The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-25
STATES CASE Is IN
DURRANT PROSECUTION Has DONE
ALL IT CAN DO.
Day Spent in Filling in the Weaker Places
to Discredit Durrant by Showing that
lie Made False Statements Regarding
an Important Matter-Close Work on
the Gas Part OF Durrant's Story-Court
Excludes Certain Witnesses from
Among Durrant's Fellow Students.

San Francisco. Cal, Sept. 24--The
case of the prosecution in the trial OF
Theodore Durant closed this afternoon.
Today was spent in putting the finish
ing touches to the testimony against
the accused. Witnesses were summon
ed TO strengthen the entire case by fill
ing in the weak places: The chief
point which the prosecution sought to
estab lish today was that Theodore Dur
rant had said that the last time ne had
seen Miss Lamont was when he parted
prom her on the morning Of April 3. she
going to school, he 10 the Cooper Medi-
cal college. In all his statements re-
garding the disappearance of Blanche
Lamont, the defendant stuck to that de-
claration. Detective Anthony, who ar
rested Durrant, testified today that Dur
rant had made that statement TO him
when returning to the city, after the ar
rest. DR.. Thomas a. VOCAL, member
Of Emanuel church, stated that Dur
rant had to him the Sunday after the
disappearance made the same state
ment about the last time he had seen
Blanche. The prosecution expects 10
score a strong point by demonstrating
to the jury that the prisoner made false
statements regarding his movements
and the associations with the girl he is
charged with having murdered. The
district attorney, it is said, will use this
as the basis of an argument that Dur
rants first statements were inspired by
a sinister motive. II he had nothing
to hide, il is argued, he would have told
the truth about his last meeting with
the girl.
William Sterling, gas filter. explain
ed the wark he performed in putting
new tips on the gas burners. He said
that on April 2, when he left the church
no gas was escaping. On April he
noticeable.
ABOUT THE GAS STORY.
Attorney for the defense cross-eXam-
ined this witness al length, their in
tentiOn being to show that an immense
quantity of gas escaped while the re-
pairs were in progress, the object be-
ing to justify the assertion made by
Durrant that he was overcome by gas
fumes in the belfry.
DR.. c. Z. FarnUm, demonstration of
anatomy at Cooper Medical college, tes-
titled that the blocks placed under the
dead body of Blanche Lamont were
laid in the same manner as under SUBJ
ject in the dissecting room.
Harry Partridge, fellow student
of Durrant, swore that about a week
after Blanche disappeared Durrant had
told him the girl had either met with
foul play or had been led astray.
Professor Charles Sheernstern and
Oragansts George II. King each denied
writing his name on a slip of newspa-
per enclosing Miss Lamont's rings
which were returned to Mrs. Noble, an
aunt of the dead girl Allen church, a
former janitor of Emanuel church, said
Durrant had a key which would unlock
all rooms in the interior of the church.
The prosecution then rested and the
defense asked a continuance until to-
morrow Durrant's attorneys wish to
ask a few questions Of several witnesses
who have already testified and promise
therefore to proceed with the defense
Immediately. The opening statement
of the defense is awaitd with much in
tereSt.
Owing to the refusal Of the court to
admit evidence of the medical sturents
of Cooper college relative to Durrant's
attendance at the lecture on the after
noon of April 3. a number of witnesses
to testify were not called.