The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-19
ne WAS THE PRISONERS CHuM
An Unwilling Witness. and Anxious
10 See Durrant Free.
He Te>tines 10 purrant's Appearance,
Nervous. Dishevcled, Presumably
After Hav.ng Carried Blanche La
mont'> Body Upsta irs.

C.ety has set its approval upou attend
arce az It's sessions. and today. Tor the
first time. an acknowledged helle Of Pa
enc Heights viewed the accused from a
front seat. ReVs. Z. q. Brown and n
Hanson Irwin were m evidence FOR the
church. while NJ ArtSimovitch, consular
representative Of the cEsr, looked or tor
the diplomatic service Aside from these
distinguished personaEes was the usual
w0il-grOomed crowd in the court room.
and any number Of their fellows IN the
corridors vainly clamorins for admission
10 he trial
While Miss Turner's testimony WAS
brief and partook not az all OF the seHsa-
tonal II was considered important nv tho
prosecution The fear was entertained by
the district attorney that from the testi-
mony Of Mrs. Leak the jury might gain
the impression that II could have been
Mss Turner and not Blanche Lamont who
accompanied nurrant 10 the church on
the afternoon Of April 3. To remove the
possibility of doubt on this point Miss
Turner's testimony was available and it
was thought advisable 70 use n, What
else she may have 10 say concerning Dur
rant will come later in the case.
Following Miss Turner came Georges
King the chum OF Durrant prior 10 the
discovery Of the church horrors-the per
son upon whose testimony the nrosecu-
ton relies most 70 convict the prisoner.
the accused and his attorneys had been
i'm circulation for several days. and II was
whispered that the prosecution was not ~
well satisfied with him as IL had been
formerly. Kings testimony was the last
link in the main chain Of evidence against
his friend. Theodore Durrant. and that
iu itself. aside from the rumors. would
have been enough 10 awake the keenest
interest.
Edna Lucille Turner was the first Wit
ness today. She testified that she knew
Durrant. She a member of the So
ciety of Christian Endeavor. Of which
Durrant was secretary. and was
member Of Emanuel church. Then the
district attorney asked her this question::
Were YOU in Emanuel church with Theo-
dore Durrant on the afternoon Of Wednes-
day. April 80" Witness replied Me-
There were no further questions. no
cross examination, and the witness was
then excused. II subsequently transpired
that the object of the prosecution In this
was 10 forestall the action Of the defense.
The police had learned that the defense
intended 10 place Miss Turner on the
stand and have her say that she went 20
Emanuel church with Durrrant on April
3. that she. not Blanche Lamont. was tho
girl whom Quinlan. Mrs. Crossett and
Mrs. Leak saw with Durrant. If this
was the intention OF the defense, the
prosecution has spoiled the plan.
The next witness was George II. King.
0rganst and associate of Durrant about
Emanuel church. He said he knew Dur
rant well. Durrrant was assistant SUPER
intendent of the Sunday school and some
times sang I'm the choir when witness
playNd the organ. ON the afternoon OF
April 3 King went into the church 20
practice a new piece. After he had been
there for a few minutes Durrant walked
in Durrant's hair was d!sheveled. he was
.~4fe s.eI md he Ia
had his coat and hat of. and explained
hts appearance by saying that he had
been repairing a leak IN the gas pipes,
and that he had been overcome by gas.
lie gave witness 20 cents and asked nim
- go and get him some hromo-seitzer.
Witness went to "A neighboring drug store
and made the purchase as requested.
When ne returned Durrsub was in the
lobby. or lying on the platform, witness
forgot which
The district attorney produced n tran
script Of the testimony Of King at the
preliminary examination and asked " wit
ness did not then testify that Durrant
had taken the draft standing In the
lobby. The prosecution seemed 10 en-
phaslze slight discrepancies In the testi-
nouy Of King. who was plainly using ev-
cry means in his power 90 save his friend
Durrant by omtting important parts or
his testimony. Everything that could be
could be extracted from King only with
the greatest difficulty. He had seen Dur
rant, he admitted after the prelimin-
ary examination. and also Durrants
father ana mother. with whom he had
talked oyer hts testimony regarding Dur
rant on that fatal afternoon.
King under the skiilful questioning cf
the district attorney. finally adufittted that
II had been suggested 70 him that he
should change his testimony Under a fire.
~ objections by the attorneys for the de-
fense hit hv h'f the district attorney got
witness 20 admit that suggestion %
change his testimony rad been made In
the county jail hy defendant. and in tho
Offices ~ Durrants attorneys by Attor-
news ueuprev and Dickinson. This an
swer created tremendous sensation
Deuprey excitedly jumped 70 his feet
and shouted that the whole story or DIS
endesvorinK "a change the testimony of
tho witness WAS myth in fhe brain cf
the witness But. ~ 20 dlsproye Deu-
rrev-E remarks. District Attorney Barnes
1s4 witness - saw that he fKing1 was 4
close friend Il Burrant and anxious 70
see him acquitted. Ele said he had Ak
amned all the gas jets in the church after
purrsnt said gas WAS escaping, but he
could End M leak IN any place. tie had
asked purrant why ne had not called for
witness 20 help him tx the gas, as he had
dome before and DuTrrsnt had replied
THAT he had not had time. All the work
on the gas fixtures had been finished thfes
davs before. and everything was tn good
shane when 0itness gave Durrant ths
broTy1o-soltzar he took IL into the kitchen.
-nlxed IL and then came hack from the
Kitchen and sat down. Durrant had asked
witness II his ewes were congestei. and n
he was pale Afterward witness asked
Tt,rranf - help nlrn carry the organ down
stairs. Durrant appeared exhausted. and
tamf4 e
unlocked the library door and got his coat
ard rat Vhtea were on a box IN the cor
-e~ witness had NOT seen them before.
-T-aa,- feff ihe church ~ s. Witness had
been there a Httse less than one hour.
-~ne croes-exarpinstioT ~ King occl-
rird tho rest of the dav and the court
al t9urred with him still on the stand.
when KIrg left the stand during the re-
ress ne IS said 10 have shaken hands with
purrant and asked him II he felt nervous
while hn was feStifying. purrant's reply
waz not heard. bat the district attorney
heard Kings question. and when the case
fs taken uD again intends 20 ask him what
he meant hv ~ ffe viii be subjected to
az severe n rrosR-ewar1inatiOn hy the
prosecution as hy the defense II is said
that the prosecution believes King " try
ing 20 shield Furranf and has not t0id
al ha knows They viii try 20 force htu
10 make further revelations. The caas
vent over untl FRIDAY. out - censidera-
ton for the religious belief Of one OF the
jurors.