The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-26
DURRANT AS A WITNESS.
DEFENCE OPEN THE CASE And OUT
LINE WHIT THEY VIII PROTE.
They VIII Try to show by Witnesses Dur
of the blanche Lamont Murder.

SAN FRANCISCO. CAL, Sept. Sat
torney Dupree, of the counsel for the de-
fence ia the Durrant case, made his OPEN
ing statement this morning.
He said that he would show that on the
II crning OF April 81 Durrant left bis home
for that of George King for the purpose
of malking arrangements tCr the latter
10 help him fix the gas apparatus IN
Emanuel church IN the afternoon. re
met Blfichc Lamont on Twcnty-ntst anu
Mission streets She was waiting ior
car 20 take her 10 the high school, ana m
wired him TO take a ride with her. lie icit
her at the high school and continued ON
his way TO Cooper Medical Coll sge, whefe
he remained until about so . eiocN VI
later. IL would be shown by inc CO ~
records end otherwise that purrant nal
attended the lecture, which wouln tafe
him up 10 about 3 o'clock. that ne loi,
the college about $3.50, took a car, NJ. aiin
reaC led Emanuel church at fVe minutes
TO . o'clock
OVERCOME BY Gas.
Witnesses would be introducei 10 prove
this. and that when he redcheu thT cn"t ~
h. went into the library room, leit MS
cCat and hat there. and then Went "
stairs 10 fix the sun-burners, where ne
was overcome by gas. ,,
subsequently, as stated by King. would
b. admitted II would be shown that Dur-
rant saw King home and then pro ceded
10 his own home. where he ate MS sup
per. and after short time. retf,u' -.
The defence will further show that tho
accused wore an entirely black suit on
that day. and this will disprove the tes-
timony OF Mrs. Vogel. who swore he wore
a light pair Of trousers.
vALUrIFss wITNrss.
Mrs. Leaks testimony would also be
proved 20 be yalufless. as her SIGHT Is de-
fectiye. As 10 the witness. Oppenhelm.
IL would be shown that he vas visited py
a young man who wore olIe overcoat'
as Oppenheim described and offered rings
for sale similar 10 those OF the murdered
girl but that the pawnhroker was en-
tirely mistaken as to his visitor beng the
defendant.
I'm the course OF his statement Mr.. pu-
prey announced that Durrant would take
the stand.
A WOMAN TO TESTIFY.
The outline OF the defence contained
10 sensation, and nothing neW except lor
the one point that some woman VIII De
introduced who viii say she saw defend
amt enter Emanuel church alone on the
afternoon of the murder. When burraht
did leave the college he took the street
cars for Emanuel church, ana aPprodSheu
Bartlett street, on which the chuIcn ~
situated frcm sOutherly direction, "hlch
is opposite TO that from which the Wiz
nesses have testified that they saw MN
approach it,
lie was seen TO 20 80 the church alone
hv woman ana entered NJ at f5J' Wllch
is half an hour later than the time wheh
Mrs. Leak says she saw him enter II.
Durrant told two persons that evening
that he had been overcome Dy gas, anu ils
was apparently M 'when heJ reachtd
home. He did not again 20 out OF the
house that night, except to escort MS
mother 10 a car. The defence VIII elaln
that the writing on the package c1h'tin-
ing the rings was that OF keN. ). r. ,ip-
son. Of Emanuel church, and not that oi
The Offering Of the rings for sale to
the pawnbroker-the defence c9htenus
that the man who tried TO sell the rlNs
wore an overcoat, and that Durraht u,i
no wear an overcoat in the day time
between the 81 and 10th Of April.
STRONG POINTS IN DFFEScF.
Tfis. the open announcement mat the
handwriting on the package en- the rings
sent 10 Mrs. Noble, would be tracer 10
Rev GfbsO and the Introduction or a
womsn who would testify that she saw
Bt rrant enter the church alone on tne
afternoon OF the murder, are strong
pCiuts in the defence.
THAT of his alleged presence at the lee
,ure M the time be was said TO be In
front of the Normal School Is not taken
soriouslv as the prosecution says lt can
easily break Il down. ,s.,,,,,s
Mrs Matilda Durrant, the detehi ihl
rrerhor teefined that when Gibson ana
n.L'. 5o,o.tives visited her residence they
made close inspection of the Defendant :
shoes. but did not take them lor w W
deuce as they did other cloihiNs. ~
Durrant also testified that her son ma
not worn an overcoat In the day-un'
between April 3rd and 10th. and that
his trousers on April 3rd were DARK
she cave asketch OF her sons lie, IN
which she said that ne had been con-
nerted with Sunday schools from The
time the family arrived in this city untl
his arrest.
Nfrs Ie1k WAS recalled; denied that she
had ever had anything the matter with
her oversight 1t is believed that she de-.
fence will seek TO prove previous good
character for him. i'm which case the
prosecution Is prepared TO attack him
with damaging evidence.