The herald., 1895-09-19
Prosecution of Durrant for the
: Murder of Blanche Lamont
STATEMENT OF THE DEFENSE
No Intimation Is Given of What They
Expect to Prove
Durrant Was in Emanuel Church at S
O'Clock on the Afternoon Of April 8.
Yesterdays Proceedings
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
San FRANCISCO, Sept. 1s.-Preach-
ers. diplomats, debutantes and million
aires attend the Durrant trial these days.
1t has become the fashion. Every body
goes. Society has set its approval upon
attendance at its sessions, and today for
the first time an acknowledged belle OF
Pacific Heights viewed the accused from
front seat. Revs. G. o. Brown and D.
Hanson Irwin were In evidence Tor the
church, while NJ. Artsimovitch, consular
representative of the car, looked on for
the diplomatic service.
Aside from these distinguished person
ages was the usual welI-groomed crow d
in the court room and any number of
their fellows in the corridors vainly clam
Oring for admission to thestrial.
Only two witnesses for the prosecution
were placed on the stand today, Edna Luz
ciIIe Turner and George r. King, who
vas organIst of Emanuel Baptist church
on the day Blanche Lamont was MUIR
dered. Each was important, though Miss
Turner answered only few questions
and was not cross examined at all.
Miss Turner testified at the coroner
inquest that Durrant had proposed to
make medical examination of her IN the
church, and therefore it was generally
expected that she was to be questioned on
:his point. Everybody bent forward Gag
erly to see how the prisoner would take
the testimony. But the general expecta-
ton was all at sea, as the district attor-
ney had called Miss Turner for no such
purpose-at least not at that time. She
was asked some dozen questions and her
answers, summed up, were to the effect
that she knew Durrant that both of them
were members of Emanuel church and
ahat she had not accompanied him to
That edifice on the afternoon of April 3.
Tine defense exrepssed no desire to cross
examine and she was excused.
While Miss Turner'S testimony was
brief and partook not at all of the sensa-
dional it was considered important by
the prosecution. The fear was entertaine ed
by the district attorney that from the
testimony of Mrs. Leak the Jury might
gain the impression that it could have
been Miss Turner and not Blanche La
mont who accom- panied Durrant to the
church on the afternoon OF April Sd. To
remove the possibility of doubt on this
point Miss Turner'S testimony was avail
able and it was thought advisable to use
it. What else she may have to say con.
corning Durrant will come later in the
case.
Following Miss Turner came George
King, the chum of Durrant prior to the
discovery of the church horrors-the per
son upon whose testimony the prosecu-
tion relies most to convict the prisoner.
Rumors about conferences between King
and the accused and his attorneys had
been in circulation for several days. and
1t was whispered that the prosecution
was not as well satisfied with him as it
had been formerly. Kings testimony
was the last link in the main chain of
evidence against his friend, Theodore
Durrant, and that in ITSELF aside from
the rumors, would have been enough to
awaken the keenest interest.
King was sworn and was soon at his
ease on the witness stand. answering
clearly and briefly the questions put to
him by the district attorney, volunteering
nothing, anticipating nothing. In re-
Spouse to direct questions ne told how he
had entered the church through the front
door, passed through the lobby and the
Sunday school room to the infants class
room, to praticce the music for that Eas-
ter service which was never held. He had
detected the odor of gas in the lobby and
had unlocked the door of the library to
inspect the burner there He found it
was in order, relocked the door and pro-
ceeded to the piano. where he began TO
practice. He had been there only few
moments when the folding doors opened
and through them came Durrant. trem-
bling 6are-headed and coatless, his long
hair disordered, his face pale and his
eyes congested.A Durrant explained his
appearance by the statement that he had