The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-15
DOUBLE MURDER.
Perpetrated in Baptist Church
at San Francisco. \
Girls Killed and MutiIated-Medical
Student Suspected Of the Crime.

sAN FRANCISCO, April 15.-The Eman-
uel Baptist church. on Bartlett street. has
been the scene Of one OF the most afro
cious murders ever oommitted In the state.
On Saturday the mutilated and mur-
dered body of Minnie Williams was found
In tho library OF the edifice. Yesterday
the nude body OF Blanche Lamont was
found In ths tower OF the same church.
The same hand, the authorities believe,
slew both girls, and w. II. Il. Durant the
young man suspected OF both crimes, Is
now in custody.
were members of tho Emanuel church
and members of the Sunday school class.
The former was q student at the normal
school; the latter was 90 mpanion In
family In Alameda They were both II
years old, brunettes, and pretty, modest
girls Both had been the recipients OF at
tentions from a young medical student
named w. II. i. Durant, who Is also
member Of the church and secretary OF
the Young Peoples society Of the church.
The Lamont Mystery.
On April 8 Miss Lamont disappeared.
The last person seen In her company was
Durant who. 1t seems, had been on
friendly terms with the missing girl. On
Saturday, about 40 a m, the mutilated
body of Minnie Williams was found In the
library Of tho church. The girl had been
assaulted and her remains were cut and
hacked. tho girl having evidently died
from loss of blood.
Two witnesses state they saw young
man and a young woman, the former
answering the description of Durant, and
the latter that of Minnie Williams, enter
the church.
Miss Williams had been q regular at
tendant Of the Emanuel church, having
formerly lived In that neighborhood. but
the separation Of her father and mother
had caused her to move to Alameda
Friday evening she was to have attended
a meeting Of the Young Peoples society
of the Emanuel church at DIR. Vogels
house. At 7l5 o'clock she left Mrs. Voy's
house to attend the meeting, taking q
latch-key with her. She never appeared
there.
To Conceal Evidencef
On Saturday Mrs Noble, the aunt of
Miss Lamont, received through the malls
paper containing tho four rings worn by
her niooe the day she disappeared On
the paper were written the name and adj
dress of Theodore Durant. This, together
with the fact that Miss Williams had been
heard to say that she knew Miss Lamont
had been murdered, but had refused to
toll what she knew, lead the police to
suspect that some one who had killed
Miss Williams had slain Miss Lamont,
and that learning that Miss Williams
knew of his crime attempted further con-
cealment by committing second murder.
The detectives had about decided Durant
had murdered Miss Williams, and this
theory was further strengthened yester-
day after making thorough search Of the
Emanuel church. The dead and outraged
body of Miss Lamont was found concealed
In the steeple. Death had been caused by
strangulation. The body was lying just
inside the door of the tower room, nude,
and on the floor.
At o'clock last evening came the news
that Durant had been arrested at Walnut
Creek. Detective Anthony and his pris-
oner left on the next train for San Fran
cisco, where they arrived last evening.
Durant Is about 90 years old, and was
born and raised In the neighborhood In
which the murder occurred
The police think Durant is another
"Jack, the Ripper" with mania for mur-
der. They state that It is highly probable
that Durant is responsible for the killing
of Eugene Ward, young drug clerk, who
was found stabbed to death several months
ago In the stove whore he was at work