The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-01

SAN FRANCISCO, April so.-T no police
authorities have invoked the aid Of a
Pinkerson detective in the Emanuel
Baptist Church murder cases. Detecs
tive Simmons, who was formerly at the
Chicago headquarters OF this agency of
lase years, has been connected with the
Portland, Oregon, branch OF the service.
and has arrived in this city and inspected
the scene Of the murders, and has taken
copious notes from which to map cut his
line Of work.
Whether this acquisition will enable
the detectives to obtsin further evil
dence against Theodore Durant, the
young man accused Of the murders, ia
problematic: In the meantime addt-
tional circumstantial evidence Is CROP
ping out, and the police feel more than
ever convinced that they have the per-
petrator Of the crime In the person of
Durant.
Chauncey M. johnson, clerk in the
State board Of trade exhibit rooms, SAYS
that he is positive Durant visited the
rooms on April 1sth last between 4.4O
and o'clock in the afternoon in COM
psny with young woman who answers
the description OF Marion Williams. He
says he noticed the couple particularly
because he requested them to leave at
the closing time, shortly before S
o'clock.
When he saw Durant'a picture in the
paper he puzzled over it until he re-
membered Durant as stated. When
johnson went to the register book to
see what name the couple had entered
he found that tho shees bearing the en-
tries OF names on April 18th had been
distracted. Miss Williams came from
Alemeda to San Francisco on that dav
at 4:s0, but did not reach the house
where she was living until after
o'clock
She went out that night before 8
o'clock. The next morning her dead
and mutilated body was found in the
church library room. Durant has all
along denied meeting the girl on that
day, while the police theory Is that he
made an appointment with her during
the afternoon to meet him in the church
that evening, and there assaulted and
killed her.
After Durant had been arraigned yes
terday for the murder Of Blanche La
| mont he said he was not worried over
| the matter, and his demeanor did not
indicate any distress of mind. It Ia on
| this charge that he is to be tried for
| first, as the evidence Is stronger against
| him.
Tho evidence in the preliminary ex-
| animation of Theodore Durant for the
murder OF Minnie Williams is all in,
and Police Judge Conlon will deliver
his opinion next Thursday morning,
He denied, for the time being, motion
of defendants counsel to dismiss the
md 1on NJ,
to ball. When Durant was taken to
the court room to-day no looked pale
and wan, his confinement beginning to
tell upon his health.
Dr. j. S. Barnett, who performed the
autopsy on the body Of Minnie Will
lisms, was on the stand and way CROSSE
examined for hours by the defendants
attorney. He stated Miss Williams died
from a7payxlatiou and hemorrhage,
the former caused by rags forced down
her throat and tho hemorrhage by ssy.
ering OF the arteries in her wrist. Other
wounds on various parts OF her body
were inflicted after death. G Hills tes-
titled that nan resembling Durant
met woman answering to Miss Will
liams' description near Emanuel Church
On Good Friday night, walked rapidly
down the street AMI disappeared inside
| the dark church.
He watched them intently because,
as he testified, he thought the womsn
WAS his wife keeping an appointment
with another man. When he went
homo, however, no found his wife there.
] He examined the entrances and exits of
| the church next day. and found that the
pair could not have left the church
| while he watched AMI hsve escaped
| observation.