The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-11-09

The Crowd in The Courtroom Checred
Wildly at the Announcement but
Durrant Was Calm.

der of Blanche Lamont, for which he
has been on trial since July % last. The
jury was out 20 minutes and arrived at
the verdict on the first ballot. AS there
was no recommendation of mercy, the
punishment was fixed at death.
The scene in the court room when the
verdict was announced will never be
forgotten by those who were present.
Judge Murphy finished his charge at
$3.50 and the jury at once retired. AL
though there was supposed to be little
prospect Of a verdict being returned
before o'clock in the evening, the
throng of spectators who had remained
in the overcrowded court room all the
afternoon to hear the judges charge,
settled themselves back in their seats
to await the return of the jury. Mrs.
Durrant and the prisoner talked and
laughed together as if an acquittal was
a fOregone conclusion. They were join
ed by half a dozen friends and the con-
Versation was becoming animated when
it became whispered about that the
jury had agreed upon verdict. In an
instant a hush fell upon the little circle
that had gathered around the prisoner.
Durrant's face, always pale, assumed
CHASTITY hue, and his mother was speech
lGSS 4uel tic Dl6 QOOAo a. NhS ASeNA
of the room opened and the members
of the jury filed in and took their seats
in the box.
In the intense excitement that fol-
lowed, the room, although it was filled
to its utmost capacity, was almost as
quiet as if it had been vacant. Judge
Murphy, who had retired to his cham
bers, was summoned and took his place
upon the bench. Clerk Morris asked the
usual question as to whether the jury
had agreed upon a verdict. Foreman
Warren Dutton arose and replied in the
affirmative.
1--WE, the jury" said he, find the
defendant, Henry Theodore Durrant,
guilty of murder in the first degree"
AS the aged foreman, pale and trem-
bling. read the words that fixed Dur
rants. fate, a low rumbling noise like
the roar of mob, arose from the rear
of the court room. The next moment
men were cheering wildly, while women
wept Historically in excitement The
bailim raped loudly for order, but the
tumult continued for a minute before
anything like quiet could be brought
out of the disorder. Then District At
torney Barnes arose and asked that
a day be set upon which the sentence Of
death should be passed upon the pris-
Oner. Judge Murphy said that sentence
would be passed next Friday, upon
which day he would also set the day for
the trial of Durrant on the charge of
numbering Minnie Williams.
During the tumult that followed the
announcement of the verdict Durrant
and his mother were lost sight of except
by the few who sat nearest to them. AS
the last words of the verdict were ut
tered Durrant made a spasmodic eff
fort to arise to his feet, but before he
could do So his mother, with a half
sigh, half moan, threw her arms
around his neck and sank back into
her chair His mothers grief seemed
to make Durrant forget his own posi-
ton, and for the next few minutes he
sat with his arms around her neck, try
ing to soothe her. The long strain OF
the trial, however, had completely shat
tered her self-control, and it was some
time before Mrs. Durrant could leave
the court room. Durrants father was
not in the court room when the verdict
was returned. AS soon as the jury re-
tired he went out into the corridor, not
believing that the jury would return
for several hours, and he first learned
that his son had been convicted wher
a cheer went up from the crowd in the
building as the news spread.
Durrant recovered his old time com
posture as soon as he left his mother
and prepared to return to the Jail. Witt
his overcoat swung carelessly over hi
arm he walked leisurely out of thu
room, twirlng his slight mustache will
apparently as little concern as if h
We're merely a spectator Of, instead o
the principal figure in, the exciting
scene.
Aside from the spectators, Mrs No
BILE, Blanche Lamonts aunt, and Mau'
Lamont, the dead girls sister, were ap
parently the happiest persons in tn
room. When the verdict was annOunc
ed Maud Lamont sprang from her seal
clapped her hands and then cried iron
sheer excitement. Mrs. Noble nike
smiles with tears, and shook hands wit
a number of friends who crowde
around to congratulate her.
AS soon as Durrant left the buildin
the crowd surged out of the room an
gathered around the door out of whic
the prisoner usually came to reach tn
prison van. Fearing that some vic
lence might be offered the prisoner, h
was taken out of another door an
driven by a circuitous route to tn
county jail.
The verdict fell with all it's force o
Durrant and his family, who had banl
ed all their hopes on a disagreement
While Mrs. Durrant knew that it wa
among the possibilities that her so
would not be acquitted, her friends sal
she steadfastly maintained that a shaC
ow Of doubt would rest in one of tn