The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-07
DURRANTS DREAM.
He Relies Upon a Dream to Furnish
Magnificent" CleW to the
Real Murderer.

The calmness of Durrant the accused,
of Durrant the convicted, is no whit lost
In Durrant in the shadow OF the gallows.
The young man under sentence of death
for one of the most appalling crimes of
the age was as smiling and impassive as at
any stage of the long and bitterly waged
legal contest, as smiling and impassive
indeed as at any time prior to the murder
for which he is sentenced to atone with
his life.
He referred to his remarkable demeanor
yesterday.
II am glad I have not been Martin
Shenck, he replied, and recalled the story
of the man whose rueful countenancc
never changed expression. II have studied
to be natural and think have succeeded,
notwithstanding all that has been said
about my turning green and purple and
various other colors. Judge Murphy him
self will say that my eyes did not wander
from his face once while he was pronounc-
ing sentence"
He looked from the wicket in No. %,
which he now occupies with J. Jackson, as
imperturbable as ever, and his measured
tones were as even as ever. lie declined
10 say what he thought OF the denial of
new trial or to discuss the experience OF
the morning.
"AlI have thought and felt and known
I may write some time" he remarked.
az have often thought | would write a
book on this trial if | became free man.
| have collected notes with view to that.
Coming from the principal participant it
should be of interest.
He talked of his cellmate, whom he pro-
nounced pleasant fellow, but whose sale
of patent medicines he considered I'M
professional; of his studies, which he says
he will still pursue. Conversation on
!, cd n 10 q liof mt no
closely guarded any approach to the case
and It's sequel.
81 never believed in whining, at least
not until every vestIge of hope has dis
appeared, and it has not with me. l am
supported now, as always, by the con-
sciousness of innocence"
A letter of sympathy, received from
Christian Endeavor society in Ontario
Canada, awakened in him lively sense of
gratitude, whic he expressed in a reply
mailed Yesterday He estimates that he
has received 1000 such letters, most of
which are from women, since his arrest.
81 received an intimation in a dream
that may prove magnificent clew," said
Durrant He had been speaking of his
dreams since his Imprisonment. They
had been few and all of a pleasant nature,
he said.
''That of the wreck of the Colima before
it took place Was an exception" he re-
marked. Then he limited at the clewfur-
nishing dream which be said he would
elaborate upon in an article he was writ
ing. you remember the biblical story of
the handwriting on the wall?' he said.
Spread out before me on kind of scroll
were strange characters that some power
enabled me to decipher. The words were
a revelation in regard to the preparation
of the murders of which l am charged.
Providentialiy l wasawakened by flash
OF light from the night watchs lantern
just then. | was so impressed by the
dream that | at once wrote my recollec-
tons of it."
He spoke of his increased weight-he
has added twenty pounds to his weight of
lis when a.rested-as an evidence that he
has not been troubled by an accusing con-
science.