The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-24
TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.
What Durrant Said About the Body
in the Belfry - Both Sides
Have Rested.

After twenty-seven days actually con-
sumed in taking testimony, that part OF
the trial of Theodore Durrant is about
concluded.
When the session was at an end yester-
day Mr.. Barnes announced that in all
probability when court opened in the
morning his statement would be that the
case for the people was closed. However,
there might be one short witness still to
be heard, but only the one at most, and
probably not that.
There is a possibility that Mr.. Dickinson
may have some surrebuttal to offer; but
that is not likely. He does not expect it.
At all events, il is a very safe prophecy
that Mr.. Peixotto will be on his feet ad-
dressing the jury in the opening argument
for the State at least some time to-day.
His will not be short speech. He has q
stack of notes prepared, and even a poem
of several stanzas ready for his great eff
fort. The chances are he will surprise
some people and make a telling argument.
The three chief witnesses in rebuttaI
yesterday we're: Miss Carrie Cunning
ham, who related conversations with Dur
rant IN the jail, and two medical experts,
who gave scientific explanations of the
TOXIC erect or gas lnhaIatlon.
There was nothing particularly new in
Miss Cunningham's testimony. 1t was
fully as strong as had been expected, and
a most searching cross-examination did
not seem TO shake it in any way.
AS to the envelope Durrant showed her
the one addressed to his ATTORNEYS. with
the directions only to be opened in case of
conviction-that was ruled out by Judge
Murphy. He said It was dangerous class
OF proof, and one that would be likely to
open too widely to the jury the door of
speculation as to what the contents OF that
envelope might or might not be.
Then Miss Cunningham told how Dur
rant had said he saw cher body on the Sec
ond landing'-that ''she murdered on the
second landing in the belfry. The "she, !"
of course, refers TO Blanche Lamont. Mr..
Dickinson tried hard TO keep out this tes-
timony, for he doubtless realized that it.
too, opened up world of speculation for
the jury.
Was she, then, murdered on the second
landing? Had she been decoyed that far
alive and then cruelty strangled? Mr..
Barnes will be apt to argue that such a
theory is the probable truth.
Miss Cunningham said she had visited
Durrant frequently-nearly every day since
the middle of August. She took him the
weekly papers on Sunday and had the
office send him all the morning papers bv
carrier.
She said she promised Durrant not to
print the story. and she Kept her word.
He made her take an oath not to publish
it, and, though it would have made verv
neat, exclusive and sensational story for
her paper, she kept her oath-and finally
gave the information to Mr.. Barnes.
She said she was not employed by the
detectives or by the prosecution. She was
and is a newspaper reporter-that, and
nothing more.
Then came the experts on the effects of
gas inhalation. These were DR.. w. III.
Mays and DR.. julius Rosenstirn-men of
unquestioned authority in their depart
ment OF science. They said that gas in
halation poisoned the blood, filled it with
carbonate oxide and turned the surface of
the SKIN red-not white, as Durrant was
when he came downstairs and stood in
the folding doors before George King.
The crowd in attendance was as large as
usual yesterday, and hundreds sought and
failed to gain admission.