The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-11-02
DURRANT CONVICTED. !
Verdict Unanimous After Twenty
Minutes elaboration.
ANGUISH OF A STRICKEN MOTHER

MRS. D1rrant Gives way to Uacontroifa-
BILE Grief while the Prisoner Il Dn-
paoysd-Ths Verdict wndiy oheersd.
Case win be Taken to the Supreme Court.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2.-Theodore Dur
rant, assistant superintendent OF Emanuel
Baptist church Sunday school, was yester-
day afternoon convicted Of the murder OF
Blanche Lamont, for which he has been
on trial since July 20 last The jury WINS
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 tho court room when the
verdict was announced will never be for,
gotten by those who wers present Judge
Murphy finished his charge at $3.50, and
the jury ct once retired. Although there
was supposed to be little prospect Of YER
dict being returned before Tor o'clock,
tho throng Of spectators whs had remained
In the overcrowded court room all the af-
ternoon to hear the judges charge settled
themselves back In their seats to await the
return Of the jury. Mrs. Durrant and the
prisoner talked and laughed together rs IL
an acqpittal were foregons conclusion.
They were surrounded by half dozen
friends, and the conversation was ami
mated when IL became whispered about
that the jury had agreed upon verdict.
In an instant . hush fell upon the little
circle that had gathered around the pris-
oner. Durrant's face, always pallid, as
sumed a CHASTITY hue, and his mother was
speechless. Then the door Mt the rear OF
the room opened and the jury filed in and
took their seats In the box. Intense OK.
element followed. The room, although
allied to Its utmost capacity, was almost as
quiet as II IL 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 verdict. Foreman Warren Dutton
arose and replied In the affirmative I'VE,
the jury" said he, find the defendant,
William Henry Theodore Durrant, guilty
Of murder In tho first degree"
As the aged foreman, pale and tremb-
ling, read tho words that fixed Durrant's
fate, a low rumbling noise like the roar of
mob arose from the rear of tho court
room. The next moment men were cheer
Ing wildly, while women wept Historically
in excitement. Tho bailiff raped loudly
for order, but the tumult continued for q
minute before anything like quiet could
be broughtout of the disorder. When Dis
trict Attorney Barnes arose and asked
that day be set upon which the sentence
Of death should be passed upon the pris-
oner Judge Murphy said that sentence
would be passed next Friday, upon which
day he would also set the day for the trial
Of Durrant on the charge Of numbering
Minnie Williams.
During the tumult that followed the an
nouncement Of the verdict Durrant and
his mother were lost sight OF, except by
the few who sat nearest them. As the last
words Of the verdict were uttered Durrant
made spasmodic effort TO rise to his feet,
but before he could do so his mother, with
half sigh, half moan, threw her arms
around his neck and sunk back into her
chair. His mothers grief seemed to make
Durrant forgot his own position, and for
tho next few minutes he sat with his arms
around her neck, trying TO soothe her.
The long strain Of the trial, however, had
completely shattered her self control, and
1t was some time before Mrs. Durrant
could leave the court room. Durrant's
father was not In the room when the YER
dict was returned. As soon as the Jury re-
tired he went out into the corridors, not
believing that the jury would return for
several hours, and he f1rst learned that his
son had been convicted when cheer went
up from the crowd in the building as the
news spread
Durrant recovered his old time COM
posture as soon as he left his mother and
prepared toreturn TO the county jail. With
his overcoat swung carelessly over his
arm he walked leisurely out of the room,
twirling his slight mustache with appar-
entity as little concern as If he were merely
aspectator, instead of the principal figure
In the exciting scene.
Aside from the spectators Mrs. Noble,
Blanche Lamont's aunt, and Maud La
mont, the dead girls sister, were appar-
entity the happiest persons in the room.
When the verdict was announced Maud
Lamont arose from her scat, olasped her
hands, and then cried from sheer excite
ment. Mrs Noble mixed smiles with
tears, and shook hands with number Of
friends who crowded around to oongratu-
late her.
As soon as Durrant left the building the
crowd surged out of the room and gath
cred around the door, out of which the
prisoner usually came to reach the prison
van. Fearing that some violence might
be offered the prisoner, he was taken out
of another door and driven by drcuitous
route to the county jail.
The verdict fell with all Its force on Dur
rant and his family, who had banked all
their hopes on Disagreement. While
Mrs. Durrant knew that 1t was only among
the possibilities that her SON would be 40
quilted, her friends said she steadfastly
maintained that shadow Of doubt would
rest In the mind of one Of the jurors, and
that her son would not be convicted. She
was, therefore, totally unprepared for the
jury to find her som guilty in twenty min
utes.
By common consent, District Attorney
Barnes is given most Of the credit for con-
viction Of the greatest murderer that was
ever tried in California. While the police
department did excellent work, 1t Is be-
lieved THAT Mr.. Barnes address, which
consumed two days and half in its de-
livery, had much to do with removing any
lingering doubt from the minds Of tine
Jurors, If at any time there was juror
who was not convinced OF Durrant's guilt.
The case win be appealed to the supreme
court, and 1t Is expected nearly year will
slapso before decision can be obtained.
While 1t LIS not thought that any error has
been committed, the defense has embraced
every opportunity to take exceptions to
the rulings Of the court. General Dickin-
son took exception to three features of the
district attorneys argument yesterday.
He also took an exception to the judges
charge.
Ala e..