The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-23

San Francisco, April 22.-The prelimi-
nary examination of w. H. T. Durrant.
charged with the murder of Marian
Williams in Emanuel Baptist church be-
gan this morning. The police authorities
have taken extra precautions to guard
the prisoner and prevent any possible
act of violence though none is anticipat-
ed by the people. A Gordon of police
will be at the city hall. and there will
also be a squad of policemen in the
court room while the hearing is on.
The police are confident as ever and
Chief Detective Lees, who has returned
to this city from a vacation, after an
examination of the church, hearing re-
ports of his subordinates and counsel
with the chief, has expressed himself as
in readiness to proceed with the case.
Three new witnesses were found TO-
day in the persons of three young ladies
who positively identified Durrant as
man who had spoken to them on the
night of the murder near the church, be-
tween and 9:15 o'clock. He nistook
them for acquaintance and after recog-
nizing his error apologized and turned
away. Miss Williams was killed be-
tween and 9 o'clock that night.
A dispatch from Napa, Cal, says that
Allen Church, who has been closely as
ISOLATED with some of the Emanuel
church people, stated in an interview:
LAS soon as 1 heard Minnie Williams
was murdered, 1 connected Durrant with
the murder, as he had been most init
mate with her and 1 knew he had a key
that would unlock, but not lock. the
side door. / have known Durrant for
five years and have warned Minnie VIII
nams against going with him.
An Important Point.
The important part of this statement
lies in the declaration that Durrant's
key would unlock but would not lock
the side door of the church It will be
remembered that the murderer left the
side door unfastened in making his
escape from the scene of the crime.
Church will be questioned by the police.
The two murders furnished a topic for
four or five ministers to discourse on
yesterday to their congregations.
Durrant maintains a cheerful de-
meanor. He still denies his guilt and
says he has a suspicion as to who the
guilty man is but refuses to give the
name.
For hours before the preliminary ex-
animation of Theodore Durrant COM
menced in Judge Conlon's court crowd
gathered and a squad Of police were
stationed at the entrance to the hall TO
preserve order.
Judge ConIon's court room was crowd
ed to suffocation and not a few police
men were stationed in different parts Of
the room on the lookout for cranks, who
have written threatening letters to the
judge. Before the court opened at II
o'clock 5000 people surrounded the hall
and filled the approaches.
Showed No Emotion.
When the defendant arrived in court
all eyes were turned upon him and he
was sketched from all points of view
by the newspaper artists present. The
prisoner looked pale and concerned but
showed no emotion.
A photographer exhibited several pho
tographs of the scenes in the church and
two large pictures of Marian Williams,
showing the wounds and the work of
the physicians, were exhibited and at
tracted much attention. They presented
a revolving sight.
Mrs Morgan, with whom Miss Will
Jams lived in Alameda, was called to
the stand. She said that she last saw
Minnie Williams on the morning of the
18th. instant and that deceased had
told her she was going to Mrs. Voy's
house. She knew Durrant. He had
called at her house last summer and
stayed half an hour. She had not seen
him this month. She could not identify
the faces shown in the photographs as
that of Miss Williams.
Charles H. Morgan, husband Of the
preceding witness, said that the girl
was counted as one of the family. He
could not identify the face shown in the
rhofooraDhS either
He also failed to identify the purse
found in Durrant's overcoat pocket.
A Female Crank.
Here the name of A. Z. Williams. the
father of the dead girl, was called but
i'm his place a young woman rushed to
the stand and said that no one should
testify before her. She gave the name
of Williamson and said that she would
be the one to judge Durrant and order
ed him released. The police tried to re-
move her but she would not let them
touch her but left the stand voluntarily
after some words. She handed an in
coherent letter to the clerk. She said
she was sent by God to judge Durrant.
The woman was subsequently identi-
fled as Laura Lucy Gould Williamson,
ofa1110 Leavenworth street. She de-
clares herself to be an 'emissary of
Cod" She disappeared after being re-
moved from the court room.
A. F. Williams then took the stand
and identified the purse found in Dur
rants overcoat, as one he had given his
daughter.
The afternoon proceedings were open
ed with Sergeant Burke on the stand.
He testified as to the finding of the
purse. He said that there was a bunch
of twelve keys in the same pocket with
the purse and a single key Of the Yale
pattern. The officer stated that one key
that was on the bunch when he found
the ring in the overcoat pocket was
The case goes on tomorrow.
A Bunch of Keys.
Sergeant Burke identified bunch OF
keys as the one found in the pocket Of
Durrant's overcoat, with the exception
Of thirteenth key. which he said had |