Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-02
Verdict Of Murder in The First Degree
Promptly Rendered.
CLOSING SCENES nn,MsTIC.
The Prisoners N"thcr Wrrp> hit
teri, In Her >ou'S trms-The Pris-
,outroII~d-Nipn Williams Case.

was received with shout Of applause
nom the auditors. who packed the court
room.
The closing scene OF the great trial
WAS ful Of dramatic interest. pathos. and
excitement
The District Attorneys peroration WAS
an able EFFORT, lie said he had struggled
TO suppress his feelings OF rcpusnance
to ,he defendant and to DE absolutely
fair 10 him. luI TO lay aside his feeling
of horror and detesJation. which hindered
and oppressed him. Ii- confidently as
serted that nothing had been stated
in his address 90 the jury which had not
been proved hy Competent eyidenc"
Link hy link the chain had been welded
until it had been shown beyond any
doubt that Dgrf ftnt had murdered Blanche
Lamont. on April 3d. by straneGlation
The charge nf Judge Murphy occupied
q little over au hour iu its delivery Be-
fore it began General Dickinson. OF
Uurrants counsel formally objected 10
PORTIONS of Har1rS'= address as abusive
in their nature. bIt the Court considered
th-m proper The charl" was cold
statement ~ the law, uurcnevel by any
SIDE. dissertation. N was very fair. and
covered the ground Of alIU circumstan-
tial evidence. and motive. completely.
Tie motive would not necessarily be need
"a 10 te shown. aS 90 might appear
on the Surfac- Ci,cumstaniial eyi-
deuce as to motive would apply as 10
other points FOO the ease. He stated the
California law a~ 10 murder ir the first
degree which included cases wherein
death results to q victim Of criminal as
s4ulJ whether The killing was or WIS not
medifated.
As soon as the Court had completed
ifs charge General Dickinson took an
exception. on the ground that his Honor
had not read tile instructions submitted
as the defence had vritten them. The
iuty was then given ir charge OF two dee
putty sh~rins ana conducted t0 tho jury
room.
AWAITING THE JURY.
Suppressed excitement Wa manifested
I fhr9gehou, the courtroom and the cOr-
rdors outside during the time which sic
D-adei the departure OF tn jury There
was great heal of speculation as to how
long the jury would remain ont. The
general opinion among those Who had fol-
lowed the trial was that AN agreement
would soon De reached, but owing % he
mass of etiience. it was thoIsht possible
t1tf the Jurors might remain out e'l
night. The result showed that the jury
men hld already dis.-ted the evidence.
3ui that 90. overwhelming case which
fnr prosecution had piled up against tn"
.e, used bad ieff them no option. and
r0t even room f9r doubt.
The jury. upon reaching rhe room. So
lectcI Warren Dutton FOR foreman. ana
then balloted. The first ballot WAS Tor
murder in tho first degree Word Was
Immediately sent to- the coui Groom and
Judge Murphy son. FOR thr jury.
While This was going uu Duran, sat
boo th" D0urt-r11m beside his counsel.
rouyer-iug with bis mother aud s~ye~ai
~ her laiy friends.
A. soon as Mrs Durraut learned that
tne jury wac coming in her Ieme1n'r
changed from one of -aNefy. 4ll lopk
Di dread came 90 Deer face which was
not reflected in hat of her son. !ie sto-
ieally watched he jur,men as hey took
, ,lrir seats as 10 90 get from their
features the import or the verdict which
their tariy return pretended.
A. Foreman uutt1n pronounced the
verdict ~ guilty of murder .n 'he hrst
degree. the large audience. which hai
Listened iu perfect silence f9r fH" words
which he was to utter rose and utt-rci
a yeU which echoed fir ouf iu ih" c"r-
.lof-.
Most oi those in tAe audience Were
women. The cries WHICH vent up from
th-m fcu upon the ear of thr convicted
mgrl-rer'S mother like blow. aui it
seemed to bring her first realization "i
ih- fore. of the words ~ the iury's fore
man. tier flcc Vds ay-rted. as she bal
ucrv4i herself for tu- ordeal bat though
ross--sei of marvellous courage. cry
burst from her lips. followed Dos a h'"-
t-rirai outbufst ~ s7bs.
pt'REANT DEFIANT.
While most people listened in'entIy %
tb. wof,is which sealed bis fate Duuant
PARTIALLY rose from bis seat. The look
nu hi. f4r. wac one OF defiance, ana ft
,,a- apparent that BE- had b. in mind 90
address the jury. fre first cry from
his mother changed his mind, if h" Hal
sueb intention. He sat down. turned 10
his mother. auf took her fOndly in his
AIMS Sh- rested her head on his should
.r and with his left arm about her slen-
der form Do. hfI her in 90 tender em-
brac4 batting her with hi. iett hand.
and with his right str1Nng her hair ~"
seemed obliylOus 90 the fact that % N"f-
die, which meant death 90 him had Deen
returned ohiivr0us 10 everything rN-
cent the weeping woman who had sat
,atfanttv bv his side through the long
trial cheering him With words oi nope
n his display was ~ nerve IL was mar
,silous ana II Of Cull0usness 20 any but
.li.l -.rsatons. if was equally mar
The triumphant shout from the @9
,tr,ats fu the courtroom had been hushri
bv th- bailin- and hush f"n upon
,h. crowd when Judge Murphy began
to address the jury. H. assured them
that they had his thanks FOR the manner
In which they had performed their duty
and believed they would have the thanks
~ th. entire community As The jury
mn marched by Durrant and bis lno-
DER they an looked sympath~ucaiis upon
Tie sad uicturr Of the weeping woman
yron the shoulder of her condemned
son
Tnen Judge Murphy announced that
next Friday he would pass sentence upon
Durrant and. at the same TIME ne
would fx the time Tor beginning the ifial
of Durrant Tor the murder OF Minnie VII
lams. .,.,.,.
VERDICT APPROVED.
The verdict u the jury meets with
General approhatiou The town is ~iid
to-nigbt over Il. and ~ resembiei the
aftermath OF an election burrant HIM
ar takes 10 coolly. ana says he has not
Vet lost hope His attorneys VIII take
an anpeal 10 the supreme Court on
hin OF exceptions. the material for which
accumulated during the trial
The material FOR The Minnie Williams
trial has an been gathered. and the prose
cutlon is prepared 10 10 iisht ah'ai WIN
n n is certain that Judge Murphy
viii set an early day Tor tho hearing The
s.n.rat ffut,re-siou j. that the result .n
rbsf ea4n Niu be tho same a. in the one
ius, concluded Considerable matter hear
iur on the case MAS Developed during
the trial of the Lamont case and since
the preliminary examination much new
s,iJsnce has been gathered 20 FAR as
Known. Durrani's defence in the case yet
IN b. trled will be as weak as IL was In
Tho an. ftst closed