Evening journal., 1895-09-27
DURANT'S ALIBI WEAK
His Chief Witness, DR.. Cheney
Fails Him Utterly.
A BLOODY. SHOE IS INTRODUCED

II Was Found In Pastor Gibson's study
But who owned It Is Not Made Clear
The Defendants Lawyer Very Much
Disappointed.
SAN FRANcIsco Sept 27-The key
stone in the arch Of Durant's alibi has
crumbled and fallen. The witness upon
whom the attorneys for the defense de
pended most TO sustain their contention
that Durant was attending a lecture at
Cooper Medical college at the hour when
Blanche Lamont was murdered gave dis
appointing testimony
Instead Of testifying that Durant was
present at tho lecture as Attorney Duprey
said DR.. Cheney would do, the doctor said
he had no recollection of seeing the young
medical student.
To offset this reverse the defense gained
only ono point-the admission as an OK
hibit of the roll call book at the college, in
which Durant was recorded as present at
the lecture given on the afternoon Of April
3. Tho prosecution holds the roll call
book I'm little esteem from the fact that II
will place witnesses ON the stand to prove
that Durant frequently asked his class
mates 30 answer TO his name when no was
absent and that they complied with his
request.
The crush in the corridors at the en-
trance to the court was greater than upon
any other day since the trial began. Men
and women fought for admission, while
the sheriff and score Of deputies strug
gled as desperately to keep the crowo
back AT times the confusion outside was
SO great that the proceedings Of the court
were interrupted. At length Judge Muir.
ply summoned the sheriff and ordered
him TO clear the corridors. If the sheriff7s
forces were insufficient, the judge said, he
would call on tho chief Of police for a
squad of men to execute the order
Sergeant Reynolds, the police officer
who conducted the search of Emanuel
church after the discovery Of the bodies OF
Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams
was the first witness called TO the stand.
After describing the furniture and Other
articles found in the pastor study he was
asked about the chisel marks found in the
door leading TO the belfry.
Door and Casing In Court.
The door and casing through which the
murderer passed with the body Of his vic.
tim were brought into the court and form.
ed one OF the most interesting exhibits
produced The witness testified that the
marks cowesponded in size to chisel
found in toolbox in Rev. John George
6ibsons study
The witness was also asked to identify
n shoe supposed to have been stained with
blood which was found in the PASTORS
study. As Sergeant Reynolds did not
know to whom the shoe belonged Ser.
geant Burke was called, but he was also
in ignorance with regard to the ownership
of the shoe.
DR. w. Cheney of Cooper Medical col
legc, who was supposed to be the main
stay Of the defense, was the next witness.
He said the lecture on April began at
$3.50 and lasted until 4:15, at the close OF
which the roll was called. The witness
did not know whether Durant was pres.
ont or not, as the roll was called by DIR.
+. p Gray. DR. Cheney was temporarily
excused, and DR.. Gray was summoned
Dr. Gray did not know whether Durant
was present or not but assumed that he
was from the fact that he was not marked
absent on the roll call.
Questioned with regard TO the roll call
book, the witness admitted that the entry
of April was not an original record, as
it had been transferred from another page
subsequent TO that date for the purpose OF
rectifying an error On this ground tho
district attorney moved that the book be
not admitted as an exhibit, but the OBJ
| lection was oyerruled.
DIR. Cheney was then recalled and reit.
Grated his statement to the effect that he
had no recollection OF seeing Durant at
the lecture given on the afternoon Of April
3. Attorney Duprey was plainly ncttled
at the conflict between what the defense
had promised DIR. Cheney would testify to
and what he really did say, so another
effort was made to obtain satisfactory
answer. The witness was asked it, in q
conversation with one Of the attorneys for
the defense he (the witness) had not said
that he believed that Durant was present
at the lecture.
The court asked Attorney Duprey If he
was trying ro impeach his own witness,
and then sustained an objection interposed
by the prosecution.
On cross examination District Attorney
Barnes tried TO show that students at the
college frequently had their classmates an
swer TO their names at roll call when they
were absent Tho witness was asked IT,
/ in his experience as an instructor at the
college. he had not become aware Of the
existence of such a practice. Tho defense
objected TO the question on account Of it,
sweeping nature.
The court sustained the objection, but
| intimated that the question might be ask
ed II made in proper form. Two or three
more questions OF similar import were
asked, but objections were sustained ir
each case. Court adjourned, with the
cross examination of DIR. Cheney still in
complete.
Alleged Embezzler Under Arrest.
NEw YORK, Sept 25-On board tn,