The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-02
Next Friday the Murderer viii Be
Sentenced tn Be Hanged.
He VIII BE Tried for Killing Minnie
Williams. Too-The Verdict Almost
Unanimously ApProved-The saIlen
Prisoner Is Little Affected, but His
Mother Breaks Down.

on the first ballot. As there was no
recommendation OF mercy. the punish
ment was fixed a. death. l. was exact
y tWenty-one minutes from the time The
jury left the court room 10 the time the
verdict Vas announced. but lhae time vas
nos al taken Gp IL delsoeratioa. In fact,
there Vas no Gel.beratlOn al all. The
jury had evidently decided upon 4 verdict
before they left the ooX. II was . "a when
they nled ou< OF the court room INTO the
grand jury room, which had been placed
at their disposal. II took the twelve men
until $50 o'clock before they settled them
selves comfortably. and az $50 a knock on
the door announced TO the anxious walters
that A verdict had been found. IL took
just five minutes Of actual time to elect
a foreman and take the one ballot neces-
sary.
The scene in the court room when The
verdict vas announced Will never be for
gotten by those who were present Judge
Murphy finished his charge al S:St. and the
fury at once retired. Although there was
supposed 10 be little prospect ~ ver-
diet being returned before I or o'clock
IN the evening. the throng Of spectators
who had remained in the ovcrcrowded
cour; room all the afternoon 70 hear the
Judges charge settled themselves back
in their seats TO await the return OF The
jury.
Mrs Durrant and the prisoner talked
AMI laughed together as If an acquiftal
were a foregone conclusion. they were
joined oy a half dozen friends, and the con-
versation was becoming animated. whel
Il became whispered about that The jury
had agreed upon A verdict. IN an instant
a hush fell upon the Ett,e circia that had
gathered around the prisoner. Durrant's
face. always pale. assumed a CHASTITY hue.
and his mother was speechless. Then the
big doors at the rear Of the room cpcne5.
~
took their seats in the box.
In the intense excitement that followed
the room, although Z was Giled 70 its
utmost capacity. was almost as quiet as
II Il had been vacant. Judge Murphy, Who
had retired 70 his chambers, was sum
moned. and took his place upon the
bench. Clerk Morris asked the usual
question as to whether the Jury had agreed
upon a verdict Foreman Warren Dutt1n
arose and replied IN the affirmative. We.
the jury" said he, '.Ind The defendant
yt'fiifsr-r~ Henry Throfore Tsur~zft. guilty.
Of murder in the first degree" As the
aged foreman, pale and trembling. read
the words that fixed nurr2nt's fate. a low.
rumbl.ng noise, IKE the roar % a r11h.
arose from the rear of the court room.
The next moment men were cheering
wildly while women went hyster.cally 'n
excitement. The bauiT raped loudly FOR
order. but the tumult continued for
minute before anything Ike qu'et could
be brought ont OF tho disorder Then ns-
trict Attorney Barnes arose and asked
shat a dsv be set upon which the SEN
tence OF death should be passed upon the
rSoner Judge Murphy said that SEN
tence would 10 passed next Friday. upon
which day nc would also set tho day for
the trial of Durrsnt on the charge Of
numbering Minnie Williams
During ttc tumult that followed the an
0F h@ ~
his mother were lost sight Of except hv
the few who sat nearest 70 them AZ the
last words of the verdict were uttered
Durrant made \ spasmodic effort 70 arise
10 his feet but before he could do so his
mother with half sigh half moan. threw
her arms around his neck and sank back
into her cha r. His mothers grief seemed
10 make Durrant forget his own position.
and for the next few minutes he sat with
his arms around her neck irving 70 soothe
her The long strain Of the trial how
ever. had sompletely shattered her self
control and il was some time before Mrs
Durrant could leave the courtroom Dur
rants father was not in the room whom
the verdict was returned As soon as the
iurv retired he went cut into tho corr
doris net believing that the jury would 70
turn FOR several hours and he first les rned
that his son had been convicted when
cheer went up from the crowd IN the
building As the news spread. Durrant re-
covered his old time couposure as soon
e he left his mother and prepared 70 re-
turn IN the county Jail WIN his over
coat swung carelessly over his arm. he
walked ieisureiy out or tho room. twirl.
ing his slight u10usiachc with apparently
ss Tttle concern as = no were merely
spectator. instead of the principal figure
ln ne exciting scene.
aside from the spectators Mrs noble.
M 6 sa1t-f
mont the dead girls sister. were aPra-
ror.Iv the happ5est persons in the room
when the verdict was announced Maud
Lamont sprang from her scat clappeS her
bands and ;heu cried. from sheer -xcife-
rrcrf Mrs Noble mixed smiles with
tears. and shook hands with number of
friends Rho crowded around 70 congrat-
ulafe her.
As soon as Dp-raut left the building The
crowd surped out az the room and gath
erred around Tho door cut Of which thc
r~ieonpr usually came 90 reach the prison
van Fearing that some violence might
he offered tie prisoner, no VAS taken ont
~ another door and driven hT ci~cg'toHs
route 20 fhp county faH. The verdict fell
wi-h an ifs force ON Durant and his fawi-
~ ~ no had banked all their hopes on q
disagreement while Mrs HUrraUt knew
chat if was nos among she possibilities fhar
her son would ho acquitted. her friends
sad she seeaTfssri~ uatutatn@d fbat .
shs4rp- GO doubt would resi- ia the mind
~ orc ~ the jurors and taat her son
y--.l5 rot re convicted. She was there
fare totally uupreuarei for tne l3Ty 80
md her scr EuHtv in twenty miuuies-
When tHe veTd .rf was annou1ce7 f5e
v-A0le weight ~ her sorrow seemed to fail
unon her. and she gave way "a unc0ntgol!a-
N[o g~ef. Bst once during the whole t-al
Rad she snoaa ans anxiety or feeling
Wheu District Attorney Barnes was in tne
midst - ore ~ rfs most bitter arra.En-
r7r~rs ~ he prisoner. whom be character
Ivrs as fhe rnos+ brutal murderer lu he
brstr~v of American Jurisprudence. AIRS
Tsrtrravf threw her arms ar1un3 the meek
oF her son and went 4 recess 81 five n n
u.eS was taken. 20 give Mrs L01rrant an
,,rfs-~tu~i-v % recover her caup0sure.
nv common consent District Attorney
rtar~ss ts given most q the credit for cor
vi-.srr the greatest murderer that Has
ever trfed lu California. Wa3e the police
sarafrtrrort az excellent work i Is be-
Uevef fhar sfr. Barnes' address, wnica
consumed one day a18 a half IN go de-
lfge~-. haH rauch q 30 R}ta removing aHF
frrer.7E Doubt from the minds q the
tu~r~s y at any tma There waa ifsFer
vrhs vaz rot eonv. need - I1srraut' = gss.Is-
Rarnez' address, sE Considered coe cF ere
rurs. goc.eal aad eioqueHf eaor1s faat
Vas cscr made 0closc California .1Ey-