Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1895-09-07
Prosecution Outlines the Facts on
Which Its Case Will Hang.
THE MURDER STORY REToLD
Blanche Lamont's Pure Charsc+ar ,,,a
Her Foul Assassination
Brought Out

following is a synopsis:
At this point in the trial. and befol
proceeding with the evidence it b,
comes my duty as a representative {
the people to make what is called tn
opening statement of the case. Th
| opening statement should not be rf
sarded by you in the light of testimony
neither should it be regarded as an al
Sunent upon the facts. 1t should no
nave any weight with YOU. nor shoul,
YOU consider it as mitiga ting aeains
| the prisoner. 1t is merely a staten1pn
| OF What the people expect to prove. ;
| statement Of evidence which they i'm
tend to present for your consideration
ana upon which they Will confidently
rely tor verdict at Your hands Which
| shall sweep away the sopbistries an,
the technicalities that have enyelonef
the CRIMINAL proceedings in this state as
with garment and shall declare tha
the land we live in is blessed not only
of God to man, but is further blessed
with the manifold gifts of nature and
with the hard, clear common sense that
can rise above the tortuous environ
ments that surround the criminal and
punish the crime committed in the man
ner required by all laws, both human
and divine.
we shall show you that in the
hlohth OF September, 1894, Blanche La
mont, a young girl about 90 years of
age, came to San Francisco from her
nome at Dillon. Mont, in the hope that
the mlld climate of California might
benefit her health. She went to reside
with her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs
G. G. Noble, and from the time of her
arrival here until April 8 she was en-
gagged IN attending school She was not
a society girl in any sense of the word.
she was of a quiet disposition. home
Keeping and religious. She never at
tended parties nor theater nor other
places OF amusement except in the COM
pany of her elatives
We will show that Blanche lamont
lii her lifetime was we'll. too we'll
and yet not Well enough ACQUAINTED
with the prisoner Durrant; that he was
IN the hab1t OF accompanying her home
from church and prayer meeting; that
ne was caller upon her at her aunt's
house; that upon the only occasion up
on which she ever went anywhere with
any young man as far as we are inform
ed she visited the park one afternoon
with Durrant. We will give YOU his
tory of her life and her movements
as far as we are able up to the third Of
April, 1873, IN order that YOU may form
I Just appreciation of the character
and habits of this unfortunate Young
girl.
We will show You her connection
With the defendant and we will show
you the reason why when the murdered
body of Blanche Lamont was found i'm
he darkened belly of Emanuel church
thd the question sprang from the Inns |
# every resident of this city and of |
his country, Who is the murderer?'
Why 1t is that the state answers that |
le who was responsible for the slaueh-
er Of this young life is William Henry
Theodore Durrant. Durrant. once the
riend of Blanche Lamont; Durrant,
nee in charge of the Sunday school Ii
'rary; Durrant, once the electrician
vho knew the ms and outs of the great
'uilding; Durrant, once the handy man
nd Jack-of-all-t trades of the church
)urrant, now the prisoner and on trial
or his life. We shall show Durrants
with the crime and shall
emonstrate by irrefutable and unan-
Werable evidence that he, and he alone.
the murder
'1f We show you these facts; if we
how you that Durrant met this i'll
ated girl on the day of her death; that
e accompanied her to the church: that
G was seen to enter the church with
er: that he was afterwards Seen in
ne church alone; that Blanche Lamont
as never again seen alive by human
yes; that in the church was found her
cad body, her clothes, her school
ooks, showing that she had never
cen home and that she had gone
-raight from her school to her death;
we show you, as we confidently ex-
ect, that no one but the prisoner could
ave committed this outrageous and
orrible crime, We shall look to you as 1
tizens of the state whose reputation ]
II justice and for enforcement of the
Ws we, Is its officers, are trying to
phold, to render your verdict that
lie prisoner at the bar is guilty of
urder in the first degree"
POINTS OF OBJECTION. 8
The court room was crowded to hear {
le opening statement by District At f
rney Barnes. AT the request of the t
afense all witnesses were excluded Y
ON the court during the address, The 7
efendant listened attentively to the !
atements of the chief prosecutor. At +
cry point against him alluded to by {
e district attorney Durrant's brow s
ntracted and he continually whispers
suggestions to his counsel The de-
ndants attorneys objected to several ,
atements in the address, They dis
led an allusion to the conversation of
hool girls who identified Durrant as
e man who had walked off with =
anche Lamont. They also objected :,
an explanation Of the reason Mrs. ;.
LAX sat so long at her window on the =
ternoon when she said she had seen i
e murdered girl entering the church
tn Durrant. The court over-ruIed the "
cOnd objection but sustained the first :
Though counsel for the defense had :,
id that they would be willing to have y
e Blanche Lamont and Minnie Will
ms cases tried Jointly, when the dis
ct attorney referred to the finding of
nnie Williams body the defendants Il
unset objected to the introduction of cl
ything referring to the Williams u
lrder, which he said was the basis {"
: separate action. The court said
would permit reference to the dis
very of Minnie Williams body as an
,ident leading to the discovery of the =
dy of Blanche Lamont. He said he -
'uld not rule as to the merging of the in
asented to him directly.
1t the conclusion of the opening ad- 7
7ss the opposing counsel and the bs
lrt held a consultation. Then, at the II
sgestion of the defendants attorney, VI
: court ordered that after recess the
ors, the defendant, the judge and the te tle5
clal stenographer in charge of the - -
er1ff join in a visit to the scene of the 81