Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-26


| mentioned was questioned regarding her
| eyesight she maintaining that it was good
| and that she never had any optical trouble.
| Gibson said that he had found Ratchet
| in. the belfry on the occasion of his sec
| ond examination. and Deputy Coroner Hill
| lett testified that when he first viewed the
| body of Blanche Lamont in the befry, the
mouth of the dead girl was slightly open.
Attorney Eugene Duprey, for the de-
| Tense, then began his opening statement.
His .n;imation that murder was commit
ted, not by Durrant, but by Rev. John
| George Gibson, pastor of Emanuel Church,
| making significant allusion to the re-
| semblance OF the preachers handwriting
| with the lettering the paper found on
| Blanche Lamonts rings, created a mark
| ed sensation. The address Of Duorey be-
| gan with the definitions of the duties of
jurors in capital cases. He attacked the
| newspapers for the articles written and
| published concerning Durrant and warned
| the jury against improper deductions from
| circumstantial evidence. Duprey then said:
| THE district attorney has presented
strong case of circumstantial evidence,
| which at first would create a strong sus-
picion of the guilt of the defendant. We
| claim that beyond a strong suspicion the
| prosecution has failed to go. We contend
| that with all the testimony introduced the
only issues to be passed on have not been
arrested. Where did Blanche Lamont for
felt her life? When did she meet her
death? Who caused her death?
These questions have not been answered
A fourth question is the cause of her death.
| A MIN mas not ana cannot De answered.
What was the motive of the accused to
| take the life of Blanche Lamont? Under
| the testimony thus far We claim to ask the
court at this time to instruct the jury
| without one word to acquit. AS duty to
| the defendant, his parents and the COM
munity his lips should be unsealed.
| On the Day of the Murder.
You are entitled to and should know
| where Durrant was and what he did on
April from the time he arose In the morn
ing until he went to bed at night. The dis
| trict attorney promised to show that Dur
| rant was not where he should have been on
| the afternoon of April 3, namely, at the
lecture room of the Cooper Medical College
| Where is that proof? No allusion to 1t has
been made. The prosecution has called be-
tween forty and fifty witnesses. OF that
number who have given material evidence?
| Three elderly ladies, three young ladies,
| pawnbroker. Victoria hotel keeper and
police court shyster and his colleague have
| furnished the substantial testimony upon
which the prosecution relies. We insist
| that the proper proof is wanting to connect
| the defendant with the murder. We will
| show that other men had access to Eman-
| uel Church. Proof may point to others.
| Let me carry you along the ground upon
which we ask for a verdict for the defense.
| First, you shall hear from the mother of
| Durrant, how he was interested in church
work, and what he dld Tor emanuel Church.
| We will tell you how he met Blanche La
| mont and Of his associations with her.
| Mrs. Durrant will tell how her son was
dressed when he left home on the morning
| of April 8. She will tell what her son did
| that evening. The good repute and honor
able character Of the defendant will be
| proven. The attendance at the Cooper
| Medical College and his general demeanor
will be shown. On the morning of April 3
| Durrant left his home and walked toward
| the house of George King, SO that he might
have helper that evening to fix the gas in
the church. He accidentally met Blanche
| Lamont, whom he told he was on the way
| to Kings house, and asked her to accom-
pany him. She said that she did not have
| time to accompany him before school, and
| requested Durrant to accompany her to
| school. He acquiesced in this and accom-
panied her as far as Suffer street and Oc-
tavia, where the defendant went on to
| Webster street to the medical college.
| We will show these facts, and what Dur
| rant did from his arrival there until noon
| hour, when he walked to Broadway and to
| a bluff overlooking the bay. We will show
you his return to college at 1:30 and what
| was done from then until $50. Then that
he went to DR.. Cheney's lecture, and we
other students. and show he is marked
| present. DR.. Cheney will tell you that he
| was present. We will show you that after
this lecture he took the Sutton street car to
| Polk, to Mission and 9th out Mission, and
| then to the church, and alone did he walk
| into the church.
sickness i'm the Belfry.
| I'VE will show you that he arrived at the
church at 4:55 and not before; that he en-
! tered by the door on the south side; that he
went into the library, took book and &
| card he wanted. He removed his coat,
| neatly folded it, took out his watch so that
4 1t would not drop out while he was fixing
| the gas jets. He then went up to the cell
| ing by ladder and fixed the gas burners.
| We will show that when the gas filters
| turned ON the seventy-two gas jets much
| gas escaped. Through lack of ventilation
| this gas remained in the atmosphere near
! the ceiling, and when Durrant went to the
| ceiling he inhaled the gas, which B.ade him
sick, as testified by King.
| You are asked to believe that this man,
| accused of murder, went directly down to
secure witness to his crime. We will show
| that Durrant was the platform lying
| down, and when King returned went down
| to the kitchen to take the seltzer We will
| show that upon the request of King, Dur
| rant helped King to carry a cabinet organ
down stairs into the Sunday school loom.
| Then Durrant and King left the church to-
! gether, Durrant putting OH his coat at the
door, 1t being Kings dinner time, Dur
| rant walked with him part of the distance
Then Durrant returned home, meeting a
lady on the way, TO whom he said the gas
| made him sick. After dinner he went to
the church to an evening entertainment
The Pastor Implicated.
| sHThis will no tho sfmnla story of the de-