The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-16

San Francisco. April 15.-Theodore
Durant was today formally charged
with the murder of Marian Williams.
The warrant was served upon him
in the city prison. sworn to by the
officer who arrested him with the sig
nal corps squad on Mount Diablo.
The coroner's inquest upon Miss VIII
liams will be held tomorrow. 1t will
be a dual investigation. The police
will produce their evidence regarding
the murder Of both girls. They say
they have more than enough testimony
to convict Durant Of the murders.
A Further Mystery.
Further mystery is added to the af-
fairs of Emanuel Baptist church by
the report that Mrs. Ella Forsythe.
who has been missing for a week. was
also a member of the parish of the
fatal place of worship. Her husband,
who has been searching diligently for
her, says she left home to go to the
beach to gather shells. She has never
been since seen or heard Of and 1t is
surmised that she may have shared
the fate of Blanche Lamont and Ma
rian Williams.
The city was alive today with SEN
sational rumors regarding the horri-
BILE tragedy. One widely circulated re-
port concerned the finding of the re-
mains of another woman In the church.
Another was that Durapt had confess
sed Both proved to be canards. The
street in front of Emanuel Baptist
church was blocked all day with a Gu
rious and excited crowd.
Searching the Sanctuary.
6o
in searching every nook and corner OF
the sanctuary for further evidence
which would throw light upon the
crimes. The police believed 1t impos-
sible for the butcher of Miss Williams
to accomplish his brutal murder with
out having smeared the blood on some
article of clothing. To find some trace
of the assassin's presence was the OBJ
iect of their unsuccessful search.
The rumor was circulated in the mis-
sion that there was a plot on the part
of the residents to burn the desecrateu
church No overt attempt at violence
was made, but the project was ser1-
ously discussed by respectable citizens.
Police Surgeon Summers says
medical works abound with cases OF
men whose animal passions could not
he aroused without the sight Of blood.
It NAV be that Durant is one Of that
class of human tigers. The crimes
with which he is charged appear TO
have been the act of a man inspired
by such bloody instincts. as the post
mortem examination clearly proves
that the victims were killed and after
wards OUTRAGED.
The Organist's story.
Gorge r. King. organist of the
church where the horrible crimes were
both committed, made a statement to
Chief of Police Crowley late this after
noon, which tends to fix one crime at
least-the murder of Miss Lamont
upon Durant.
King saws that on April 3 (the day
Miss Lamont was missed. he went in
to the church about p. m. to practice
on the organ.
81 saw Durant there, much to my
surprise He came down from the
organ loft in a highly excited and
overheated condition.
II asked him what was the matter.
and he replied: I was overcome by
gas UP there in the loft
HE was very weak and pale and
asked me to give him glass Of
bromo-seltzer..
81 knew he was fixing up some
church, and thought nothing strange
about his going up in the loft"
This is direct evidence of most
startling nature. Miss Lamont, it will
be remembered, left the high school
about p. m. on the day she was last
seen, April :. She was seen with
Durant.
The theory now is that Durant had
just completed his iendish task, when
seen by Organist King.
The report that Durant. the accused
murderer. has broken down and will
confess. is Indignantly denied by Judge
A. w. Thompson, who is acting as
Durant's attorney.
'rDurant has made no additional
statement and will make none" said
Judge Thompson somewhat testify,
when questioned at the morgue late
this afternoon
1.-The young man told all he knew
yesterday afternoon" he continued,
land has nothing more to say"
Judge Thompson has asked and re-
ceived permission from the coroner to
be present at the inquest with a steno-
grapher that he may follow the testi-
mony in behalf of his client.
CIot of Blood.
King says that he went to the drug
store at the corner Of Twenty-first and
Howard streets. and purchased bot
tie of bromo-seltZer and continued:
When 1 returned. Durant took
dose, and it seemed to nauseate him.
He asked me how he looked 1 told
him he was pale and his eyes were a
little congested. What he did during the
time I was gone I did not know.
Afterwards he went into the ladies par
lor to look into mirror and / after
wards found on the little shelf under
meath a little clot of blood. as though
he had wiped his finger on 1t. We then
carried the little organ from up stairs
down into the lecture room. Several
times he stopped to rest. and seemed
quite weak. At O'clock we left. He
went a short distance with me down
Capp street. 7 do not remember |