The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-18
WITNESSES AGAINST DURRANr.
Two Men Who Saw Him With Blanche
Lamont on the Fatal Afternoon.


San Francisco. Aug. 1.-THE statement
OF Mrs. Caroline Leak that she saw Theo-
dore Durrant and Blanche Lamont enter
Emanuel Baptist church on April 5. a
few minutes before Miss Lamont is sup
posed to have been murdered, has broken
the ice, and two more witnesses have
come forward who say they saw Durrant
and the girl in the vicinity OF the church
at the same time-about p. m. One of
the new witnesses is John Rush. car
penter, who lives at 10 Tenth street.
Rush's story Is TO the effect that in COM
pany with a friend, a man whose ident-
ity the police are keeping a secret, he was
stroliing along Twenty-second street
from the direction of the Mission. A
young man and girl were walking to-
ward them from the direction of Val
cencia street The man and girl turned
into Bartlett street, going in the direc-
ton of the church and on the same side
of the street. Rush and the other wit
ness passed on. Eleven days later. when
the news of the murder in the church be-
came known. Rush had visit from his
companion OF April S. He was astonished
to learn from him that the young man
whom they had met on Twenty-second
street with the girl was Theodore Dur
rant Rush asked If there could be any
possibility or a mistake. and his friend
told him that there was none; that he
could not be mistaken about his appear
ance. Miss Lamont was unknown TO
Rush's friend. and he could not identify
her, but as TO Durrant he was positive.
The men hesitated for some time about
making their information known to the
authorities, but finally decided that it
was their duty TO do so. They made
visit 10 Capt. Lees. and told him their
story. They were shown the clothing of
Miss Lamont, which was found in the
belfry. and both men declared themselves
as certain that they were the garments
worn by the girl whom they say they
saw walking with Durrant Then the po-
lice showed them a photograph of Dur
rant Rush's friend identified i posi-
lively. and Rush was reasonably certain
that it was the picture of the man he
met on Twenty-second street.
Mrs. Leak. the new witness. was for
merly a resident Of Gloversville. N. Y.
She Is the divorced wife of the principal
stakeholder of the Leak Glove Company,
al Gloversvifle. Her former husband is
now said to reside in New York city. Mrs.
Leaks neighbors are inclined to discredt
her story, and represent her as a woman
rather prone TO gossip. They credit her
with the origin of the statements that
young men and women were accustomed
to resort TO the church at all hours Of the
night and day
IN vain effort TO find single satisfae
tory talesmen. As the trial progresses the
respective counsel find il more difficult TO
be satisfied with xenremen. Any one
who seems acceptable to one side appears
Objectionable to the other, on general
principles Counsel find 1t easy to dispose
OF Objectionable yeniremen without per-
emptory challenges. The defense has
twelve of its twenty peremptory chal-
lenges left. and returns have been made
on nearly 900 veniremen. Should no pE2-
gross he made next week tho defense viii
probably renew its motion for a change
of venue If il can be shown that II IL
practically impossible 10 obtain a jury
here the motion will he granted, IS the
denial Of the motion at the beginning of
the trial was only provisional.
San Francisco. Aug. T-August kellner
and John Rush are the names OF two new
witnesses by whom the prosecution in the
Durrant case expect TO prove that Dur
rant was in the habit of visiting the belfry
OF Emanuel church in company with
young girls. Keliner is a carpenter and
in September. 1898. he was engaged To
repair the belfry of the church. which
had been damaged by a storm. One day
while at work In the belfry with
Rush. he says. Durrant, accom-
panied by a girl entered the belfry.
On seeing the men there they left. \
few days later Durrant again entered the
belfry this time with another girl. They
remained a few minutes. then went away
These visits 10 the tower occurred over
a year before the murders commenced.
and while the testimony OF the new wit
nesses has no direct bearing or the cases,
IL goes to show. the police think. tina,
Durrant was not tho yirtuous young man
that he pretended 10 be.