The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-16
LINKS IN THE CHAIN.
George R. King Makes an Important State
ment,

ment
George R. King, 521 Capp street, called
at police headquarters yesterday afternoon
and voluntarily made the following state
ment to Detective Bohen:
"On April last, the day that Miss La
mont was first missed, I strolled into the
church by the front door at about o'clock
that afternoon, and the first thing I no.
and strong smell of gas impregnated the
air through the building.
Il then closed the library door and locked
it and then played the piano. This was in
the lecture-room. l had been playing, 1
should judge, some five or ten minutes
when Durrant came down through the back
foldlng-doors. He came into the room
with his coat off in his shirtsleeyes. His
hair was mussed about and he looked quite
pale and was somewhat nervous.
imagined that he might have been startled
at my appearance there in the church.
"He said that he had been overcome by
the gas, and that he had been upstairs fix
ing the gas fixtures, and he said he was so
overcome that he could barely come down
the ladder. At this time he asked me to
go out and get him some bromo settler,
and | went to the drugstore to get him
some. What he did during the time l
went to the drugstore | do not know.
When [ returned from the drugstore |
brought him a bottle of bromo-seltzer.
Then he drank dose of it, and it seemed
to nauseate him.
"He then went into the other room, and
he asked me how he looked, and I told him
he was somewhat pale, and that his eyes
were little congested so he went into the
ladies' parlor, where there is a mirror, to
look at his face, and I afterward found on
little shelf underneath the mirror little
clot of blood, as though he wiped his finger
on it.
81 spoke of the gas and he said he hoped
it would not be noticed at night at the
prayer meeting. We then carried a little
room and he appeared quite weak. He
had to stop and rest several times, making
the remark that he was overcome with gas.
Sat about 6 o'clock we left the place and
he walked little way down Capp street
with me. | do not remember whether he
went back to the church or not when he
left me-"
Subsequent to his statement to Chief
Crowley George r. King was interviewed
at his home. He said:
81 left the corner of Army street and San
Jose avenue at about o'clock and walked
down to the church on Bartlett street. l
entered the church by the front door, to
which had a key. I noticed the
library door open, which was unusual
''To reach the loft where Durrant said
he was working one must go to the gallery
where the door Is to the tower and then
climb up ladder and pass through a trap
door in the ceiling. From the gallery one
comes down into the front hall on the
auditorium floor. Durrant, to come down
the rear steps, must have walked
through the auditorium, and through
either the pastors study or the choir space
1t is possible to get down in the rear part
of the church, but it is hard climb, full
of ups and downs, and dirty one. The
loft can also be reached from the tower
stairway leading to the belfry.
tk"The day this occurred was Wednesday,
April 3. l locate the date by the fact that
we brought down that organ; also because
[ asked Theodore if he would be well
enough to come to prayer-meeting that
night. He said he would be there, and he
was. [ never denied that / was in the
church with Theo that afternoon"
Young King accounts for his time be-
tween 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock that after
noon. He says that he called on Miss
Marion Macintosh of 1923 Fair Oaks street,
remaining at her house till 4 80 o'clock
Then he says he called on Mrs. J. P.
Chamberlin of 712 Army street. leaving
her house for the church about 5 O'Clock.
At the Macintosh residence last night
the father of the girl declined to allow his
daughter or her mother to be interviewed
and said they were not at home. He him
self knew nothing of young Kings move
ments. Mrs. Chamberlin. remembered
Kings visit, but could not remember what
parted, other than that it was late in the
Off