The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-10-05
DURRANT AS A MODEL
Many Men Swear That He Is a Good
Little Boy.
WHAT HASN'T BEEN PROVED
Briefly Summed Up the Dispatches
Say That His Attorneys Have
Indeed Made a Very
Poor Showing.
WHAT HASN'T BEEN PROVED

San Francisco. Oct. 4-If the man
ner In which the attorneys for the de-
fense in the trial Of Theodore Durrant
are handling their case Is any indica-
tion of the strength OF their position,
the prosecution believes the develop
ments of to-day leave little doubt OF
the prisoners conviction. To the sur
prise Of everybody the defense this
afternoon began the calling OF wit
nesses to show the previous good char
acter of the young Sunday school su-
perintendent. By the prosecution this
step is interpreted 30 mean that the
defense has introduced all the evidence
that II has to refute to the mass OF
testimony piled UP by the people. II
this be true the verdict of the jury Is
foregone conclusion. Not only has the
defense failed to establish an alibi for
Durrant, but II has actually strength
ened the case against the prisoner
Miss Cunningham, the newspaper re-
porter. who was threatened with i'm
prlsonment yesterday because she
would not answer a question propound-
ed to her by the defense. was called to
the stand again this morning to give
her another opportunity to answer the
question. She refused to disclose the
source Of her information with regard
to the nature of Mrs. Leake's testi-
mony. but instead Of sending her to
prison the court took the matter under
advisement until next Tuesday. In a
similar case the supreme court OF Cali
fornia sustained the position of a
newspaper reporter. and the court Is
therefore in doubt in regard ito its
power in the premises.
Rev. j. George Gibson, pastor OF
Emanuel Baptist church. was called
Identifying specimens Of his hand
writing. The witness refused positive
ly TO identify any of the specimens
handed to him. He said the writing
looked like his own but as the docu-
ments had not been in his possession
for some time. IL at all. he could not
positively identify the writing. At the
request of Attorney Deuprey. Rev. Mr..
Gibson printed the name and address
Of Mrs. C. c. Noble. Blanche Lamont's
aunt. He also wrote several specimens
for the district attorney. which were
introduced as evidence. The writing
Of Mr.. Gibson will play an important
part IN the future proceedings. as Att
ing statement that he would prove
that Mr.. Gibson directed the wrapper
in which Blanche Lamont's rings were
returned to Mrs. C. c. Noble.
The defense summoned ex-Congress-
man Henley and several other wit
nesses to show the bad reputation of
Attorney Quin1an. who testified that
on the afternoon he saw Durrant and
Blanche Lamont walking toward
Emanuel church. Fifteen witnesses
were placed on the stand to show the
previous good reputation Of Durrant.
The witnesses all regarded Durrant as
model young man. Not one had
ever heard of his doing anything
wrong. The coss-examination was
brief. as the prosecution expects to
have no difficulty In proving that Dur
rants immortality was notorious
among the lower classes. with whom
he often associated.
Summed up briefly. the result of the
first 10 days Of testimony introduced
by the defense is as follows: Dr.
Cheney failed TO testify. as Attorney
Deuprey said he would. that Durrant
was present ait the lecture given on
the afternoon that Blanche Lamont
was murdered; the prosecution estab-
llshed the fact that the roll call book
in which Durrant was recorded pres
sent ait the lecture is unreliable, as
another student Is recorded present
who testified that he was absent. To
offset the two strong points gained by
the prosecution lthe defense has placed
on the stand 6S students who testified
that they did not answer to Durrant's
name at roll call on April 8. As next
Monday is labor day in California,
court adjourned until Tuesday.