The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-04-25
CHURCH OF TRAGEDY
Emanuel Baptist Edifice Seems
to Be Inflated.
FOUR DEATHS OCCURS IN IT
Young Durant Has Been Declared Guilty
by Coroncr's Jury of
Murder.

San Francisco, April 19-Much doubt
as to the guilt of w. II. T. Durant, the
young medical student, accused of kill
ing Miss Williams and suspected of
having slain Miss Lamont, is freely ex-
pressed. There has been an undercur-
rent of opinion which was expressed in
the statement to the newspapers by the
mother of the accused man. and also
has been boldly stated in anonymous
letters to the coroner, that the actions
of the pastor, the Rev. John George
Gibson, have been so peculiar that the
police might do well to turn their search
lights on him. He stated the reason he
had not visited Durant in prison was
because of the infiamed state Of public
opinion.
In spite of these expressed suspicious
against the preacher 1t is almost be-
yond doubt that he is not in any man
ner implicated. as his whereabouts at
the time Miss Williams is supposed to
have been murdered are known. If 1t
should be proven that Miss Williams
was not killed until midnight instead
of between and o'clock then there
might be grounds for suspicion voiced
by so many people.
The inquest was resumed this MORN
ing. One of the witnesses before the
coroners jury was Elmer Wolf, an in
innate friend of Durant. Wolfe was in
the neighborhood of Emanuel church
on the night Miss Williams was muir
dered, and claims to have seen Durant
within block of that edifice as he
went home.
Popular sentiment favors razing the
church, which has always been under a
cloud The stain of human blood marks
its history. One pastor killed a news
paper proprietor and another blew out
his brains.
Elmer Wolfe, whose statements have
been questioned recently, offered to pro-
duce witnesses to substantlate all he
had previously stated regarding his
movements on the night Minnie Will
iams was murdered, but the coroner and
chief of police said that they were sat
isfied with Wofe's statements.
TWO of Durant's comrades in the Ma
uonal Guards company We're examined
ana said that on the afternoon of the
night that Minnie Williams was muir
| dered they saw Durant lettering about
the ferry at the foot of Market street.
and he talked with them. They said
that Durant told them that he did not
expect to be at the armory that night
and asked them to respond to his name
at roll call.
DR.. Bartlett, who conducted the au-
topsy, testified that Minnie Williams
uied or asphyxiation, as the result of
having part Of her clothing forced
down her throat by the murderer, and
the knife wounds on her body were in
fiicted after her death. He also testified
that the girl had been outraged, and
that previous to the time of the tragedy
she had led Il blameless life.
several other witnesses were exam
lned on minor matters, and about II
O'Clock the coroner announced that he
had no more testimony to offer, though
he called Durant to the stand The lat
ter left his seat as If to present himself
Tor examination. His attorneys advised
him not to speak, and no further effort
was made to question him.
The coroner's jury concluded its in.
vestigations today and rendered yer.
dict declaring Durant guilty of the
murder of Minnie Williams
The coroner's jury returned the fol
lowing verdict: I'VE find from the evil
dence that the murder was committed
by one Theodore Durant, and we charge
him with the crime"
When Durant was SHOWN the verdict
since the terrible crime was discovered
Miss Gertrude Taber, a step-sister OF
Elmer Wolff, the young man whose
name has been frequently mentioned in
the case within the past two days. has
come forward and identified the purse
which was found on the San Bruno road
by clamdigger, and which contained
some papers. among which was bust
ness card of DR.. Vogel, on the back Of
which was written the name of Miss
Williams.
Miss Taber says she missed the purs,
I SOME time ago. while riding out to the
7 Taber ranch on the San Bruno road, anc
explains the presence of a card will
Miss Williams name upon it by saying
, that Miss Williams visited her som,
weeks ago and wrote her address OF
one of DIR. Vogels cards.
Elmer Wolff's testimony at the in
quest was slightly mixed. and some o
Durant's friends thought he knew NOR,
of the crime than he wished to tell anC
, pointed to the finding of The purse t.
substantiate the claim. 1t is n peculiar
coincidence that the purse should hav,
been lost by one so closely related t,
Wolff. and found at this critical time.
Mrs. Durant, the mother of the &C
defense which will go to upset the bear
ing of the statement of Witness Hill
who testified before the coroner's jur,
that he had seen n couple answering
= the description of Durant and the dea(
| girl standing near the church abou
; $3.50 on the night of the murder. and VIII,
! afterwards entered the church yard
Mrs. Durant says young couple ha
come to her and stated that they wer,
: the parties who entered the church var,
about the time Hill claims to have seer
a couple pass into the front gate.
This afternoon the police received in
formation from a laundry that pal
OF bloody trousers had been left TO
cleaning. The police say that tn,
: trousers are too big for Durant. but tina
they will trace the clue to find tn.
owner.
SUES THE IMPROVEMENT COMPAN,