The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-22
NOT DUHRANT's KNIFE.
The One Found at Walnut Creek-Ar
other Woman to Testify.


San Francisco. Aug. g.-Durrant did not
own the bioo5stained knife that was
found in a barn at Walnut Creek where
he spent the night before his arrest me
knife belonged to Lieut.. Boardman, or the
signal corps. and the supposed bloodstains
proved to be rust. When the knife was
first discovered IL was thought 20 have
belonged to Durrant, and that 1t was the
weapon with which Minnie Williams had
been killed in Emanuel church.
Mrs Mary Vogel. residing n Sl9 Powell
street. directly opposite the normal school,
has informed the police that she saw Dur
rant pacing up and down in front OF the
normal school from 2 o'clock till O'Clock
on the afternoon OF April 3. At o'clock.
when the girls came out. she saw him so
up and speak to one of the girls. bow 10
her and afterward board the east side OF
the dummy of a south-bound Powell street
car. She fixes the date positively by sew
eral occurrences, and is certain that she is
not mistaken in the man.
Mrs. Leak is recognized by the defense
in the Durrant case to be a witness of the
gravest Importance. II her story is be-
lieved there can be absolutely no question
Of the result. When the old lady takes
the stand and swears that she saw Dur
rant and Blanche Lamont entering the
church gate on April 8. little more need
be told Durrant's attorneys realize that
witness, and they understand quite as
well as others that they have an extreme
ly difficult task. The old lady bears an
excellent reputation.
The young man she accuses is a member
of the same church in which she wor-
ships. and there is a natural bond of sym
patty with one OF her own faith. When
she speaks the condemning words the eff
feet will be of great Importance. Under
standing this. Durrant's attorneys and de-
tectives are laboring at present TO des-
troy the effect. il possible. They are al
ready in possession of one fact that will
be used for all IL is worth. The defense
will summon to the stand several witness
es who know Mrs. Leak well, who We're
with her in the interval between Blanche
Lamont's disappearance and the finding
OF her dead body in the belfry. These
women are members of the relief society
of Emanuel church, TO which Mrs. Leak
also belongs. This society held a meet
ing few days after Blanche Lamont dis
appeared. Mrs. Leak was present at that
meeting, and with her friends discussed
the strange absence of the young girl
Mrs. Leak seems quite as anxious as
the rest to learn something, even the
slightest fact, that might indicate the
cause of the unfortunate girls disappear
ance. She aid nothing of what she had
seen from the window on the afternoon of
April 3. The defense maintains that this
conduct of Mrs. Leak demands at least
an explanation and the ladies of the Re
lief Society will be summoned to tell what
happened at the meeting. What effect
the testimony may have remains TO he
seen. 1T is argued by the prosecution
on this score that there was every rea-
son why Mrs. Leak should not have told
what she saw She had nothing by which
she could at that time attach importance
20 her discovery. She believed Durrant
to be an exemplary young man. first in
every effort OF Christian work. n leader
In the Sunday school. a model young
Christian. who was showing the others
the way in an active life of good. While
she remarked the girls imprudence in
going into the church with Durrant. she
set nothing more on the incident than II
the girl had gore there with the pastor
himself The incident at that time pos
sessed absolutely no significance to Mrs.
Leak She had no thought of connecting
the girls disappearance with her visit 10
the church. This will he the conteatlon
Of the prosecution.