The herald., 1895-04-18

WAS TOLD ON THE MIRROR
Durrant Knew He Was Wanted
for Two Murders
MAN OF WONDERFUL NERVE
Accused Received the News Long Before
He Was Arrested
e.,
MAN OF WONDERFUL NERVE
Ample Opportu nifty for Him to Have Escaped
Statement of the Mother of
the Young 1an

5erest in the Emanuel church murders is
still intense, and the progress of the
coroner's inquest is closely watched for
exciting developments. So far nothing
startling beyond what is already known
has been brought out.
The strong sentiment against Durrant
seems to be undergoing a reaction and
the number of people who assert a belief
in his innocence is on the increase. Dur
rant does not act like guilty man. His
demeanor is more that of man who is
perfectly confident that his innocence of
the awful crimes will be certainly proved
when the proper time comes. If he is a
ravisher and murderer he is certainly
possessed of wonderful nerve. Moth
ing appears to shake him or disturb his
air OF confidence. He has been sleeping
badly but that is probably natural I'M
der the circum stances. During his waking
hours he is quiet, gentlemanly and self
possessed. He makes no slips nor awk-
ward admissions in spite of the many
traps laid for HIM by reporters and detec-
tives. He converses readily on any topic
except that of the crimes with which he
is charged. When that subject is brOached
he begs to be excused and refers question
ers to his attorney.
The testimony at the inquest today,
while in some respects damaging to Dur
rant, was not as strong as has been antlcl-
pated. The fact that he had once made an
Improper proposal to DR.. Vogel's niece
was brought out ana that will probably
tell against him, but the attempts to posi-
lively identify him as the man who en-
tered the church early in the evening IN
company with a woman failed. The wit
nesses could only say that Durrant looked
like the man. Also in every instance 1T
was shown that as far as the knowledge
of tina various witnesses went, DuTrant
and Miss Williams were not intimate.
They were never seen together, nor did
they ever speak of each other. Miss Will
liams father is the only one apparently
to whom she had ever talked about Dur
rant.
Some new facts have come to light tend
ing to show the accused mans remark
able powers of self-control. On Saturday
afternoon when members OF the signal
corps flashed the message from the top
of TELEGRAPH Hill to their comrades many
miles away on Mount Diablo that Durrant
was wanted for the murder Of Miss Will.
Jams, Durrant was the man who received
the message and read the flashes on the
mirror. His companions say that his face
never moved as he read off the letters
and he appeared to be unconcerned,
though greatly surprised. That night
Durrant was on guard for four hours while
the rest of his comrades slept There
were dozen horses at mis- disposal, one
of them unusually fast and he had an OPP
portunity to attempt to escape and could
have secured a lead of MANY miles over
his pursurers had he SO desired. In
stead he started to return to San Francis
co with the rest of the party.
Mrs. Durrant, the mother OF the young
man accused of the murder of Marian
Williams and suspected also OF having
killed Blanche Lamont, has made
statement to the newspapers in which she
claims there is conspiracy to fasten the
CRIME on her son.
The chief points Of interest in this
statement are as follows:
'Why do they not arrest all OF them
and make them show where they were at
the times OF the murders?
1.-The body of Blanche Lamont was
carried up the belfry and Theodore is not
strong enough to have done that. She
was we'll built girl and she was choked
to death. Theodore is not large and strong
enough to kill her in that way. Theo-
dore wore on the Afternoon of April Sd
double. breasted sack suit of blue cheviot
his ordinary, everyday clothes. 1t is
here in the house. The detectives came
here and searched over his clothing for
three days. They found nothing wrong
however.
I'm the Williams case. too, the muir
derer must have got blood upon his
clothes. Theodore that night wore the
same suit he is now wearing in prison,
and there is not the slightest spot upon
them"
Mrs. Durrant then rectes in detail the
movements and alleged movements of her
son last Fridsy, the day of Miss Williams
murder. and continues:
81 believe that all these things which
look so badly against my boy are the re-
suit of a conspiracy. Either somebody
wants to njure my son or the guilty man
is trying to shield himself by throwing
suspicio1 on Theo. There are some ques-
tions il the case which have never been
satisfactorily answered. Why did Mr..
Gibson want to hush the matter up at
lice have the keys of the church? Why
did Mr.. Gibson refuse himself to the re-
porters on Saturday? Did not Minnie
williams say something about a man
forty years old To whom did that gray
hair belong which was found yesterday in
the clothed blood on the floor of the book
closet? Theodore has not gray hair in
his head. They found horse hair on the
waist of Miss Williams. Who, attending
that party had been riding horse?"
The statement shows an analytical turn
more likely to be found in the attorney
than In the mind of woman.
Chief Crowley was asked what he
thought of Mrs. Durrant's arguments,
and replied that they might have been
expected from. a mother. He had been
unable. he said. to find evidence pointing
to the guilt of any other person.
Durrant complains bitterly that Pastor
Gibson has not called to see him.
'Is it not strange" said he, that
minister of the gospel, who would naturally
lie expected to be the first TO call and see
one in my position, has studiously held
himself aloof2 | cannot understand his
conduct.
''The police are bending all their ener-
gies to convict me, and they are entirely
overlooking the fact that Dr. Gibson was
the last one in the church last Saturday
before the body of Minnie Williams was
discovered
II had a good start of the police, and
II had been so inclined l could easily
have got away out of the state before they
knew of the murder. Does my conduct
look like that of guilty MANI"
1t. has been said that when the officers
found the body of Blanche Lamont they
also found footprints in the dust on the
belfry floor and they measured them. A
police officer who is in position to know
said today:
1.-THE officers did find those footprints.
They measured them and found as stated,
that they were made by Il man wearing
No. g or 8 shoe. AS Durrant's shoe Is a
No. 5 or 6 it will not fit the tracks. The
police at the city hall are subordinating
that circumstance. They know they have
got to catch and hang somebody for
these murders. l don't believe Durran mt
is the guilty man.
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