The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-11
DURRANT ON THE DEFENSIVE.
HE wITHsTANDs THE CROss-EXAM-
NATION WELL.

ANAAAON W ELL
His Only Nervousness shown when
the District Attorney Got the best
OF Him on "a Medical Point Raised
over the Remedy He Took 10 over
come the Effects of the Castle
Tells of His Wnit at the Ferry 10
See Miss Lamont.
San Francisco. oct. 10.-Whether w. II.
Theodore Durrant Is one OF the most re-
markable OF murderers or not. he Is a re-
markable witness. All day. before an audi
ence that packed the court room, he stood
a FIRE OF questions from District Attorney
Barnes, which. it seemed. at times must
break him down, with imperturbable cool
ness. His quietness Of wit. and adroit-
ness were shown a dozen times. He went
over the ground OF his direct testimony
and entered into the details of mis- move
ments in the church on the day OF the
murder without varying point or abating
any in plausibilitya
The cross examination began with the
time that Durrant first met Blanche La
mont. This was last September a year
ago He said he has escorted her to and
from her home about fifteen times.
Durrant admitted that after Miss La
monts disappearance he had stated that
he believed she was easily led astray, and
had been inveigled into a house of i'll
fame. He was asked what there was
about her or about her habits which had
led him to that conclusion. He replied
that there was nothing He had formed
1t from a statement of the detective who
was put on the case when her disappear
ance was reported to the police.
The examination had been tame up to
this point, but it soon became exciting.
The district attorney went back TO the
statement of Janitor sademan of the En-
manuel church, that he had seen Dur
rant at the ferry on the afternoon of the
Williams murder. and that Durrant had
then said he was waiting to see If Miss
Lamont would not pass. He told sademan
he had heard she was going to cross the
bay that afternoon.
ibid you make such a statement to
Sademan2" asked Barnes.
Il did," replied Durrant.
who gave you that clueY
Il got IL from gentleman up town."
II don't know i never saw him before or
since. l was standing on Post street, near
Dupont" contipued Durrant, when this
man tapped me on the shoulder and ask
ed me II | was not Theodore Durrant I
told him that was my name. He then asked
me If / was not interested in the dis
appearance of Blanche Lamont, and on
my answering In the Affirmative he told
me he would advise me to watch the ferry
that afternoon, as she would cross thu
bay He then walked Off down the street,
and / went to lunch and afterward walked
to the ferry and watched for her all the
did You not investigate TO learn who
this man was, and where he got his in
formation?' he was asked.
Il did not" he replied.
You knew Blanche Lamont was being
searched for, and that your name was as
ISOLATED with her disappearance and yet
you permitted this stranger to walk away
without learning anything about him?"
'Wel,' said Durrant, 'the truth is that
| was so overtoyed at getting a clue that
j did not think of questioning him. l
noticed that he was man about five feet
eight inches in hight and dressed with a
light overcoat and hat, and / told my
rs II not fact that you were at the
ferry at that time, not because of any
clue connected with Blanche Lamont, but
to meet Minnie Williams, whom you ex-
pected to come across the bay?
1T is not a fact" said Durrant, un-
moved by the rapidity of the questioning
be the second of his victims.
did you not meet Minnie williams
there at the time and leave the ferry
II did not meet her or see here there"
he replied.
Mr.. Barnes then. reverted to Durrants
alleged work at the sunburners. He got
him to go over the details of what hap
pened then and was particular to ask as
to the symptoms which followed his in
halaton of the gas while he was at the
burners. Durrant said he was at work at
the burners about minute when he felt
the naus1ating effects of the gas He felt
about the same degree Of nausea until
he took the bromo seltzer. procured for
him by King. He took about a teaspoon
full Of the seltzer and it relieved him
Mr.. Barnes then questioned him as to
his studies. In opposing Mr. Barnes made
about medicine to be able to diagnose his
case and that he had prescribed nothing
not intended for partial asphyXiation. Had
he been overcome by gas, as he had stated
and had taken enough of the bromo seltz-
er the district attorney declared he would
have been a dead man before he could
have left the church.
This telling point had its effect on Dur
rant, who showed the only excitement
to his feet and turning to the court, said
the district attorney had misstated his
testimony in saying he had diagnosed his
case as a partial asphyxiatfon.
Mr.. Barnes said 1t made no difference
his nausea according to his own state
ment was from gas inhalation. In this
connection the prosecution will produce
experts to show that gas inhaled flushes
instead of palng the face and that bromo
a complaint as Durrant alleged he suf-
fered from gas.
The cross examination will go on again
tomorrow.
EPIDEMICS IN KENTUCKY