The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-25
THE FOURTEENTH DAY.
What the State Has Proven and
What the Defense Must Prove.
a Plumber on the Stand

A Plumber on the Stand.
It was short day-the fourteenth day
of the trial of Theodore Durrant A num-
Der OF minor witnesses were heard, cover
ing various points-some important and
some not-in the peoples case against the
defendant. And when the last of these
had been heard-early in the afternoon
the District Attorney announced that the
States case was closed.
In the morning there will be further
cross-examination OF few of the peoples
witnesses and then Mr.. Deuprey will make
his opening statement, outlining the proof
that the defense will offer. Speculation is
rife concerning the kind of proof that will
be offered by the defense, but those who
have heard the States case against Dur
rant are of the opinion that the only evil
dence that can save him now is proof posi-
tive upon two points.
The first and most important of these
two points concerns the whereabouts OF
Durrant between and half-past o'clock
on the afternoon of April 3. This is the most
important point and if it can be shown be-
yond a question that Durrant was not in
company of Blanche Lamont between
those hours then the States case against
him falls, for it rests mainly upon the tes-
timony of the witnesses who saw Durrant
meet Blanche at the Normal School, who
saw them riding on the Valencia-street car
toward the church, who saw them walking
on Bartlett street near the church and who
saw them both enter the church.
AS to this point the proof made by the
State was very strong. Not one witness
saw Blanche Lamont and Theodore Dur
rant together that afternoon, but many.
All of them were reputable witne sses, and
all of them were very positive in their
Identification.
The ether point that would probably be
convincing that Durrant was not the MUIR
derer of Blanche Lamont lies in proof that
she was seen alive after o'clock on the
afternoon of April 3, for if she was not
dead when Durrant left the church then,
according to the States case, there is no
reason to believe that the awful deed was
committed by this defendant.
The State has proven-and the defense
admitted-that the victim and the defend
ant were together in the morning OF April
3. The State has proven-and the defense
denied-that they were also together on
the afternoon of the same day; that Dur
rant went to the school on Powell street
and met her at o'clock, after waiting
nearly an hour for her in front of the
school: that they both rode on Powell
street car to Powell and Market streets;
that thew both rode on Valencia-street
car to Twenty-frst street; that they crossed
Twentv-second street on the east side of
Bartlett and went down toward the church,
and finally that they entered the church.
Durrant's attempt to sell or pawn the
ring of Blanche Lamont: the manner In
which the corpse was laid in the belfry OF
the church with blocks at the side OF the
head and the arms folded, showing the
handiwork of one accustomed to the dis
secting-room; Durrant's actions an hour
later when seen in the church by Organlst
King; the fact that the gas fixtures had
Just been repaired; and all these minor
points proved by the State have been
merely as added strength to the main case,
the pith of which lies in the fact that Dur
rant was last seen alive with Blanche at
the very building where the remains were
afterward found.
This is the evidence that the defense must
meet. if it hopes to save the life of the
prisoner. District Attorney Barnes and
CAPTAIN Lees expressed their entire salts
faction with the case made by the people
last evening, and said they did not believe
the defense could disprove a single point
in it. But that remains to be seen.
The chief points brought out by the wit
nesses for the people yesterday were in re-
lation to the condition OF the gas fixtures