The San Francisco call., 1895-10-07
DR.. GRAHAM'S NEW STORY
A Statement That Durrant Told
Him He Had No Notes of
DR.. Cheney's Lecture
rs SECUTED BY THE DEFENSE,
Deuprey Charges the Police With
Unduly influencing Witnesses
for the State.

A story gained some currency yes
terday concerning DR.. Gilbert f. Gra-
hams connection with the Durrant case
which, if true, is of prime Importance to
the peoples case against the accused
student. The story, which is to the effect
that DIR. Graham has come forward and
given to the police information which he
has withheld for months, is for that rea-
son burdened with the element of improb-
ability, and for the same reason is held up
to scorn by the attorneys for the defense.
However, the authenticity of the story is
vouched for by Captain Lees. For this
reason the doubt as to its accuracy is in
large part removed, while this same fact in
itself gives color to the contention the de-
tense has made all along, that the police
have exerted themselves to refresh the
memories Of witnesses since the case first
commenced in the effort to prove their
theory by inducing them to testify to
matters IN which their memories failed to
serve without much prompting and per-
suasion.
The story of Durrant's having requested
DR.. Graham to lend him his notes for com
parlson has been extensively published,
but beyond the fact that the accused did
ask for the notes, DR.. Graham has stead
fastly maintained that he had no informa-
ton. He now comes forward with a very
different story.
At o clock yesterday morning, in COM
pany with J. S. Dunnigan, DR.. Graham
visited the residence of Captain Lees and
impaired to the chief of detectives the in
formation that while he and Dunnigan
were visiting Durrant in the City Prison
on the afternoon of April 20 the accused
had taken him aside and requested the
loan OF his notes on DR.. Cheney's lecture,
saying that he had no notes, the only
thing needed to complete his alibi; that
be was undecided as to what he should
do,whereupon Durrant became excited and
urged that he take copy of the notes
10 his (Durrant's) mother, or that he take
the notes to Mrs. Durrant and let her copy
them, and as a last proposition, that he
memorlze them and return to the Jail and
recite them to him (the prisoner) that he
might take them down.
This is the new story told by DR.. Graham
to Captain Lees white the latter was in bed
yesterday morning. If it can be sub
stantiated by DR.. Graham taking the stand
and testifying to that effect, his testimony
Will be exceedingly damaging to Durrant's
case and will go far toward convicting him
OF the murder of Blanche Lamont. DR..
Graham left the City Immediately after his
early morning visit TO Captain Lees and
was not to be seen yesterday.
Durrant's attorneys are disposed to
treat DR.. Graham's new statement lightly.
Mr.. Deuprey said last evening:
"Dr. Graham must have been taken
with sudden pricking of the conscience.
1t does not seem to have troubled him all
these months that he claims to have car
ried it. His accounting for not having
told the story before, on the score Of
friendship, is rather a hollow excuse, for
they were not on any particularly friendly
terms. His story sounds to me as though
he had been studiously prompted by some
one, as 1 am almost certain other wit
nesses have.
ut is true DR.. Graham visited GEN
eral Dickinsons Office at my request, as
stated, but he did not make any such ad-
missions. | asked him particularly If Mr..
Durrant had acted in any manner to sug-
gest that he was i'll at ease and he told me
he had considered the request for the notes
as nothing out of the ordinary. AS mat
ter of fact, we were in possession of Mr.
Durrant's notes before DR.. Graham called
on him at the City Prison and they have
not been out of our possession since"
The prisoner himself was not at all con-
cerned yesterday about the new testimony
which it is alleged DR.. Graham will give.
The story is simply another of the series
of lies that have been published about me-"
said he. "Why did not DR.. Graham tell
that story long ago l should like to know2
If it was becauselh of friendliness
for me certainly appreciate it, but I was
just as certainly never aware he had so
much friendship for me. 1 cannot believe
DR.. Graham has made so untruthful a
statement
In an interview with reporter some
days si"ce, DR.. Graham stated that the only
hing "a would be able to testify to would
be the fact that Durrant asked for his
notes. He said then that he did not con-
slider it an extraordinary request, and
stated very plainly that in Durrant's ac-