The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-15

chief of police sent for Rev. Dr. Gibson.
I pastor OF the church, and the report be-
gan current that he had been accused OF
the crimes and had been arrested. Great
! crowds surged to DIR. Gibson's house and
the excitement grew more intense. 1t
soon spread all over the city. Extra pa
/ pers were gotten out and thousands of
people fiocked to the scene from all over
/ the city. The runOr of the arrests was
| later denied and it became known that
! DR.. Gibson and the sexton of the church
! had been merely called before the police
/ to tell what they knew.
At O'Clock came the news that Durant
! had been arrested at Walnut Creek, on
i the road to Mount Diablo He was caught
by defective Anthony, who left IN pur-
suit of him early this morning. The de-
teetlve and his prisoner left on the next
train for San Francisco, where they ar
rived this evening. Another immense
crowd had gathered at the ferries to see
the suspected murderer come in, but a
detachment of police was in waiting and
they kept the crowd back. Durant was
hustled into patrol wagon and whirled
away to the city prison, where he was
locked up.
Police Are Positive.
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 a search was
made Of Durants house today, in the
pocket of his coat was found a. purse
which Miss Williams is known to have
carried Friday night. Durant is about q
years old, and was born and raised in
the neighborhood in which the murder
occurred. He is graduate of the Coggs-
well High school, and has been studying
medicine for year. He is a member of
the Second brigade signal corps and was
assistant superintendent of Emanuel
church Sunday school. He was always of
fuse to believe, in spite of the evidence,
that he committed the crime attributed
TO him. The police, l-nwever, think that
Durant is another jack the Ripper"
with a mania for murder. They state
that it is highly probable that Durant is
responsible for the killing of Eugene
Ware, young drug clerk who was found
stabbed to death several months ago in
the store where he worked. No trace was
ever found of the assassin, and the
and the fiendish cruelty Of it (Ware was
stabbed in eighteen places leads to the
belief that it was the work of an insans
person.
Durant's parents are highly esteemed
people of the district in which they live.
His father is chief engineer in Bucking-
while not rich. has been able to give. his
children a good education and start them
in life.
Detective Anthony met Durant and his
companions coming back from Mount
Diablo. They were in uniform and had
been ION a signalling expedition. When
Durant was placed under arrest, his COM
radeS at first wanted to resist the officer,
but finally allowed him to be taken to
Walnut Creek, where the officer and his
prisoner boarded the train for San Fran
cisco. When they arrived at the prison,
as already described, Durant in his
regimentals, was taken to the chiefs
Office and subjected to a searching ex-
animation. He appeared very cool, and
even when arrested by Anthony and told
that Miss Lamont's body had been-fOund,
did not lose his nerve, although he ap-
peared greatly shocked and surprised.
After the examination by the chief, Du-
rant was taken to a cell, where he was
Joined by his parents and a lawyer.
His Statement.
He made the following statement to the
Associated Press:
1.-The last time 1 met Miss Lamont was
on the morning of the day she disap-
peared, April 8. We talked about books,
and / promised to bring book for her
to prayer meeting that night. Miss La
mont did not appear at prayer meeting
and the following Friday took the book |
to her house and gave it to her sister. |
The latter told me that Blanche had gone |
TO school, evidently trying to keep the |
fact of her disappearance secret. That |
is all know of the Lamont case The |
last time, L saw. Minnie Williams was |
three weeks ago"
When confronted by the evidence that |
Miss Williams purse had been found in
his pocket, Durant gave the following ex-
PLANTATION:
4 was going home from the meeting
at DR.. VogeIs Friday night, when my
foot struck a small object on the side
walk. | picked it up and found that it |
was small pocket mirror. Nearby was
a purse, which I also picked up and put |
in my pocket. 1 took both purse and mir
ror home with me, intending to tell my |
parents of my find. 1t was late, how
morning l was in a hurry to get away
with the. signal corps and forgot all
about it,
They Take Exception.
The police take exception to Durant's
statement that he had not seen Miss
Williams for three weeks. They say they
can prove that he saw her on Monday or
Tuesday and possibly later. From all ap-
pearances Miss Lamont was not muir
1ered in the room where her body was
the belfry stairs and into the tower room
Her clothing was found stuffed into yari-
ous corners of the room. About the time
this morning that Miss Lamont's body
was found, the congregation of Emanuel
church were on their way to attend the
Easter service, for which elaborate
preparations had beer, made. When they
arrived, however, and learned of the
frightful crime, they fled horror-stricken
from the spot. The church was locked
and guarded by the police all day.
Gibson asserts his belief in Durants in
locence, but is unable to offer any theory
Is to the actual perpetrator of the crime.
Not Like n Guilty Man.
This much can be said for Durant. He
lid not act like a guilty man when ar
-ested and his preparations to leave with
he signal corps were made without con-
,ealment and before the murder of Miss
Williams. Even the police are forced to
admit that it seems incredible that he
would commit such a crime unless af-
iicted by mania for that sort of work
70 charge has been placed against Du-
ant.