Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-04-18
DURANT HAS NIGHTMARE

w. H. t. Durant, the young mo,
under arrest in San Francisco for ,ba
murder of Marian Williams. and WIZ
is suspected also of having EiIIsS
Blanche Lamont, two young WOMB
whose bodies were found in EmannsI
Baptist Church, that city, is either nrs,
pairing to plead insanity or else NJ
most hideous visions come to him 'I is
his cell at the Central police station =,
night. To all appearances when h.
rant retired Tuesday night he had eu
tirely regained his composure, and w.
not suffering from the mental strain 80
apparent Monday night, when. in =
dream, he fought some imaginary fos
When he stretched himself cut on
his mattress Tuesday night and NO.
pared to sleep. he said that he did rct
wish to be disturbed, as he was tjr,i
and worn out after the exciten ent =.
the day. About one o'clock YESTERDAY
morning Officer Smith, who was on an.
ty at the prison door, and Sergea,,
Shields, the prison keeper, were star.
tied by long, loud cry Smith ran
to the cell. The cries came from Dn.
rant, who was evidently suffering from
another hideous nightmare He tossed
on his mattress, and screamed louder
and louder. The noise made by the
approach of the officer seemed to awak.
en- him, as on Monday night. and he
turned over on his side and appeared
to sink into quiet sleep. The cloth.
ing that Durant had on the night be
is supposed to have killed Miss Wi.
liams does not show any trace Of blood
The mother of Durant mas made an
appeal to the public, through the news.
papers, asking for suspension of iudg.
ment in the case of her son until other
than circumstantial evidence is pro.
duced.
The inquest over the remains Of
Minnie Williams was continued yester.
day. Durant protested against being
forced to attend the inquest, and said
his attorneys had advised him that the
police had no right to make him to 20.
He was told by the officers that if he
refused to go, they would take
him by force, and he finally reluct-
antly accompanied them 10 tie
coroner's office. Rev. DR.. Gibson was
the first witness called. He said he
had seen Miss Williams probably three
times, and was not intimate with Da.
rant.
DR.. Vogel testified that Durant came
to the party at his house Friday night
few minutes before ten O'Clock. His
forehead was covered with perspiraton
but he saw no blood about his person.
Durant asked permission to wash his
hands before he entered the pallOr.
DR.. Vogel had never seen Miss vii.
liams and Durant together, nor had he
ever heard Miss Williams speak the
accused man. The witness stated that
his niece, Miss Turner, had told him
that Durant had asked her to allow
him to examine her about some COM
plant with which she was troubled.
A. E. Williams, the father of the
murdered girl, testified that she had
said to him that Durant had not treat.
ed her right, but she did not go into de-
tails. He identified the pocketbOok
found in Durant's pocket as the one he
had given his daughter.
The testimony of the witnesses who
claimed to have seen Durant ard Miss
Williams entering the church early
Friday evening was,rather vague. Tley
saw man and woman enter the gate
to the church yard. The man wore q
hat and coat resembling those worn by
Durant, but they were not positive that
Durant was the man. The test nony 9!
other witnesses was to the effect that
they had never seen Durant and Mis-
Williams together, and had never heard
them speak of each other. The inquest
will be resumed to-day.
The funeral services over the body Of
Miss Williams were held yesterday in
the First Baptist Church. An immense
crowd attended, and hundreds Of floral
pieces were sent.