The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-11
yHE MN or IRON NERTE.
Durrant's Imperturbable Cooiness on the
Witness stand.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, oct. 10
Whether W. H. T. Durrant is one of the
most remarkable of murderers CT not,
he Is a remarkable witness. All day,
fore an audience that packed the court
room. he stood q fire OF uestiOn- from
District Attorney Barnes, which it seem-
td at times must break him down, with
I'm pcrtuloable CoOlness
Hts quictness OF wit and adroitness were
shown "a dozen times. He went over the
ground OF his direct testim ny and en-
tered into the details of his movements
in the church on the day of the murder
without varying point or abating any
IN piausibility.
The crOss-examination began with the
time Durrant first met Blanche Lamont.
This was last September "A year ago. He
said he had escorted her TO ana IRON
hor home abou, fifteen times.
Durrart admitted that after Miss La
mOuts disappearance he had stated that
he believed that she was easily led
astray and had been inveigled INTO a
house OF ill-f1me He was asked what
there was about her which led him to
that conclusion. He repllsd that there
was nothing; he had formed IL from the
statement Of the detective who was put
or the ease when her disappearance was
reported 20 the police.
The examination had been tame. but II
soon became exciting. The District At
torncy went back TO the statement Of
Janitor Sadman, Of the Emanuel church,
hat ne nad seen Durrant at the ferry
on the afternoon Of the Minnie Williams
% lrder, and that Ddrrant had said ne
was waiting 10 see II Blanch Lamont
would not pass. lie told Sadman thar ne
heard she was going TO cross the bay
that afternoon.
"Did you make such a statement"
asked Earnes
81 did," Durrant replied.
VINO gave You that clue2"
- got II from a gentleman up town"
who was hew
II Go not know. ! never saw him be-
fore or since. l was standing ON Post
street near Dupont" continued Durrant.
when this man tapped me on the
shoulder and asked me II / was not ThoO-
dore Durrapt. | told MN that was my
name. tie then asked me II z was not
interested in the disappearance OF Blanche
Lamont, and on my answering in the
affirmative. he told me he would advise
me 10 watch the ferry that afternoon. as
she would cross the bay. He then walk
ed off down the street. and ] went 10
lunch and afterwards walked 10 the ferry
and watched for her all the Afternoon" "
did you not Investigate TO learn who
this man was and whore he got his in-
formation ne was asked.
"f did not" he replied.
You knew Blanche Lamont was being
searched for. and that your name WAS
associated with her disappearance, and
yet YOU ptfinllltt tli1 stranger 10 Walk
away without learning anything about
h.m2"
Well" said Durrant, "the truth IS
that ] WAS so o-erjOyed at getting clue
that | did not mink Of questioning him.
] noticed that he was man about five
feet eight inches I'm height. and dresser
with light Oyercoat and nat. and I told
my counsel TO Try to locate him.
rs II not a tact that you were AZ the
ferry at that time, not because Of any
clue connectol with Blanche Lamont. but
10 meet Minnie Williams, whom you ex-
pextcd TO come across he bayr"
1T is not a ~act." said Durrant. un-
moved by the rapidity OF the questioning
or the reference 10 the girl. thought 10
be the second OF his victims.
did YOU not meet Minnie Williams
there at that -me. and leave the ferry
with herr" he was asked.
Il did not meet her OF zee her there"
be replied
Barnes then reverted TO Durrant's al
legged wofk az the sun-burners.
He got him 10 go over the details Of what
happened, ana was particular to inquire
OF the symptoms which followed the In
haiatiOn OF gas. Durrant said he was at
work at the burners about n minute when
he felt the nauseating effects OF the gas
He felt about the same degree OF nausea
until he took the bromo-seltZer procured
FOR him BY King. He took about spoon
ful OF the seltzer. and II relieved him
Barnes then nuoted him as TO his
studies I'm opposing ar objection Barnes
made the statement that Durrant knew
enough about medicine to diagnose
his case. and that he had prescribed
something not intended for partial as
phyxiation.
had stated and had taken enough Bromo
Seltzer the district attorney reciared
that he would have been dead man be-
fore he could have left the church
This telling point had rs snect On Dur
rant who showed the only excitement