pallid, assumed CHASTITY hue, and his
| mother was speeches.. Then the doors
| at the rear of the room opened and
the jury filed in and took their seats
In the box. Intense excitement fol-
lowed. The room, although filled to
it's utmost capacity, was almost as
quiet as if it had been vacant. Judge
Murphy, who had retired to his cham
3ers. was summoned ard took his
place upon the bench. Clerk Norris
asked the usual questions as to wheth-
er the jury had agreed upon a verdict.
Foreman Warren Dutton arose and re-
piled in the affirmative.
eve, the jury" he said, find the
defendant, William Henry Theodore
Durrant, guilty Of murder in the first
degree"
Greeted With Cheers.
AS the aged foreman, pale and trem.
bling; read the words that fixed Dur
rants fate, q low rumbling noise like
the roar of mob arose from the rear
of the court room. The next moment
men were cheering wildly while wo-
en- wept Historically in excitement.
The bailiff raped loudly for order,
but the tumult continued for minute
before anything like quiet could be
brought out OF the disorder. When
District Attorney Barnes arose and
asked that day be set upon which
the sentence of death should be passed
upon the prisoner. Judge Murphy said
that sentence would be passed next
Friday, upon which day he would also
set the day for the trial of Durrant on
the charge of numbering Minnie Will
Jams.
| During the tumult that followed the
announcement of the verdict Durrant
and his mother We're lost sight of, ex-
cept by the few who sat nearest. As
the last words of the verdict were ut
tered Durrant made a spasmodic ef-
fort to rise to his feet, but before he
could do so his mother with half
sigh. half-moan. threw her arms
around his neck and sunk back into
her chair. His mothers grief seemed
to make Durrant forget his own po-
sition, for the next few minutes he sat
with his arms around her neck
Trying to Soothe Her,
The long strain of the trial, however:
had completely shattered her self-con-
troll, and it was some time before Mrs.
Durrant could leave the court room.
Durrant's father was not In the room
| when the verdict was returned. AS
soon as the jury retired he went out
into the corridors. not believing that
the jury would return for several
hours. and he first learned that his
son had been convicted when a cheer
went up from the crowd in the build
ing as the news spread.
Durrant recovered his old-time com.
posure as soon as he left his mother
and prepared to return to the county
Jail. With his overcoat swung care
lessly over his arm. he walked leisure
~ out Of the room twirling his slight
mustache with apparently as little
concern as If he were merely a. spec
tator instead Of the principal figure. in
the exciting scene.
Aside from the spectators, Mrs. No
BILE. Blanche Lamont's aunt, and Maud
lamont. the dead girls sister, were
apparently the happfest persons in, the,
ROOM . When the verdict, was an.
nounced Maud Lamont sprang from.
her seat. clasped her hands and then
cried from sheer excitement Mrs:
Noble mixed smiles with, tears and
shook hands with a number Of friends
who crowded around to congratulate
her.