Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-04-18
TWO r. KILLED.
Bloody Work I'm A Church I'm San
Francisco.

Bloody Work I'm A Church I'm San
Francisco.
San Francisco, April 16. - The
Emanuel Baptist church, at Bartlett
street, between Twenty-second and
Twenty-third, in this city, has been
the scene of two of the most ~atrocious
murders ever committed In the state.
Yesterday the mutilated body of Min
ME Williams was found In the library
of the edifice. To-day the nude body
Of Blanche Lamont was found In the
tower Of the same church. he same
hand, the authorities believe, slew
both girls, and w. III. Il. Durant, the
young man suspected of both crimes,
Is now in custody.
Blanche Lamont and Minnie Will
Jams were members of the Emanuel
church, and members of the Sunday
school class. The former was a
student in the normal school, on Pow
ell stree, in this city; the latter was
a companion in a family in Alameda,
across the bay from the city. They
were both twenty-one years old, bru-
nettes and pretty and modest girls.
Both had been the recipients Of atten-
tons from a young medical student
| named w. III. Il. Durant, who is also
the librarian of the church and the
secretary of the Young Peoples So
| ciety of the church. On April 3 Miss
Lamont disappeared. Diligent search
| failed TO reveal any trace of her
| whereabouts, and her aunt, Mrs. No
| BILE, with whom she had been living,
was totally unable to throw any light
upon the affair. Miss Lamont came
| from Dillon, Mont. several months
| ago. having been in San Francisco for
| her health and at the same time to
| attend the normal school to perfect
| herself as a teacher. The last person
seen In her company was w. III. L.
| Durant, who, it seems, had been on
| friendly terms with the missing girl.
Yesterday about lilo p. IN. the multi
ated body of Minnie Williams was
found in the library Of the church.
The girl had been assaulted and her
remains were cut and hacked, the girl
having evidently died from loss OF
blood. On further examination 1t was
found she had been gagged, the as
sailant tearing part of her nder
clothing and thrusting 1t down he
throat with a sharp stick, badly LAGER
ating the tongue.
MISS LamOnts BODY FOunus
Late last night the detectives had
about decided Durant had murdered
Miss williams, and this theory was
further strengthened this morning at
ter making a thorough search of the
Emanuel church. The dead and out
ragged body of Miss Lamont was found
concealed I'm the steeple. Death had
been caused by strangulation. The
body was lying just inside the door
of the tower nude and on the
floor. Around the neck were marks
of fingers that had been pressed deer
into the tender flesh. The mouth was
open showing the teeth, the features
were badly distorted, being drawn
and the lips were swollen and blood
stained. The nose was the only feat
IRE that retained it's original shape
for the cheeks were bloated. The
girls hair was matted with dirt anC
hung loosely about her shoulders. The
body was badly decomposed, the Odol
emanating from the remains having
reached the nostrils of the detective:
before they opened the door. WheI
the officers reached the top Of thu
stairs they found the door leading t.
the tower dome locked. They BROKE
in the door. 1t was so dark the,
could not see, and one of the officers
struck a match and when the ligh
fiared up they saw before them thu
dead body of the girl for whom the,
had been searching. The body wa
taken to the morgue where 1t wa'
placed Oh a slab by the side of Miss
Williams. Durant has been arrested
In his possession was Miss Williams
purse. 1t is believed that he has
mania for numbering girls.