New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-15
TWO MURDERS IN A CHURCH
CAV FRANCISCO SHOCKED BY AN Afro
CIOUS DOUBLE KILLING.
,or,, THE VICTIMS YOUNG wOMEN-IIRED TO
CHURCH. ASSAULTED AND STKANGLED-
ONE BODY HIDDEN IN THE BEL
FRY LoTT-A MEDICAL STU
DENT ARRESTED.
rpY TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRIBUNE.l

DENT ARRESTED.
IBY TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRIBUNE.1
Can Francisco April 14-San Francisco in re-
amt years has seen parallel 10 tie crime OF
rheodore Durant. a young medical student, at
whose door is laid the cruel outrag" and muir
s - two young girls Blanche Lamont and
Minnie Williams B2tf We're done to death in
rraruel Baptist Church. The body Of Miss
williams was found yesterday. hacked ana
,oonged in the pastors closet This led TO closer
arch and the body Of Miss Lamont. who had
icon missing for ten days found in the
,o,r-,- room Of the church. Durant. the assistant
,,orintondont Of the chutch Sunday-sCho Dol. was
arrested to-day and there is no question Of his
guilt
The body OF Blanche Lamont was found az
1920 o'clock this morning stripped of every stitch
Of clothing, and the marks of a strangers rope
around her neck She was stiff stark and cold
when Detective Gibson and officer Rieh broke in
the door Of the musty. dimy lighted room The
feco Of the strangled girl was purple from the
pressure of the rope, twisted from her own
clothing On the dusty floor thrown IN dis
order. were the clothes of the victim, torn almost
into shreds. as the murderer had thrown them
Signs of a struggle found in the tracks on
the floor and in the finger marks on the wood
work of the wall. Bruises on the flesh and some
slight scratches on the face and neck gave evil
6ence of TIE brutality of the murderous hands
which had sent two breautiful victims to the
grave
The discovery Of the second victim Mortified the
congregation of the Emanuel Church. startled the
community and astonished the police. The Easter
services which to have been conducted this
,.orning despite the gloom cast by the bloody
tragedy in the library, were cut off suddenly by
the unexpected and awful discovery made by the
detectives this morning. The pastor Of the church
the Rev. J. George Gibson, FASTENED to the office
os the Chief Of Police and there. utterly over
come by the horrors that had descended upon his
church. answered questions put to him. The doors
O, the edfce were closed and the people who had
gathered to worship were shut out into the street
Early this morning Detective Gibson and Officer
Piehl determined 10 make a search Of every nook
and GRANNY of the building the belfry being one
Of the places into which they had determined to
penetrate. They had an idea that it might contain
some clew which would lead them 70 the discovery
Of the murder Of Miss Williams. The men pro-
cecled Systematically through the library. exam
,,irq tho stuffv little closet in which Miss WILL
,amss body was found yesterday. At last. shortly
after 70 o'clock. Riehl and Gibson started to the
door which opens the winding stairs leadinB
70 the bell loft They turned the handle and found
4, locked They had found it locked the night be-
fore and turned back. This time they were gong
ahead and the door was burst in Up the dusty
st,i-s winding for a distance Of about fifty feet,
the officers groped their way in the dim hght ana
reached the floor of the little room One glance
was all that was needed. In the corner was the
body Of Blanche Lamont. \ hasty examination
showed that the body must have been in the place
a number Of days The head was half turned
across the left shoulder. the neck showing the
mark Of a rope and the finger prints Of the muir
derer The body had been Strengthened ana 'he
arms crossed upon the breast the murderer evil
IDENTITY having taken time 10 prepare her ior what
he expected would be her tomb. Hid away among
the rafters and the caves Of the church building
in the portion contiguous to the befry, the officers
found parts Of the dead womans garments
Detective Gibson says he is confident thdt the
girl was first inveigled into one OF the IoweI
rooms bv Durant and there cr!minally assaulted
and ChOked to death. The BODY was ueh Vdi-
ned up 20 the belfry and stripped OF It's cloth-
ing The door of the belfry was locked ana the
knob broken off 10 prevent an carry e"'ia"00 ~
Ge room. ..
Miss Lamont was last alive In the com
pany Of young Durant to wnoia, II ~ saIu. sns
was engaged to be married. Durant Is suspected
OF having taken the life OF the Wiliiams giI,:
who is known TO have been warm rriehu oi
Miss Lamont They members OF the cnurch,
which they frequently attended together ana
were also in the same Sunday-schoo. ciass; since
often said that she knew that her companion
had met with foul play. This starulhg state
ment reached the ears OF several "ieinperS vi
the church, and the girl was asked Tor an eN1
plana ton, but she positively declined 10 reveal
the nature of her information. ana the Hat'er
dropped. The police are now lhCiIieu "
think that Durant knowing that MISS Williams
was in possession Of sufficient evidence 10 prove
his guilt I'm connection with the dlsappcaid@h.c @
OF Miss Lamont concluded TO decoy her mo
the church and silence her forever Inc pohcss
argue that Durant had heard the statement OF
The Williams girl ana m0mentarliy leaIeu - -
posure AS she continued 10 declare thdt H5
friend had been murdered, Durant determined
70 kill her. Miss Williams was sixteen years oIu
and lived at Alameda as domestic IN the nous nous
of a relative c. II. Mcrgen. She had Known
Durant for several years, but lately had ueatei
him with reserve. explaining 10 those VINO ho'eu
the change that he had insuited hef. S,e h,u a
note from him Friday morning. II Is said ASKING
her 10 meet him in San Francisco. as ne nad
something important TO discuss with her. Sne
replied. declining 10 meet MN DIrahl h "as az
ing unusual was noticed IN his treatment OK the
gin. who was also present ,.
One of the most damaging witnesses aeainse
The Young medical student is Charles Hills VINO
lives across the street from Emanuel Bapust
Church Shortly after o'clock Friday nlght ne
saw a man and woman standing near the street
corner They chatted together for some tihie afo
finally started up the street toward the church
When the church reached the man causl1
the girl by the arm and haif draSEeu ,f,cr few
gate leading 10 the pastors study. AIIet /" u"
minutes conversation the couple paSscd thIousn
the garden and finally entered the church thIousn
a side door Hills Is positive that me iraii ol'unSu l
the door with key and was apparent! h uioao -,
ly familiar with the premises. Suspectlhg tn't
Something was wrong, he waited outslde ~, ,ba "a
few minutes but. hearing no outcfy csile ~ ~ ~
conclusion that the couple were members ~ ~ tn
church. and went 20 his home Ine desIi ,,s prioa
given ~ the man who accompanied the girl 'aihes
exactly with that Of Durant - .. aar
Durant arrested across the ,ii'diS.lIo pa VI.
lie was In his uniform OF Second BElsauc "a. &
tiOnal Guard Signal Corps He was on hrs E, w.
a. naiin ran
was not unnerved by his arrest. declaring 'ha'
he would talk only to the police Wheh d .he, re,
porter asked him how he explained the iact t .,a.
he weakened for a moment, but almost instant!
regained his composure. Arriving az tne i@elaS @
the officers found a great crowd All hau 80 d
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