People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-11-07
People, S Voice.
Durrant 1uSt Hang.


San Francisco, Cal, Nov. 1.-TheO
dOre Durrant, assistant superintend-
ent of Emanuel Baptist church Sun
day school, was today convicted of
the murder of Blanche Lamont, for
which he had been on trial since July
q last. The jury was out twenty
minutes and arrived at the verdict on
the first ballot. As there was no
recommendation Of mercy the punish
ment was fixed at death.
The scene in the court room when
the verdict was announced will never
be forgotten by those who were pres
ent. Judge Murphy finished his
charge at $3.50 and the jury at once
retired. Although there was SupDOs-
ed to be little prospect of verdict
being returned before I or s O'Clock in
the evening, the Thong Of spectators
who had remained in the crowded
court room all the afternoon to hear
the judges charge settled themselves
back in their seats to await the re-
turn of the jury. Mrs. Durrant and
the prisoner talked and laughed TO-
gether as if an acQuittal were fore
gone conclusion. They were Joined
by a half dozen friends and the con-
yersatiOn was becoming animated
when it became whispered about that
the jury had agreed upon a verdict.
In an instant a hush fell upon the
little circle that had gathered around
the prisoner. Durrant's face always
pallid, assumed a CHASTITY hue, and
his mother was speeChleSS. Then the
big doors at the rear of the room
opened and the jury filed in and took
UuGll bCdUS III UuC UUA.
In the intense excitement that
followed, the room, although filed to
its utmost capacity, was almost as
quiet as if it had been vacant. Judge
Murphy, who had retired to his
chambers, was summoned and took
his place upon the bench. Clerk
Morris asked the usual question as
to whether the jury had agreed upon
a verdict. Foreman Warren Dutton
arose andreplied in the affirmative.
I'VE, the jury" said he, find the
defendant, William Henry Theodore
Durrant guilty of murder in the first
degree
As the aged foreman, pale and
trembling, read the words that fixed
Durrant'S fate, low, rumbliDg noise
like the roar of a mob arose from the
rear Of the court room. The next
moment men were cheering wildly
while women wept Historically in ex-
itement. The bailiff raped loudly
for order but the tumult continued
for a minute before anything like
quiet could be brought out Of the dis
order. Then District Attorney
Barnes arose and asked that a day be
set upon which the sentence of death
should be passed upon the prisoner.
Judge Murphy said that sentence
would be passed next Friday, upon
which day he would also set the day
of the trial of Durrant on the charge
of numbering Minnie Williams.
1t was exactly twenty-One minutes
from the time the jury left the court
room to the time the verdict was an-
nOunCed, but that time was not all
taken up in elaboration. In fact
there was no elaboration at all. The
jury had evidently decided upon a
verdict before they left the box. 1t
was 1874 when they filed out of the
court room into the grand jury room
which had been placed at their dis
pOsal. 1t took the twelve until $50
o'clock before they settled themselves
comfortably and at 1855 o'clock a
knock on the door announced to the
anxious walters that a verdict had