The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-10

Where He Remained Until Noon-
Attended the Lecture in the After
noon, and Remained Until 1t Closed,
When He Went Alone to the Church
and Repaired the Vibrator on the
Electric Apparatus.
SAN Francisco, Oct. 9.-The sensation
Of the defense in the Durrant case was
introduced to-day, when Theodore Dur
rant took the stand. He walked to 1t
with firm step. and related his story OF
what transpired on the Sd of April
with characteristic GOODNESS. He was per-
mitted TO trace his movements from the
time he left his home in the morning
until he retired at night.
He said that he started from his home
to visit that Of Organist King. but on the
way met Blanche Lamont. who was
standing on corner waiting for car.
AS she SAID she was late for school, Dur
rant. al her suggestion, accompanied her
as far IS the school. While he himself
went to Cooper College, where he re-
manned until noon. AT this intermission
he left the college for half an hour. on
returning he learned that the early after
noon lecture had been postponed. de then
walked few blocks with another student,
remaining away from the college about
an hour. He mentioned two students
with whom he conVersed at the college
that afternoon. One OF these, Student
DIggins, has already testified that he had
\ conversation such as stated by Durrant,
but he did not remember the date.
Durrant said he attended the lecture of
DR.. Cheney that afternoon, which began
AT $50 o. clock aud lasted torLy-hve MN
utes. He said he remained al the lecture
until its close, and took notes, which
were produced and put In evidence.
These notes, as introduced, he said, were
made by him at the lecture.
Alter the lecture Durrant said he left
the college and went by car To within
block of The church, ana thence walked
TO ii, entering it by the rear door. He
went TO the library room, there LETT nIs
coat, and then went to the auditorium
floor. His purpose in going TO the
church was TO fix the vibrator on the
electric apparatus connected with one OF
The sun burners, and he intended At first
TO reach this by going up TO the attic IN
the rear part OF the church. tie did start
went up to the gallery IN front, leaving d
door in the rear open. In lhe gallery ne
turned the gas partly OF, and then as
cended TO the space occupied by the sun
burners by means OF a ladder. tie re-
paired the electric vibrator on one OF the
burners. then tried all the jets 10 see that
they would light from the electric spark,
and finding everything satisfactory, de-
scended 70 The gallery and turned OF the
hIla working On the vibrator the
odor OF gas nauseated him and made him
feel faint.
From the gallery where he turned of
the gas there was staircase in front by
which he could have descended 10 the
library room on the lower floor, where
his coat was, but instead OF taking IL he
passed through the auditorium of the
church and went down rear staircase to
the floor below, where Organist King
was practicing on a piano. HIS reason
for going down this way was that he de-
sired to close the rear door he had left
open when he changed his mind about
The way he should go 10 the sun burners.
Durrant said he heard King playing On
the piano while he was at work on the
sun burner, and knew King was in the
Sunday-school room below when he Went
thither. Had be desired to do SO, he
might have gone down the front stair
case, got his coat and left the church un-
known to King, who did not have view
of the front part OF the ediiice.
Durrants description OF what occurred
when he came into the room where King
was agreed with what King testified TO.
While King was absent to get him the
bromo-seltzer, Durrant said lie lay down
on "a platform with his hands under his
head, and rested until King returned.
Durrant ad United that there was an odor
OF gas in the lower part OF the church
when he entered, and said it was strong
enough in The upper part TO naUseate
him. He did not know where the gas
came from which caused The odor, and
aaid he knew nothing about gas or gas
fixtures. All the repairing he had done
in the church was on the electrical ap-
paratus.
He was questioned by jurors as to the
gas which he said had overcome him, and
answered in a satisfactory and unhesitaI-
ing way. He also took a fac s;mile OF the
electric vibrator he said he was fixing,
and, standing before the jury-boX, ex-
planned in detail what was wrong with It
and how he remedied the defect. He
showed his competency as au electrician,
and gave plausible explanation OF his
actions at the time when II was believed
the murder ef Blanche Lamont was
being effected not one hundred feet dis
tant from the position he says he occu-
pied. He also made diagram on a
black board, showing one OF the sun
burners in very clever drawing.
Durrant said that when he took of his
coat in the library he looked at his watch,
and saw it was 4:5G. or thirty-tive min
utes later than the time the witnesses for
the prosecution testified they saw him
near the church with Blanche Lamont
Durrant SAID he never saw the girl for
whose murder he stands charged after he
left her at school on the morning OF
April Sd.
The most dramatic Of the incidents OF
the day was when his counsel came to
ask him directly about the murder.
Every ear in the crowded courtroom was
bent to hear his answers, which were de-
livered in q clear. calm voice, without
feeling of any kind. lie denied that lie
was at the Normal School, whsre two Wit
nesses swore they saw him, or on the cars
with Blanche Lamont, where three VIII
nesses claimed 10 haze seen him. Lastly,
he said he did not accompany Blanche La
mont or anyone else to the church.
Then the counsel solemnly asked him:
Ibid you ever participate, directly or in
directly, in any violence on the person oil
Blanche Lamont?
Never" replied the accused man.
"Did you XIII or participate in the kill
ing OF Blanche Lamont in this city and
county on the 81 OF A prl, or at any other
place at any timer" he was then asked.
He replied. ii did not"
Durrant also denied that he ever visited
the pawnshop of Adolph Oppenheitn to
sell Miss Lamonps ring, and named
places he had been every morning be-
tween April 4th and l0tB, the dates be-
tween which Oppenheim said Durranps
visit was made.
The last question asked him by his at
torneys was regarding the size of his shoe,
vrhicb he said WAS O No. Z.
on oross-examination Durrant said he
was born in Toronto, April p, 1871. He
,aI rnsidad In San Eranfiscn siYtaan