Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-03

After a recess Mrs. Matilda Dur
! rant mother of the prisoner. was the
first witness for the defense. She
testified that ON April 3. her son was
dressed in a blue cheviot suit, the
blue trousers of which she identified,
and the garment was introduced in
evidence. Mrs. Durrant stated that
her son returned home that evening
shortly after o'clock dressed in~the
same blue suit. The witness stated
that at the evening meal Theodore had
little appetite and did not look well.
At s o'clock he took his mother to
street car and when she returned at
11:30 he was in bed asleep.
Police Sergeant Reynolds described
the chisel marks on the belfry door.
He searched for the tool with which
the mark might have been made, aud
in the pastors study he found a chise,
which fitted the marks exactly.
San Francisco, Sept. 27.-The key
stone arch of Durrant's alibi
crumbled and fell yesterday The wit
ness upon whom the attorneys for the
defense depended most sustain their
contention that Durrant was attend
ing lecture at the Cooper Medical
college at the hour when Blanche La
mont was murdered gave diSappoint-
ing testimony. Instead of teStifying
that Durrant was present at the lect-
use as Attorney Duprey said Dr..
(Nhannu thaA
he had no recollection of seeing the
young medical student. To offset
this reverse the defense gained only
one point, it being the admission Of
an exhibit of the roll-call book at the
college in which Durrant was record
ed as present at the lecture given on
the afternoon of April 3. The prose
cution holds the roll-call book in lit
tie esteem from the fact that it will
place a witness on the stand to prove
that Durrant frequently asked class
mates to answer to his name when
he was absent and that they complied
with his request.
The crush in the corridors at the
entrance 20 the court rom was great
er yesterday than upon any other
day since the trial began. Men and
women fought for admission while the
sheriff and a score Of deputies strug-
gled as desperately to keep the crowd
back. AT times the confusion outside
was so great that the proceedings of
the court were interrupted. AT length
Judge Murphy summoned the sheriff
and ordered him to clear the corridors.
If the sheriff's forces were insult
ficient the judge said that he would
call on the chief of police for squad
of men to execute the order.
Sergeant Reynolds, the police Of
ficer who conducted the search of
Emanuel church after the discovery
of the bodies of Blanche Lamont and
Minnie Williams, was the first wit
ness. After describing the furniture
and other articles found in the pastors
study he was asked about the chisel
marks found in the door leading to
the belfry. The door and casing
through which the murderer passed
with the body of his victim were
brought into court and formed one of
the most interesting exhibits pro-
duced. The witness testified that the
marks corresponded in size to the
chisel found in the tool box in Rev.
John George Gibson's study. DR..
Cheney was then called. He did not
know whether Durrant was present
or not at the lecture, as the roll was
called by DR.. Gray. DIR. Gray was
summoned, but he did not know
whether Durrant was present or not,
but assumed he was from the fact
that he was not marked absent DR..
Cheney was then recalled and reit-
Grated the statement to the effect that
he had no recollection Of seeing Dur
rant at the lecture given on the after
noon Of April 3. Attorney Duprey
was plainly nettled at the conflict be-
tween what the defense had promised
that Cheney would testify to and what
he really did say. DR.. Cheney was be-
ing cross examined when the court ad-
journed.