The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-04-16
tedtIves bes0re lthey Opened the door

tectlves before they opened the door.
When THE officers reached 1.-THE hea1
OF the stairs, Hhey found the door o
the tower booked. They broke In tn.
door. It was so dark the officers coult
not see and one of them struck {
match. AS the hight fiared they saw
before them the dead body of the Cir
for whom they were searching. The
body was taken ito khe morgue, where
1t was placed on a slab side by side
Of Minnie Williams. AS soon as the
news became known an Immense crowd
surrounded the church, and had TO be
KEPT back by the yo1ice.
The chief of police sent for xhe Rev.
DR.. Gibson. pastor of the church, and
the report became current that ne
had been accused of Ithe crimes and had
been arrested. Then the crowd surged
to DIR. GibSons house and the excite
ment grew more intense. II spread ail
over the city. Extra papers were got
ten out, and thousands OF persons
fiocked DO THE scene. The rulIror Of the
arrest was latter denied, and ii be.
came known that Dr.. Gibson and the
sexton Of the church had been merely
called 10 tell what they knew. At s
o'clock came the news THAT Durant had
been arrested at Walnut creek on the
road to Mount 'Diabao. He was caught
by Detective Anthony, who left in
pursuit Of him early tuhis morning.
The detective and his prisoner left on
the train for San Francisco, arriving
this evening. Another large crowd
had gathered at the ferry to thee the
suspected murderer come dn, but a de-
tachment of .pollce were in waiting,
and kept the crowd back. DuranE was
hustled into patrol wagon, AMI whiil-
ed away to the city pGdson, where he
was locked up.
The police are certain THAT they have
the right man. They claim to have
two witnesses Who saw Durant and
Miss Williams In company last Friday
night, and also state that when q |
search was made of Durant's house |
today that in Idhe pocket Of his coat |
was found purse which Miss WI
Hams is known to have caauied FRI |
day might, Dntant Is about % years |
old, and was born and raised in the |
in which the murders oc-
CURED. He is graduate of Cogswell |
high school, and has been studying
medicine for a year. He is member
of the Second Brigade signal corpsal
and was assistant superintendent of |
the Emanuel church Sunday school |
He was always Of a quiet disposition,
and his friends refuse to believe, in
spite of the evidence. that he commit
ted the crimes attributed to him. The
police, however, think that Durant Is
another Jack the Ripper" with ma
ma for murder. They state that 1t is
nightly probable that Durant is respon.
'lble for the killing OF Eugene Ware,
I young drug clerk, who waA found
stabbed to death several months ago,
n the store where he worked. No trace
vas ever found of the assassin, and
he theory is thalt DuranIt killed him.
70 motive for this murder was discov-
red, and the flendish cruelty of Il
Ware was stabbed In IS places) leads
o the belief that 1t was the work of
n insane person.
Durant's parents are highly esteemed
eople OF the district In which they
we. Hds father is chief engineer In
buckingham & HeclIt's shoe factory
nd while not rich, was able to give
is children a good educatldn and start
hem In life. Durant made the follow
lg statement for Hhe press:
-"T'he last time nmet Miss Lamont
'as ON the morning of tihe day she dis
ppeared. Ave talked about books. and
promised to bring a book for her to
Tayer meeting THAT might. Miss La
lont did not appear ait prayer meeting
nd THE following Friday took the
1ok to her house and gave 1t to her
ster. The latter told me that Blanche
nd gone to school evidently trying to
sep 'uhe fact OF her disappearance
'cret This is all know Of the La
ont case. The hast time A saw Min
Q Williams WAS three weeks ago"
When confronted by THE evidence
at Miss WiIlSanrs' purse had been
und dn qlis pocket, Durant gave the
flowing explanation:
II was going home from the meeting
Dr. vogea's, FRIDAY might, when my
ot struck a small object on THE side =
ak. picked 1t up and found II was .
small pocket miror. Near by was
purse. which also picked up and (
It dn my pocket, | took both purse
ID n1rror home with me. intending to =
| my parents OF my fin1, 1T was late ',
Iwever, and went right to bes. In y
q Tn0rufnas I nvaa A., a H,atr,., -, .-s.s =