The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-05
THE COURT ROOM PACKED FULL.
mistaken Testimony of the Surgeon
Who Performed the Autopsy.
He Declares That Blanche Lamont Was
>trangled by Human Hands. bat
Does Not Know Whether She Was
Assaultcd-The Prisoner Becoming
Interested in tue Trial.

Blanche Lamont Is now in fun swing. and
the evidence is being hurried in 50 rapidly
that IL nothing unexpected occurs the YER
diet VIII be recorded very much sooner
than was expected on Tuesday tho
ground was cleared by the recital Of the
evidence against Durrant by the district
attorney and the visit Of the jury 10 Enan-
uel church. Today was given pp TO the
proof Of the death demanded by law, the
evidence OF the physicians who made the
autopsy on the blackened corpse that was
taken from the belfrv. and the explaua-
tion of a model OF the church. with plans
and photographs that VIII make it easy
for the jury to understand the significance
OF all the testimony as 10 the movements
Of the prisoner and the victim about the
murder-stained house OF worship.
The list of things done at the trial to-
day does not make an attractive bill of
fare. but while this routine testimony was
being given point after point OF sensa-
tional interest cropped up, and the fascin-
ated listeners sat through ii all and never
once worried, though the session was long
and the courtroom close and crowded.
Much that was told in court can only bc
hinted at; the fun testimony could only
be published in a medical journal or in
some anatomical text book
Dreadful as were the details, they were
listened TO by a courtroom fun OF men
and women. and those whom the infleXible
rule Of the court barred from the room
complained in the corridor of their i'll
fortune. and STOPPED everybody who came
from the courtroom TO gain at secondhand
a hint OF what was going on within the
doors from which they We're kept by the
police and the sherh's men.
When the medical testimony was at its
most delicate point one woman arose. and.
with a frightened. flushed face. crowded
past the people on her row and left the
courtroom. The other women whose drap-
pecies she crushed as sha pushe by them.
looked al her Indignantly. Not one fol-
lowed her example. The nature of the
case compelled an exhaustive crOss-exam-
inatiOn on these points, and nothing was
softened -or omitted, but the women sat
through Il ALL
Durrant followed the medical testimony
with the closest attention His term as a
medical student helped him, and he did
not try to disguise his interest in the ex-
animation. Eugene Deuprey is special
ist in medical jurisprudence. and would
rather, put hard questions to a doctor on
the witness stand than follow any other
branch OF his profession. Just why he
should try TO attack the professional
knowledge of the physician who merely
testified TO the condition in which he found
the body brought To him at the morSue
was not apparent. The intellectual iuol
between the doctor and the attorney with
a special knowledge of medicine was inter-
est.ng. but what purpose IL served IN tho
case is a mystery as yet. Only one point
was brought out that would seem 10 bene-
TT the defendant. That was that there
was nothing on which the autopsy physi-
clan could base an opinion as 10 whether
or not tho girl had been outraged. IS vas
the other girl whose murdered body vas
found in Emanuel church. II was only
negative testimony. but it will furnish
basis for the defense 10 argue that the
peoples theory OF the motive of the mur-
derer has not been proved.
II was this portion of the evidence that
most affected Durrant He took in every
word and whispered 10 his attorney. seem
ing to suggest questions and anticipate an
swers He was not excited. He never has
shown signs Of as intense feeling as eX-
citement from the moment of his arrest,
hut for once he dropped the mask of SUI
preme indifference he usually affects.
Maybe il was his familiarity with the
pathological subject that reused his inter-
est or il may be he believed that the in
ability OF the autopsy physician 20 state
positively that the other crime had been
combined with murder might benefit him,
and so attached unusual Importance 10
the matter. All the time his mother sat
beside him. hearing the evidence with the
utmost coinpOsure and occasionally talk
ing TO her son about IL. Durrants father
was there but he took no part in the
conversation. lie sat silent. worried, mat
tentive. until the session was over.
The first witness was e. q. Noble. uncle
of Blanche Lamont He testified 10 her
disappearance and to tho finding of her
dead body.
Or J. 5. Barrett. the surgeon who per-
formed the autopsy. testified that Blanche
died by stra rangulation. Witness was cross
examined by Deuprey a. 70 his expert
.fus
tops.es. Or. Barrett said he had per
form about 100 autopsies last year. The
defense tried to break down witness tes-
timony that Blanche Lamonts strangu-
lation had been by hands choking her
The defense tried in vain % have witness
admit that the straDgulation might have
been caused by asphyxiation Instead Of
hy hands, but Barrett stood the test Of
a severe oss-examination without al
toriug his testimony in the least. Bar
rett continued his testimony. and said he
found excessive congestion in each lung
OF Blanche Lamont after her death. There
was decomposition enough in the body 20
show that the body had been dead in the
resrhborhood of tao weeks. Witness said
all the orrars Of the murdered girl were
in a healthy condition. Barrett said the
finger marks on Blanche Lamonts throat
were made by one person. IN his opinion.
There was every evidences % struggle
bot veeo1 tho victim and reT stranger. TX
anined ~ 10 The point Of digestion which
.he condition ~ the dead girls stomach
indicated. witness answers carried out
me theory Of the people that 81" Vas
murdered between 4 and O'Clock IN the
afternoon. when the noon meal had been
aigeSte4 and the stomach was comuara-
lively empty.
District Attorney Barnes has deter
r,.re4 anon the order IN which the 1it-
-e=ses wlo are 70 testify against T1e3-
63~e Darrant shau he summoned 10 ne
stand.
Mrs Mary Vozel v!ll next be called
SIZE uu state tnat she saw Uur-4nt on
the afternoon of April 3 pass up and down
i, front u tae normal sc1o0l for nearly
and hour. that ;hen. when school al
i8urue5 she saw Darrant join ne young
-f-i and converse w-tb h@-.
IT ~ Edxards Miss Pleasant ard Mss
T.ar-zaa wsll then tell how they - y
n}4nere Lamont Join Durraut after school
ana r-. 81 = s1utH-bound Powell street
ear w.th him.
Martha Ouinisn wU state mat ae met
Tlitr-s.t ana young Rirl oa T~eafS-'ss
ora and Bartlett streets shortly after :
o'clock on the afternoon of Aprl 2 g..
Vnl saw tse E.rl be saw Rltn D9Trant
wore 3 dark wooien dress and large Has
srr carried q package ~ books
7-f.er p..fi come one ~ t1e most arifaf +
am vg.tr=yses io the ease Mrs taral -if"
Lax Nrz Las Nll yell t7@ rr-fi taat
.Na saN El4ucne Lamont ani faf53of :
T,,srrzut 17-er tae SIDE gate ot Eraallf.
chur-a ~ 40 q The afternoon c. tA@ ~fl