The San Francisco call., 1895-11-02

interest in the silent, reclining figure
What did Durrant think? What did his
mother think? Those who had sat in
court from the beginning to the end OF the
trial knew the force of the evidence that
had been heaped up against the man.
They remembered then the extraordinary
statement Of the veteran head of the police
force who said when he placed the charge
of murder against Durrant that he had
evidence enough to hang ten men. They
knew the charge had been proven. They
knew the defense had failed, and that the
last hope of the Durrants, the erased roll
of the medical college, was too light a
thing to help him. Did Durrant know
that when the jury came in it would only
be to name him for death? He, of course
knew the truth.
Did the fearless mother and the ghost
faced father still believe in their SON in
nocence?
There was no answer to these questions
from the three unhappy people who sat
there so still. The boy remained with his
eyes closed and his limbs relaxed The
mother stared at the empty jury-box.
The father kept his eyes cast down in his
misery.
Every minute that passed meant little
more hope for Durrant. 1t was not case
for argument in the iury-room and every
body realized that if there was one man
on that jury who had not been convinced
there would be no conviction.
"If they stay out an hour they will stay
out week." whispered lawyer to a po-
Eceman.
Durrant heard the remark and opened
his eyes and again looked at the clock.
The jury had been out just twelve minutes
There was nothing yet on which to base a
hope of a disagreement.
Presently people began to notice another
figure little apart from the group. Gen
eral Dikinson was as pale as his client.
People had crowded about District Attor-
ney Barnes when the jury was gone, to
congratulate him on his speech and shake
his hand. They remained by him to talk
and hear the congratulations of other men.
Nobody went near Dickinson. They
could not bid him hope that he was on the
winning side or congratulate him upon the
result of the trial.
Except for the four women who hovered
about the Durrants the prisoner had no
friends in that courtroom. The people
were waiting to hear him condemned to
the gallows. When they spoke of the pos
sibility of a disagreement-the possibility
of acquittal was not present in any mind
there-they spoke as of a calamity. So
Dickinson sat alone. There was an occa-
sional word Of sympathy for the attorney,
for Dickinson is popular, and the people
knew that there was neither fame nor
fortune for him in his cha mpionship OF
Durrant. But no one came to whisper his
sympathy into the ear of the attorney for
the defense,
Quarter of an hour had gone by, and
Durrant shook himself together. He spoke
a comforting word to his mother, and she
pressed his hand.
People began to move about a bit. In
the slight hustle the dressmaker's figure
OH which was draped the clothes of muir
dered Blanche Lamont was overthrown.
1t was caught before it crashed to the
floor. Even this trifing incident stirred
the assembly. The women shuddered and
escorts hurried to bring glass of water to
their charges. Then again there was 81
lence, and the ticking of the clock was
audible all over the courtroom as the min.
utes dragged by.
The sun was in the west. Because oi
the glare only one window was clear tc
admit the light. Half of every face was in
deep shadow. 1t was probably imagina-
ton, due to the time and the surround
ings, that made this Rembrant effect seen
| SO sinister.
For five minutes more the courtroom re