Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1895-09-13
The Durrant Trial.

case was good for the prosecution and
evidence was introduced directly con-
Meeting the prisoner with the murder
of Blanche Lamont.
The first witness was Richard Charl-
ton, a grocer, who testified that he
had weighed Blanche on an average
of once a month during her stay in
the city. The last time he weighed
her vas on March 81 or %. Then she
weighed 118 pounds. Her greatest
weight was 12l pounds, and her aver
age was lis pounds.
This was considered a triumph for
the prosecution, showing that such a
light weight could be easily carried
or dragged up to the beIfry by Dur
rant. The defense had tried to show
her weight was 14O pounds.
Henry Chalmount, a conductor on
the Suffer street a system, testified
that on April Sd Durrant and Blanche
Lamont got OF a car at the corner of
Mission and Ninth streets, Durrant
sat with his arm on top of the seat
back of Blanche, and seemed on very
familiar terms with her.
This witness was excellent for the
prosecution. He resisted all efforts of
the defense to break down his testi-
mony and had all the time schedules
so firmly fixed in his mind that no
cross examination conld huster him.
He had identified Durrant at the City
Hall and again as the defendant in
court. D%urrant and Miss Lamont
left the car at the corner of Suffer
and Polk, taking transfers to the Polk
street cars. He said Durrant and
Blanche seemed to be very jolly to-
gether.
Herman j. Schiedger, a medical
student and classmate of Durrant tes-
titled he knew Durrant well and had
seen him on the-morning Of April Sd.
He noticed him first at the corner of
Ninth and Mission streets. He was
accompanied by Blanche Lamont.
Durrant had previously told him the
girl was Blanche Lamont.
He frequently saw them together
At the corner of Webster and Suffer
streets the witness got off the car to
go TO the medical college. Afterward
Durrant asked witness if he remem,
bered meeting him with Blanche that
day. Durrant said at that time that
Blanche had disappeared, and he
(Durrant) feared she had gone into 6
house of ill-fame. Durrant had re
marked that Blanche was an innocent
girl and he led her easily.
The witness answered all the ques
tons with marked reluctance, evi
deutly trying to protect his fellow
student, as far as possible. Several
times, in response to questions, wit
ness seemed On the verge of a disclos
ure, but always checked himself il
time. He was a good witness for the
people in spite of himself.
S. W. Horton, a reporter was the
next witness. He interviewed Dur
rapt on the night Of his arrest. Dur
rant had told him he had taken the
Sutter street car with Blanche La
mont. Defendants counsel had beer
shifting in their chairs and 10Y sale
they would admit that Blanche ant
Durrant had been seen together tn,
day she disappeared.
Minnie Belle Edwards was the next
witness. She was a classmate o
Blanche and after school boarded the
same car at the corner of Powell an6
Clay streets. "Wheu Blauche got OF
the car DuTrant was with her. ]
went inside; they were outside on the
east side Of the dummy, Blanche
earned her school books and wore
black serge, / identify these book
and dress rs those carried and worl