The herald., 1895-11-03
Tho Attorneys Talk

The Attorneys Talk
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 2.-Notwith-
standing the verdict of the jury, John H.
Dickinson, the chief counsel for the de-
tense. and Harry N. Morse, the detective
soth believe that Durrant is innocent and
that he is the victim Of circumstances
and the pressure OF pub opinion
- 40 not believe that he is guilty."
sald Dickinson after the verdict had been
rendered. II went into the case because
believed him innocent and notwith-
standing the vedrict of the jury that is
sui my opinion. ] think it is q case OF
TOO much newspaper comment. The
pressure upon the jury must have been
tremendous | do not think he ever hal
a fdir chance. Under different conditin ms
there might have been different ,erdiot
Tor certainly think enough evidence
was presented by the defense to raise at
east reasonable doubt in the minds of
the jurors.
do you think he had fair triul?"
-. We'll, yes; think he had. would not
IKE TO asy anything against that jury.
because | considered 1T exceptionally
good; still, at the same time. all men are
human and the jurors may have been
afected more CT less by public sentiment
l. suppose now the public will be satis-
heh, out tie end has not cCme yet. They
have not hanged him yet. We had a hard
siIrruegie 81 ,p against heavy odds and we did
all that it was possible for men to do"
=, That is my opinoin also," Harry
Morse interjected. Il am ashamed of
nothing did in the case. If that man
be guilty there is no punishment too
great Tor him, but l cannot pring myself
TO think that he is guilty. l am con-
vincsd that no one man committed both
OF these murders. The Lamont murder
and the Williams murder were committed
III different ways. Both were brutal
enough, but the Williams case was far
more hloodthirsty than the other. l do
not think that Durrant is guilty: The
general. Mr.. Duprey and myself took
him into corner in his cell in the coun-
ty jail and questioned him closely on
everything. If he were guilty man he
would have told us then. I think we
handled the case as we'll as possible. The
defense presented was the only defense
that could be made. That murder GER
tainy was not committed by one man
and some day that fact will come out"
Eugene Deuprey. Duyrant's leading
counsel. received the verdict philosophi-
cslly. That he was painfully disappoint-
ed, however: he did not attempt to con.
ceal. All his energy and all the vigor of
his mind had been exerted in the case.
He hes labored Increasingly Gay and
night in his efforts to free his client. and
all but yielded up his own life in the
cause. During the progress of the trial he
oecdiuo pToStrateu Oy MS IaDOrS ana Tor
several days he lay at deaths door. and
only the best of care and skilled medical
attendance pulled him through. He was
literally carried into court to make his
appeal to the jury for the life of Durrant
and the effort cost him a relapse.
Deuprey processes to believe in the in
nocence of his client; he feels deeply for
the young mans mother and he had
staked his professional reputation on
Durrant's acquittal. These were the mo-
tives which impelled the attorney to put
forth his beat efforts in the case and that
time filled him with amazement and
cliagrin. He had not been in attendance
az court for several weeks and could not
properly gauge the pulse OF the body in
whose hands rested tho life of Durrant
and whose verdict was shock. The
he lay in bed proppsd up with pillows.
1t was some moments before he recovered
from his surprise, and his first words
were of sympathy for the condemned
mans mother.
The attorney has no words for rhe jury
but those OF praise. A better body of
men, he says. could not be brought to.
gether in the entire country. He regrets
that his physical condition did not per,
init him to make a more exhaustive argu-
ment in which he would have reviewed
the testimony OF every witness in the
ment could have altered the verdi Ct
The jury has placed great confidence
in the testimony of the ladies'" said Mr..
Deuprey last night, land it is manly on
their evidence the verdict has been
found. Well, the newspapers have won
their fight and we have lost ours. The
public sentiment was against US at the
start, and that is a mighty big thing to
overcome. TO have the public with YOU
Is 80 per cent OF the battle. l still believe
that the unfortunate young man Is inno-
cent of these awful crimes, but no
amount of argument could have altered
the minds of the jury. Every man OF the
twelve had Durrant convicted at the
close of the testimony. 1t was a splendid
Jury--a better one could not have been
found it the world we're searched over.
''Shall we ask for new trial? Most
assuredly. 1 think that Judge Murphy
will set aside the verdict. There was no
evidence adduced during the trial to
warrant such verdict. There WAS no
certainty about the Identification of any
of the witnesses, but the testimony OF
the ladies' must have haG great weight
with the jury"
Du~n nf A-AsH