Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-10-26
Durrant's Lawyers Failed to In
troduce q Favorable Point.
HAVE CLOSED THEIR CASE
Efforts to Attack the Credibility Of the
Prosecutions Witnesses, Have
Utterly Failed

San Francisco, Oct N.-Ihe deIenSe
in the Durrant trial practically closed
today. Although some of the most i'm
pOrtant evidence on the part OF the
prosecution is yet to be submitted, from
the present outlook the case will go to
the jury at the close of next week.
1t is the opinion of those who have
watched the trial that the defense has
failed to establish a single fact that
Attorney Deuprey in his opening state
ment said he would show. Although 1t
was announced that an alibi would be
proven for the prisoner, not witness
has been called to show that Durrant
was elsewhere than at the Emanuel
church on the afternoon that Blanche
Lamont was murdered.
Failing to show that Durrant was not
at the church, the defense has attacked
the credulity of the witnesses who tes-
tilted that they saw him in that Vicin-
ity in company with Miss Lamont. The
latest attempt of this kind was made
this afternoon when DR.. c. c. McDon-
aid was called to the stand to give ex-
pert testimony on the Authorizations Of
elderly women. Attorney Dickinson
asked the doctor if it was not a fact
recognized by the medical profession
that in time of great excitement over an
extraordinary crime, elderly women Of
ten became impressed with the delusion
that they had a personal knowledge Of
the existence Of the alleged facts. An
objection to the question was sustained
in its first form, as the court said 1t
had not been shown that the witness
was competent to give expert testimony
on the subject. After a proper founda-
ton for the question had been laid, the
objection was over-ruled. The witness
said that under such circumstances
people often became possessed of vari-
Gus decisions, but denied that elderly
women were more likely to have such
hallucinations than anybody else.
The question was plainly for the pur-
pose Of throwing disCredit on the tes-
timony Of Mrs. Leake and Mrs. Vogel
two Of the strongest witnesses for the
prosecution. Mrs. Leake, who lives OPP
pOsite Emanuel church, testified that
on the afternoon Of the murder she
saw Durrant and Miss Lamont enter
the church. Mrs. VOgel said she saw
Durrant standing in front of the Pow
ell street normal school for an hour,
waiting for Blanche Lamont, and that
when she came out he boarded a car
with her and rode away with her in the
direction Of the church.
A DISAPPOINTING WITNESS.
Charles T. Lehman, who 1t Is asserted
by the defense was mistaken for Dur
rant by PaWnbroker Oppenheim, prov
ed 3 disappointing witness. He made
several conflicting statements, among
which was the assertion that it was in
the afternoon instead Of the morning
that he tried to pawn ring at Open
helms. In a letter written to Durrant's
attorneys some time ago, Lenlhan said
he tried to pawn the ring In the morn
ing at the very hour Durrant Is said to
have entered the place. Attorney Dick
inson intimated that he had made con-
ficting statements.
The defense sought to show by Robert
N. Lynch, Rev. J. George Gibson's pri-
vate secretary, that he gave Miss Cum
bingham, newspaper reporter, the
first clue to the fact that Mrs. Leake
had seen Durrant and Miss Lamont
enter the church on the afternoon of
April 8. The object of the question was
to impeach one feature of Mrs. Leake's
testimony and to show that Rev. Glib
son, in his zeal to convict Durrant,
had been instrumental in making pub
lie damaging evidence against him.
Lynch said he did not tell Miss Gun
ningham Of what Mrs. Leake had
seen, as at the time he did not know
that Mrs. Leake had any information
on the case.
THE LEATHER STRAP.
Attorney Dickinson was sworn and
took the stand himself for the purpose