The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-07
CANNOT help DURRAuT
Salesman Charles H. Clarke
Knows Practically Nothing
of the Murder Case.

BOSTON, Aug. Z, 1S95.-Mr. Charles II.
Clarke of San Francisco, a travelling
salesman for the ~Italian-Swiss agrlcul-
tural colony of that city, and for whom
San Francisco newspapers and ponce
nave been seeking for two weeks, be-
cause it was thought he was a wit
ness in the Durrant murder case, was
found at a lodging place in plum
avenue last evening He was quite will
ing to ak about the case, so far as
he knew of it, and yet was exasperated
over the publicity given him.
81 nave been held up through the
newspapers of the country as the i'm
portant witness in the Durrant case
he said, land have been bounded by
reporters for weeks. The lawyers have
inferred that l was paid to keep away,
yet I am ready at a moments notice
to return to San Francisco, and, if
need be, testify in the case.
81 left for the East on July 10 on a
business trip and nave paid no atten-
ton to what the papers have said. L
have attended strictly to my business
and nave tried in every way to avoid
notoriety, and particularly the news
paper interviewer. But so much has
been said about me and such malignant
assertions made, that I am glad to make
a statement in refutal of some of them.
MY name has been dragged into this
murder case through a remark that
made in San Francisco to the effect that
had seen Blanche Lamont. one of the
two girls found murdered in Emmanuel
Church, in company of a young fellow
on q street car.
Miss Lamont I knew only by sight. I
never had the pleasure of her acquaint-
ance; never spoke to her, in fact, but a
friend had pointed her out to me months
before, and had not forgotten her
face. AS I recall she was accompanied
by a young man, I couldn't give his des-
cription to an accuracy, but am certain
it was not Durrant.
81 nave tried my best to fix the date
on which 1 saw her in this young mans
company, and I have reached the con-
clusion that it was fully two weeks be-
fore the murder was committed.
81 do not know Durrant, and to the
best of my recollection 1 never saw
him. I have made no statement to his
counsel or to anybody, and this move on
their part in declaring I, as their chief
witness, was beyond reach, seems to
me to be a shrewd lawyers dodge.
They have taken advantage of the
knowledge that 1 was East on a bust
ness trip that would be likely to oc-
u several weeks. and on the strength
of this nave sought by misrepresenta-
ton to delay the court proceedings.
.If either side wanted me they would
have had no trouble in finding me. My
folks have known where I was and it has
been no secret to anybody. I have not
received one cent from counsel on either
side, and my evidence. if such 1t could
be called. would not be worth a cent to
them, for L cannct see how the mere
fact that l had seen the Lamont girl
in the company of q fellow other than
Durrant has any bearing on the case.
Had 1 believed thas I would have
proved an important witness-had
hough for a moment that what 1 had
seen would in any way tend to clear
the mystery-I should have gone before
the Coroner's jury and made a state
ment. 1t has never occurred to me that
what 1 saw was of any Importance as
bearing on the case, and so little thought
did l give the matter that I never once
referred to it at home when the mem
bers of my family were discussing the
case"
Mr.. Clarke further said that while
he had been maligned by some people
in San Francisco because he did not at
once return on learning that his name
had been dragged into the case, he saw
no reason why he should let it interfere
with his business engagements and he
could not afford to sacrifice them for
the sake, of rushing back to testify, in
consideration of what his testimony
would be.
He felt that not only he, but his
wife and family have been held up to
publicity by the authorized acts or at
tornsys and aald that When ne got PACK tx
would call somebody to account.
He has written a letter. on the case
answer. Hs .ainks they may have
mixed him UP with another Charles H.
Clarke. who travels for a whiskey house.
Fourteen Jurors in the Eox.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. Z, 1S95.-Four-
teen jurors will be ~impanelled to try
Theodore Durrant. Authority for im-
panelling fourteen jurymen comes from
an act passed by the Legislature at
its last session providing for alternate
jurors in cases that are likely to be
protracted. AS soon as the regular twelve
jurors are ~impanelled District Attorney
Barnes will request Judge Murphy to
allow the impanelling of two ~alternates;
The matter has been all arranged, TN
during the trial fourteen men viii sit
in the jury box. The alternate jurors
are what may be termed emergency
men. They will have all the privileges
of regular jurymen, with the exception
of casting a vote or celebrating upon
the verdict. Their presence is simply
the case which might be caused by the
sickness or death of a juror. This
will be the first time the new law has
been taken advantage of.