The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-22
They Feel Sure He Killed the
Girls in the Church.
EXAMINATION BEGINS TO-DAY
The Prosecution Has Important Evi
denee Held in Reserve.
Five Negroes. Three Men and Two
Women, Iynched In Alabama,IBe-
cause suspected OF Murier-Three
Utah Ranchers Murdered aud Their
Bodies Thrown Into a Lake.

San Francisco. April 21.-Public interest
IN the Emanuel Baptist church murders
Is again at a high pitch. due 20 the fact
that ". h 7. Durrant. the young med
teal student. formally accused of one
murder and suspected OF the other. viii
have his preliminary examination tornor-
row IL was a week ago Friday that the
outraged and mutilated body OF Marian
Williams was found IN the back room OF
the library of the church. and while Yet
the people were thrilled with the horror
Of II the body OF Blanche Lamont. a
young woman who had been missing since
April ). was found in the belfry OF the
same church. stark naked and with the
marks Of the murderer's fingers on her
throat
Tie police have been busy in picking I'D
the threads and weaving their net OF cir
cumsfaatial evidence, SO as 10 leave no
weak mesh through which the accused
can escape, for they believe they have
the murderer in the person Of the pris-
oner- That they have more evidence than
tney have so far admitted seems 10 he
almost certain. But Il is said now that
they VIII make an endeavor 10 try Dur
rant first on the charge of numbering
Miss Lamont IS the evidence In that
case is said 10 be much stronger against
the prisoner than IN the case OF the kill
ing OF Miss Williams. Chief OF Police
crowley says that he believes Durrant is
guilty, and that he had no accomnlice
IL is also said that the prosecution has
some sensational evidence in store in this
case.
Referring TO rIlmor that Blanche La
mont was lured 10 the church by Dur
rants promise to perform a criminal ope-
ration on her 10 save her from disgrace
and that when she shrleked in agony he
grasped her by the throat 10 stihe her
cries and choked her to death. DR.. Bar
rett, the city's autopsy physician. stated
that the rumor was without foundation
He says he took especial care in the mat
ter OF the autopsy. and is satisfied that
no criminal opera ton was performed He
also states that both the Young women
died OF strangui1tion. and that the knife
wounds on Marian Williams body were
not the cause OF her death.
Or. Gibson through his private serre-
tary, whom he has employed as a buffer
between himself and the reporters has
Issued an explanation OF the reasons why
he has not visited Durrant In prison
The prisoner and his friends had bitterly
complained of this neglect on the part OF
the pastor to visit one of the pillars OF
the church I'm such deep trouble but the
preacher says the utterances Of the ac-
cused man anl the latter's mother con-
tanned such covert insinuation that he
tGtbsonl might he the murderer. that he
did not feel justified In calling and offer
ing spiritual consolation.
The police this evening are stiIl search
5 ing the church in an effort 10 find the
clothing worn by the murderer when he
killed Miss Williams. They are deIving
and probing in the cellar and churchvard
and an old well on the premises: they
are crawling through the interstices he
tween the ceiling and roof. and climbing
up through the belfry. They worked un-
I'll late last night also. hut without sue
cess
Chief Of Detectives Lees arrived from
Los Angeles tonight and assumed charge
Of the investigation into tho Lamont and
Williams murder cases Today ne visited
the church and carefully examined the
edifice, the blood-stained library and the
belfry where Miss Lamonts nude body
lay for nine days.