The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-10-12
TOLD A GAUZY STORY.
Durrant's Reputation for Truth suf-
fered Yesterday.

Durrant's Reputation for Truth suf-
fered Yesterday.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1O.-TheO
dore Durrant's reputation for truth
and veracity went completely to piece:
on the witness stand this morning
Durrant's answers to two or three
questions were palpably lies, and he
changed his answers to fit occasions
Besides he told story about the dis
appearance of Blanche Lamont that
was so gauzy that everybody wonders
how Durrant had the hardihoOd tC
think that the jury would accept it as
fact.
The pitfall into which Durrant fell
was in telling about the afternoon
that he spent at the ferry to see il
Blanche would not attempt to cross
the bay to escape from the city.
Durrant said he had clew that Miss
Lamont would cross the bay that after
| noon.
Asked where he got the clew, Dur
rant said he was standing at the
corner of Market and Montgomery
streets that day when stranger came
| up to him and asked him if his name
| was not Durrant. The prisoner re-
| piled that it was. The stranger then
asked if Durrant was not interested
in her disappearance in view of the
fact that his name had been connected
with the case. Durrant replied that
he was. The stranger then said:
"Watch the ferries this afternoon.
that is my advice. She will try to
cross the bay"
Although Durrant said he was over
joyed to get a clew to Miss Lamont, in
reply to District Attorney Barnes
questions he said he did not ask the
mans name, residence or anything
about the source of information he had
received. Neither did he ask for fur
ther information on the subject. He
simply watched the man walk toward
Dupont street, and then the man went
to restaurant and ate luncheon. He
then went to the ferry, he says. to see
if he could find Blanche.
Four of Durant's friends saw Durrant
at the ferry that afternoon, and by one
of them the prosecution expects to
prove that Durrant went there not to
meet Blanche Lamont, but Minnie
Williams.
Aaron Hoge, an old schoolmate of
Durrant's testified at the preliminary
examination that Durrant met
woman answering Minnie Williams
description, and boarding the Howard
street.
Durant testified today that he did
not meet any woman at the ferry and
that he went from the ferry to the
armory to pack up his blankets prepa-
tory to making the trip to Mount Dia-
bio next day. To Frank Sademan,
whom he saw at the ferry, Durrant
said that he was looking for Blanche
Lamont. To Dodge and Dukes,
students at the medical college, he
said he was waiting for members of the
signal corps who were coming over
from Oakland.
When asked today if he told Dodge
anu Dukes that he was tracing clew
to Miss Lamont, Durrant at first re-
piled that he did. The next moment
he realized that he had given the
wrong answer and replied that he did
not. He attempted to reconcile his
statements by saying that he was look
ing for Miss Lamont and waiting for
the signal corps at the same time.
District Attorney Barnes asked Dur
rant why he left the ferry OF o'clock
to make preparations to go on pleas
ure trip if he was so interested in find
ing Miss Lamont with whose disappear
ance his name had been so un-
connected. Durrant replied
that he did not think it necessary to
remain at the ferry any longer.
The district attorney then asked if
ne told any of Blanche's friends of the
Important clew g had received from
he stranger. Durrant replied that he
lad not, as he had not had an oppor-
unity.
After vigorous questioning Durrant
admitted that he atten ded Christia
sndeavor meeting the same night
vhere he met number of Miss La
nont's friends. Among others he met
'homas Vogel, who Durrant testified |
aoment before, was more interested in ,
'lanche's disappearance than anybody :
lse, except her aunt, Mrs..Noble. AL q
hough he had a private conversation s
18th Vogel, Durrant told him nothing q
bout the clew to Miss Lamont's dis U
ppearance, as he said the subject did q
OF occur to him. i
Durrant was asked if after the dis y
ppearance of Blanche Lamont he told T
Ierbert Schlagler that she had prob n
bly, be.n led astray and had gone in f,
house of Ill fame. Durarnt said he al
I'D Schlager that Miss Lamont might Il
ave been led astray. Barnes asked o.
urrant what there was about the m
amer or character of Miss Lamont a,
lat induced him to make that remark. a,
said he knew nothing against ;r
iss Lamont, but had heard Detective
nthony say that she might have been
d astray.
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