Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-02
DURRANT ISTODIE
So Says the Jury That Has Lis.
tened to the Evidence.
ONLY TWENTY MINUTES DECIDING.

Verdict Of Guilty and Penalty Of Death ON
the First Ballot for the Nsiscre.ns who
Slew Bianchc Lamont-wnd Scene Of
Enthusiasm In the Court Room Except
where the Stricken Mother Sits and Secs
Her Hopes Isiasted-Holmes' Case.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2.-Thcodore Dur
rant, assistant superintendent Of Emanual
Baptist church Sunday school, has been
convicted Of the murder Of Blanche La
mont, for which he has been on trial since
July - last. The jury was out twenty
minutes and arrived Mt the verdict on the
first ballot. As there was no rccommenda'
ton OF mercy the punishment was fixed
Ut death. The scene In the court room
when the verdict was announced will
never be forgotten by those who were pres
cnt. Judge Murphy finished his Charge
ut $3.50, and the jury ut once retired. AL
though there was supposed to bc little
PROSPECT Of a verdict being returned before
or o'clock in the evening the throng Of
spectators which had remained in the
ovcr-crowded court room all the afternoon
TO hear the judges charge, settled itself to
await the result Of the jury.
The Jury's Verdict Is Death.
Mrs Durrant and the prisoner talked and
laughed together as II an acquittal were
forcgonc conclusion. They were sur
rounded by half n dozen friends, and the
conversation was animated when it be-
came whispered about that the jury had
agreed upon n verdict. In an instant a
hush fell upon the little circle that had
gathered around the prisoner Durrant's
face. always pallid, assumed ghastly hue
and his mother was spccchlcss. When the
doors ut the rear Of the room opened and
the jury filed in the room, although filed
to its utmost capacity, was almost as quiet
~ IL u had been vacant. Clerk Morris
asked the usual question as to whether
the jury had agreed upon u verdict. Fore
man Warren Dutton arose and replied in
the affirmative. I've, the jury" said he,
find the defendant, William Henry Thco-
dorc Durrant, guilty Of murder in the first
degree"
Two Vastly Different Scenes.
As the aged foreman, pale and trem-
bling, rcad the words that fixed Durrants
fate low rumbling noise like the roar Of
mob arose from the rear Of the court
room. The next moment men were cheer
ing wildly, while women wept hysterical-
ly In the excitement. Bailiffs raped
loudly for order, but the tumult continued
for u minute before anything like quiet
could he brougih nut Of the disorder, when
the judge sa-, 40 would sentence the
prisoner next Friday.
During the tumuls that followed the
announcement of the verdict Durrant and
his mother were lost sight of except by the
few who sat nearest them. As the last
words VI the verdict wcrc uttered Durrant
made n spasmodic effort TO arise to his
feet, but irforc he could do so his mother,
with n half sigh. half moan, throw her
arms around his neck and sank back into
her chair. His mothers grief seemed to
make Durrant forget his own position,
and for the next few minutes he sat with
his arms around her neck trying to soothe
her.
Durrant Receivers Ills "Nervc."
Durrant's father was not i'm 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 n cheer went up from the crowd in
the building rs the news spread. Dur
rant recovered his old-time ccmposure rs
soon as he left his mother and prepared
to return to the county Jail. With his
ovcrcoat swung carclcssly over his arm
he walked lcisurcly out Of the room twirl.
ing his slight mustachc with apparently
ns little concern rs II he were merely a
spectator Of instead Of the principal fig.
urc In the exciting scene. When the YER
dict was announced Maud Lamont,
Rlnpchc's sister sDrnru fropn hcr scuf