The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-11
FIFTH DAY OF THE TRIAL.
Offered to Go In Search of Her
Niece, Blanche Lamont.

There was the same-sized crowd-all the
room would hold = in Judge Murphy's
court yesterday. Those who attended
Only the morning session were disap-
pointed If they expected to hear anything
of a sensational nature. 1t was devoted
entirely to the testimony of witnesses who
effects of Blanche Lamont in the belfry
and other portions of the church.
Detective Seymour came into court bear
ing gunny-sack in one hand and black
valise in the other. There was specula-
ton as to the contents of these packages,
but it was soon disclosed that they con-
tanned the hat, the shoes and some other
articles of wearing apparel that had been
found secreted in the church.
Durrant came into court with the same
unassuming, bland demeanor that he has
evlnced from the first. Not even the
threatening weather seemed to have any
effect upon him. He is always the same,
nor in this respect does he differ from the
usual run of men who stand in the dock
accused of great crimes. Such men do not
carry the evidences of either their guilt or
innocence on their faces. Durrant's face
is as uncommunicative, as inexpensive of
all emotions as was the face of Alexander
Sullivan when he faced the accusation of
having caused the horrible butchery of DR..
Cronin.
But that is an old story now. People
crowd the Durrant trial out of natural
curiosity to see the man accused of so
dreadful crime, and hundreds OF them
besiege the corridors for hours, satisfied
to catch but passing glimpse of the man.
In the afternoon Mrs. Noble. the aunt of
Blanche Lamont, came to the stand, and
then for the first time Durrant's name was
coupled with that of the murdered girl.
She was called on to identity the clothes
of the murdered girl, and the better to as
sist in the display of them the District At
torney had draped the outer garments
upon dressmakers frame of wire. When
he called for the dress the courtroom clerk
went up behind the Judges desk where
the frame was lying hidden from view, and,
raising it suddenly, he brought it down
and stood it before the jury. Every one
started. 1t was like bringing the wrath
of the murdered girl herself into court and
asking it to testify. Then, when Barnes
took the girls wide hat, which had been
found in the belfry, and placed it on top of
the frame, it needed but little stretch of
the imagination to see the form of Blanche
Lamont standing there in the dim light of
the courtroom. 1t had an evident effect
upon the spectators at least, if not upon
the jury, and Deuprey was on his feet in a
minute with an objection. He took excep-
tion not to the dress, but to the frame, as
he said it had not been in the Emmanuel
Church, and was. therefore, not part of the
case. The court ruled that it was as much
a part of the case as the boards upon which
the maps had been spread and he allowed
the frame to remain after noting Deuprey's
exception.
Then Barnes went to the figure, pointed
out all the rents in the dress and the evil
dences of struggle about the neck of the
basque, and then the clerk took it aside.
There was murmur OF relief when the
figure disappeared, and eyes which had
been fixed upon the silent form in black
were free to once more seek for a glimpse
of the prisoner.
Mr.. Barnes is unfolding the details OF
his draDla with rare skill and in such a