The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-25
Questioned About the
New Lock on the
Library Door.
KNEW NOTHING OF 1T.
Judge Conlan Expresses Sur
prise at the Ignorance of
r the Preacher.
ANOTHER LINK IN THE CHAIN,
a Police officer Who Saw Durrant
s Visiting Miss Williams in
=. Alameda.

:: Two brass-buttoned bIue-coated police
men still guard the desecrated sanctuary
on Bartlett street night and day Their
watch in the gloomy confines OF the church
is not a pleasant one, but they keep close
together, and even succeed in cracking
now and then a feeble Joke
. Yesterday afternoon Drs. Porter and
Galway were admitted to the church.
They proceeded to the little library and,
entering the bfood-stained closet which
formed Minnie Williams death-chamber,
they closed and locked the door. For hall
an hour they remained in the apartment
and then left the building. They declined
TO state their errand TO the church, or for
whom they were acting. 1t is thought,
. however, that they were employed by the
defense, and that they will examine the
blood on the closet floor to determine if
possible whether it left the girls body be-
fore or after death.
All day yesterday Photographer Jones
was engaged in taking photographs of the
church interior for the defense. He has
taken about forty views in all, and ex-
presses pleasure that his work is now COM
pleted.
No further search of the church was
made during the day. Two small closets
opening on the front porch which were
overlooked during the first search were
pried open. They contained nothing more
alarming than gas-meters and water-pipes.
1t has been suggested that the elevated
flooring of the pulpit and choir Enclosure,
together with the small rooms Immediately
adjoining, furnishes large space about
=
clothing or any other evidence might be
hidden. Sergeant Reynolds in his delving
neglected this portion OF the editce. There
Is no opening to it, however, unless ii be
from the pastors study. This room is now
Kept locked continually, and none of the
skeleton keys employed by the police
make. any impression on its bolts The
attorneys for Mr.. Durrant wished to view
the study yesterday, but were not able TO
effect an entrance.
j. kraker, manager of the Faultless Gas
saving Company, whose men worked on
the gas-Durners Of the church about the
time OF Blanche Lamont's disappearance,
i Is still very 10th TO talk about the matter
His employees worked about the edltice on
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of that
week. On Tuesday they altered all the
burners IN the church, with the exception
OF the big sun burners in the ceiling of the
3: main auditorium. On Thursday they took
from the building all three OF tDe sun Durn-
ers, replacTng them Saturday afternoon and
evening. They saw nothing about the
building TO indicate that a great crime had
been committed or that anything unusual
had happened.
Two incidents connected with their work
may have direct bearing on the Durrant
case. In reaching the loft whence Durrant
told George King he came on that Wednes-
day afternoon, the woTkmen went the first
time by way OF the stairway back of the
pulpit and thence over the timbers. Later
they discovered the trapdoOr above the
gallery and used that. This fact is direct
refutatjOn OF the published statement that
i was impossible for one to reach the loft
between the two ceilings in that way.
In looking over the church TO find all
the gas-burners Kraker's workmen at
tempted on Saturday TO enter the tower
door leading from the gallery. They say
that at that time the porcelain knob had
been broken from the door, but that the
shaft which turns the lock was still in
place. One of the men turned the shaft
with a pair Of gas-nippers and tried to
open the door, but found it locked. This
testimony has considerable significance,
for il makes it certain that the murderer
OF Blanche Lamont possessed key to the
tower door. Not otherwise could he have
opened it and removed the latch shaft and
hidden it beneath the flooring. 1t also
contradicts the statement OF Janitor SADIE
man that when he locked the tower door
on the Sunday after Blanche Lamont s
disappearance the knob was still on the
dior