New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-10
DURRANT TELLS HIS STORY.
HE DESCRIBES HIS MOVEMENTS ON
APRIL 3.
HIS MEETING WITH MISS LAMONT AND THE VISIT
TO EMMANUEL CHURCH-DENIEs THE STATE
MENTs OF OTHER WITNESSES.


TO EMMANUEL cHURcH-DENIEs THE STATE
MENrs or OTHER WITNESSES
San Francisco. oct 9-The sensation OF the de-
fence In the Durrant case introduced to-day
when Theodore Durrant took the stand. He walked
to it with firm step and related his story OF what
occurred on April with characteristic GOODNESS.
He was permitted trace his movements from the
time he left his home in the morning until he re-
tired night.
He said that he started from his home to visit
that OF the organlst King but on the way met
Blanche Lamont. who was standing on corner
waiting for AS she said she was late for
school. Durrant. at her suggestion, accompanied
her as far az the school, while he himself went
to Cooper College. where he remained until noon.
At the intermisslon he left the college for half
hour ON returning he learned that the early after
noon lecture had been postponed lie then walked
a few blocks with another student. remaining away
from the college about an hour He mentioned two
students with whom he conversed at the college
after moor. one OF these Dggins. has already
testified that he had a conversation. as stated by
Durrant but he did not remember the date. Dur
rant said he attended the lecture OF DIR. Cheney
that afternoon. which began at $3.50 and lasted
forty-hve minutes. He said he remained AZ the
lecture until its close and took notes which were
produced and put in evidence. These notes. az In
troduced. made by him at the lecture
After the lecture, Durrdnt sald, ne lelt the coese
and went by car to within block Of the church
and thence walked 10 1t. entering 1t by the rear
door He went the library ROOM there left his
and then went TO the auditorium noor Ills
purpose in going to the church was 70 fix the viora-
tor on the electric apparatus connected with one Of
the sun5urners. and he intended at first 10 reacn
this by going up to the attic In the part OF the
church He did start up that way. but changed his
mind and went UP to the gallery in front, leaving
a door in the rear open In the gallery he turned
the gas partly on and then assembled 10 the space
occupied by the sunburners by means OF ladder
He repaired the electric vibrator on one OF the
burners. then tried all the jets to see that they
would light from the electric spark and finding
everything satisfactory. descended to the gallery
and turned off the gas While working on the VI
orator the odor Of gas nauseated him ana mace MIN
feel faint. From the gallery where he turned or
the gas. there was a staircase in front by which he
could have descended to the library room in the
lower floor where his coat was, but instead OF tax
ing 1t he passed through the auditorium Of the
church and went down "A stairway 10 the floor
below. where the organist King was practising on
piano. His reason for going down this way was
that he desired 10 close the rear door he mad LETT
open when ne changed his mind about the way he
should go to the sunburners.
Durrant said he heard King playing on the piano
while he was work the sunburner and knew
King was in the Sunday school room when he went
thither. Had ne desired 10 DO so he might have
gone down the front staircase got his coat and LETT
the church unknown TO King who did not nave
view OF the front part OF the sdifce. Durrants
description Of what occurred when he came into
the room where King was agreed with what King
had testified to- While King absent to get him
the bromo-se,tzer Durrant said he lay down on
Platform with his hands under his head and rested
TIL King returned Durrlnt admitted that tners
was an Odor OF gas IN the lower part OF the cnurcn
when he entered and said Il was strong enough IN
the upper part TO nauscats him.
He was questioned by Jurors as 70 the gas, WHICH
he said had overcome him, ard answered IN satls
factory and unhesitating way. He also TOOK
model OF an electric vibrator he said he was nxlng
and standing before the jury box. explained IN de-
tai; what was wrong with II and how he remedled
the defect. He showed MS competency as an e4ec-
rlcian and gave plausible explanation Of his ac.
tons at the time when. Ii = believed, the murder OF
Blanche Lamont was being effected net lD ls,t
DISTANT from the position he says ne occupied. lie
also made diagram a blackboard showing one
of the sunburncrs In a c.evei drawing.
Durrant said that when ne took OF MS coat IN
the library ne looked his watcn and saw II was
l55 or thirty-fve minutes later than the witnesses
for the prosecution testified they saw him near the
church with Blanche Lamont Durrant said ne
never saw, the cir. for whose murder he stands
charged after he left her at school on the morning
~ Aprl 8 He denied that he was at the Normal
SchnoI where TWO witnesses swore they saw him. or
IN the car with Blanche Lamont where three Wit
nessss ca med II have him Lastly he said he
Ii1 not accompany Blanche Lamont or any one else
~ tho church He denied solemnly having had any
hing 20 DO with the murder Of Miss Lamont
Durrant also denied that he ever visited the pawn
shop or AdoIph Oppr""e'Hi ~ SCH -'i'9' ''''' .