The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-04-20

When the officers reached the head Of
the stairs they found the door leading
to the tower room locked. They broke
In the door. 1t was so dark they could
not see and one of the officers struck |
match. As the light hared up they !
saw before them the dead body Of the |
girl for whom they were searching. !
The body was taken to the morgue, |
where it was placed on a slab by the !
side of Minnie Williams.
A GREAT CITY EXCITED.
As soon as the news became known !
immense crowds surrounded the church |
and had to be kept back by the police,
The chief OF police sent for Rev. DR..
Gibson, pastor of the church. and the
report became current that he had been
accused of the crimes and had been ar
rested. Great crowds surged to DIR. Glib
sons house, and the excitement grew
intense. 1t spread all over the city.
Extra papers were gotten out, and thou
sands of people flocked to the scene
from all over the city. The rumor of
rests was later denied and it became
known that DR.. Gibson and the sexton
Of the church had merely been called
before the police to tell what they knew
ARREST OF DURANT.
At o'clock came the news that Du-
rant had been arrested at Walnut creek,
on the road to Mount Dlablo. He was
caught by Detective Anthony, who left
in pursuit of him this morning. The
detective and his prisoner left on the
next train for San Francisco, where
they arrived this evening. large
crowd had gathered at the ferries to see
the suspected murderer come in, but
detachment of police was in waiting,
and they kept back the crowd. Durant
was hustled into a patrol wagon and
whirled away to the city prison, where
ne was locked up.
The police are certain that they have
| the right man. They claim to have two
Witnesses who saw Durant with Miss
! Williams last Friday night. and also
state that when a search was made of
Durant's house today, in the pocket Of
his coat was found a purse which Miss
Williams is known to have carried Fri
day night.
Durant is about % years old and was
born and raised in the neighbOrhOOd in
which the murder occurred. lie is Il
graduate of the Coggswell high school
and has been studying medicine for a
year. He is a member Of the Second
brigade signal corps, and was assist
ant superintendent Of the Emanuel
church Sunday school. He was always
of a quiet disposition and his friends
refuse to believe, in spite of the evil
dence that he committed the crime at
trbuted to him.
The police, however, think that Du-
rant is another Jack-the-Ripper, with q
mania for murder. They say that 1t is
highly probable that Durant is respon
sible for the killing of Eugene Ware, g
young drug clerk who was found stab
bed to death several months ago il
the store where he worked. No trace
was ever found of the assassin, and tn,
{ theory is that Durant killed him. NJ
: motive for this murder was discovered
and the fiendish cruelty Of it CWare wa
= stabbed in eight places leads to the be
\. lief that it was the work of an insan
p person.
e Durants parents are highly esteeme
. people. His father is chief engineer Fl
! buckingham & Hecht's large shoe fac
t tory, and, while not rich. has been abb
f to give his children a good education
o and start them in life.
Anthony met Durant and his CON
?. panions coming back from Mount Dial
T 10. They wore uniforms and had bee
2 on a shooting expedition. When d.
!
# rades at first wanted to resist the off
Y Ger, but finally allowed him to be take
a to Walnut creek, where the officer an
# his prisoner boarded a train for Sa
t Francisco. When they arrived at III
l. prison, as already described, Duran
V in his reglmentals, was taken to II
e. chiefs Office and subjected to a searcl
is ing examination. He appeared veI
Ie cool and even when arrested by Anth'
e ny and told that Miss Lamonts bod
IS had been found, did not lose his nerV
1t although he appeared greatly shockt
= and surprised. After the examinatiC
er by the chief, Durant was taken to a ce
he There he was Joined by his parents al
re a lawyer
p He made statement to the Ass
ne ciated Press: 1.-THE last time 1 met Mi
g. Lamont was on the day she disappea
of ed, April 3. We talked about books, al
ne I promised TO bring a book for her
I'd prayer meeting that night. Miss L.
al mont did not appear at prayer meetin
Y. and the following Friday 1 took it up
her house and gave it to her sistC
n The latter told me that Blanche HI
20 gone to school, evidently trying to he
Nv the fact Of her disappearance seer,
It. That is all know Of the Lamont ca.
n The last time 1 saw Minnie WilliaI
er was three weeks ago"
IN When confronted by the evidence tn
nd Miss Williams purse had been found
o. his pocket, Durant gave the followi
Is. explanation: IT was going home fro
ad the meeting Friday night when I
NV foot struck a small object on the sic
-e- walk. 1 picked it up and found that
W. was a small pocket mirror. Near
ne was a purse, which 1 also picked up a