The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-10-17
LAUGHED At DURRANT.
Spectators Amused at a Palpa.
bly, False Statement.
HE RECLAIMED HIS COMPOsURE.
From That Time on His Testimony Was
Straightforward and Reasonable 4
Question Of the Prosecution, Designed
60 Rattle Him, Fails.

SAN FRANCIsCo, Oct ll.-Uuder the
rigid cross. examination OF District At.
torney Barnes, Theodore Durrant has
made a number Of answers that are re.
garded as decidedly discriminating, in
asmuch as they appear to Je in direct
conflict with well established facts and
then changed his replies when he real.
lied that he was on dangerous ground
He gave an expia nation Of q clew re-.
garding Blanche LaWonts disappear.
ance said to have been received by him
that was so palpably falsehood that
everybody in court laughed aloud The
sitting atmosphere of the crowded
courtroom came to Durrants rescue
and he was enabled TO recover from his
confusion during the short recess that
followed. When he again came TO the
stand he remained calm during the
most trying ordeals
Two days before the body Of the
young woman was discovered, Durrant
said, as he was standing at the corner
Of Market and Montgomery streets, a
stranger approached him and asked if
his name was not Durrant The
stranger then asked Durrant If, in view
OF the fact that his name had been un.
pleasantly connected with the disap.
pearance Of the girl, if he would not
like to find her. Durrant replied that
he would be overjoyed even to obtain a
trace of the missing girl. Watch the
ferries, then, the stranger said, she
will try TO cross the bay. That is my
advice. He did not ask the stranger
his name, his residence. or for any ad.
ditional information. He went to
lunch and from there to the ferry,
where he remained until 0 clock, not
having caught glimpse Of the miss
Ing girl. While he was waiting, how.
ever, he saw three medical students
and an old sChoolmate. One Of these
men has already testified that he saw
Durrant accost a schoolgirl whose de
scription answered that Of Minnie
Williams, who was murdered that
night and rode away toward the Mis-
sion on Howard street car
Mr.. Barnes asked him II he told any
body else Of the clew given him by the
stranger so they could continue the
search. Durrant said he had no op
portunity to tell any Of Miss Lamonts
friends. When questioned closely Dur
rant admitted that he attended a meet
ing Of the Young People, society ihe
same evening, where he saw several of
Miss Lamont sintimate friends Among
others was Thomas NOgel, whom Dur
rant had said q moment before was
more interested in the disappearance Of
the young woman than anybody else
except Mrs. Noble, her aunt Durrant
admitted that he had held a private
conversation with Vogel, but did not
think to tell him about the clew he had
obtained
After short recess, during which
Durrant recovered his Gomposure,
surprise was sprung on him in the hope
that it might disCOncert him After
asking Durraut if he had ever made a
written statement Of his whereabouts
on the day Blanche Lamont was mur.
dered, and receiving en affirmative re.
ply, District Attorney Barnes asked the
following question
'ls IL not u fact that you sent writ
ten statement of yOur case to your at.
torney and wrote on the envelope To
be opened II | am convicted and 10 be
returned If ! am acquitted
The excitement caused by this ques
tlon was intense In the hum Of
voices, Durrant answer was lost aud
the stenOgrapheI was asked to read the
replv
Il never sent an envelope to my at.
torneys bearing such an inscription
said he.
Durrant was questioned at length re
garding the communication and slgui.
ticant inscription on the envelope but
he denied that he even sent such
document.
Durrant was next shown the various
garments worn by Blanche Lamont,
and asked if he had secreted them in
the beltry, where they were found
He identified the pieces Of clothing as
the ones worn by Miss Lamont on the
day of her death, but said he did not
hide them IN the church.
Durrant's strong nerves were tested
by u number of questions relative TO
the last time he saw Miss Lamont, but
he stuck to his former statements ON
that point.