The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-08-17
IT LOOKS Bad FOR DURANT
Damaging Evidence Against the Alleged
Church Murderer.
CHAIN OF EVIDENCE COMPLETE.
A Reputable Lady Member of the Church
Who Saw the Prisoner and Miss Lamont
Enter the Church on the Day of Her
Mysterious Disappearance

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug IA local paper
says the last link in tho chain Of evidence
against Theodore Durant has been dis
covered. A woman who lives across the
street from Emanuel church has reported
to the police that she saw Durant and
Blanche Lamont enter the church at 4:t0
on April 3, the day of Miss Lamonts dis
appearance. The woman's name is Mrs.
Leake, and she lives at No l2l BARTLETT
street. She has been Il member Of the
church for number of years. She knew
both Durant and Miss Lamont intimately,
and therefore cannot be mistaken with
regard to the identity of either. She says
she has remained silent since the discovery
Of the bodies Of the two girls because she
did not wish to undergo the annoyance of
being a witness in the case, and did not
consent to divulge her information to the
police until she became convinced that IL
was duty she owed to the state.
On April 3 Mrs. Leake sat at the win
dow of her residence nearly all the after
noon looking for her daughter, whom she
expected TO arrive from San Mateo. At
o'clock she saw a couple coming up the
street, one Of whom she instantly recog-
died as Durant; but at first she was
puzzled over the identity of the girl. She
thought that the young lady was Lucille
Turner, but as the couple came nearer
Mrs. Leake recognized the girl as Blanche
Lamont. Miss Lamont wore short
schoolgirls dress and carried package Of
school books. The dress and the school
books were afterwards found secreted in
the church.
Mrs. Leake knew nothing detrimental
to Durant. She had always considered
him "such an exemplary young man"
but Notwithstanding that fact she thought
it exceedingly imprudent for the girl to
go into the church with him alone She
feared some one might have seen them
and make unpleasant remarks. She i'm
agined that they had some errand In the
church and wanted to see them on the
street again before she left the window.
She waited long time, but household
duties finally called her to another part of
her house, and she was obliged to give up
her vigil.
Mrs. Leake's testimony completes the
chain of evidence against Durant. Three
schoolgirls saw Durant and Blanche
Lamont riding on Powell street car at
$3.50 on the day that Miss Lamont disap-
peared. Attorney Quinlan saw the couple
q few blocks from the church few min
utes before o'clock. Now comes Mrs.
Leake, who says she saw Durant and Miss
Lamont enter the church a few minutes
later George King, the organist, has al
ready testified that he entered the church
about O'Clock and saw Durant coming
down from the attic. Durant's hair was
disheVeled, his face was red, he was pant
ing for breath, and was in a state of utter
physical and nervous collapse. In answer
to inquiries he explained that he had been
engaged in repairing electric wires In the
organ loft, and had been overcome by gas
An expert electrician afterwards exam
inOd the wires, and testified that no re-
pairs of the nature Durant professed to
have made had been made within six
months.
The prisoner was somewhat disturbed
today over tho publication Of Mrs. Leak g
narrative, and showed signs Of uneasiness
for the first time since his arrest. No
Jurors were accepted yesterday, and the
court adjourned until Monday.