The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-26

rant and this wife were united June 80, 1870.
in marriage, and amid Christian surround
ings in Christian nome, this son was born TO
them.
You shall know when the family arrived
here, about the latter part of 1879 You snail
be informed how the prisoner became inter
ested in church work. We will tell you what
he did for the Emmanuel Baptist Church. We
will tell you how he met Blanche Lamont, and
YOU shall be told of his associations with her.
You shall hear from the lips of Mrs. Durrant
how her son was dressed when he left his home
on the morning of April 3, 1895.
You shall know where the mother saw him
next, and what transpired in the evening.
The good repute and honorable character of
the defendant will be proven. The attendance
at the Cooper Medical College will be shown;
his general demeanor will be shown.
We will answer the question, "What did Dur
rant do on the morn of April 3, 1895" He
left his home and walked toward the house of
George King, so that he might have helper
that evening to fix the gas. We will show that
on the corner of Twenty-ninth and Mission
streets he accidentally met Blanche Lamont.
We will show that he told her he on the
way to Kings house and asked her to accom-
pany him, but she said that as the time was
growing late she did not have the time to go
with him and requested Durrant to accompany
her 10 school,
This he acquesced in, and took the car with
her to Mission and Ninth. They transferred to
the Larkin-street branch, and again transferred
at Suffer and separated. Miss Lamont went on
10 her school, while the defendant went west
to Webster street, where he got off the car and
We will show you what he did from his ar
rival there until the noon hour when he walked
northerly on Webster street to Broadway and
westerly to q point where he and student
could sit and gaze over the bay We will show
you his return TO college at half-past l. and
what was done from half-past till 80 at the
Cooper College; that he went to DR.. Cheney's
lecture, and will produce his notes, different
from any other students, and thathe is marked
present, and also DR.. Cheney will tell you that
he was present. We will show you that he took
tta flor nar tn IN nd
Ninth out Mission and thence TO the church,
and alone did ne walk into the church.
We will show you he arrived at the church
at five minutes to B. and not before, that he en-
tered by the door on the south side, that he
went into the library in regard to book and
card he wanted. He removed his coat, neatly
folded it, took out his watch, so that it would
not fall out while he was fixing the gas jets.
felt if he had the nippers He went to the
easterly end, retraced his steps and went up TO
the ceiling by way OF the ladder through the
hole in the ceiling. be then went and fixed
Wewill show the construction of these sun
burners, that it is distinctly separate from the
rest--that is to say, that the only work required
by the gas filters was to fiji on tips, seventy-two
of them. That they turned on the gas, that
matches went out and that considerable leak
was thus encountered.
We will show to you under these circum-
stances that natural result the rooms
would be filled with gas, and we will show you
that owing to lack of ventilation, when Theo-
dore Durrant went to the ceiling. he was over
come by the gas that had arisen. We will show
YOU he leaned down on the papers spread bv
the sunburners. He removed three plates, and
put his head down through. At this time the
current was turned on. He felt that the
amount of gas was affecting him. He with
drew his head, rearranged the sunourners and
cut off the supply.
This caused him to feel sick, as stated by
George King, who was playing loud piano for
three minutes, and you are asked to believe
that this man accused of the murder went
directly. down to secure q witness to his crime.
Is it possible?
We will show that Durrant then was on the
platform, lying down, and when King re-
turned went down to the kitchen to take the
settler. We will show that upon the request
of King he went upstairs to get the cabinet
organ.
organ, and that person carrying it down
from the rear his feet would be continually
struck. We will show you the number OF stairs
and turns. That at last they brought the
organ into the Sunday-school room Then
Durrant and King went to the library; the
door was locked, as Mr.. King has told you.
Durrant put on his coat and hat and they left
the church together, it being George Kings
dinner time; the defendant walked ways
with him.
We will show that after leaving King he met
a lady acquaintance, who asked him how he
was and that he told her how that after fixing
the gas he had been taken little sick. How
he went home and ate his evening meal with
his parents, after which he went to the church
entertainment.
This will be the simple story of the defend
ant. He VIII be corroborated by those who
know him we'll and who viii give reasons why
their statements are correct, and we will then
turn our attention to some evidence found in
| that church.
| We will show that the marks upon the belfry
door show the marks of chisel. and that the
chisel found in the pastors study in toolbox
| formed them.
| We will show you, as long as they have intro
duced a paper here with letters on it, as com
| pared with letters found in Emmanuel Baptist
| Church. that they are letters written by the
Rev. John George Gibson.
| If we are to act upon suspicious, If we are to
| be placed in the position you are, by asking
| YOU to believe chain OF circumstantial evil
| dence that cannot be supported then we will
show you that there are Others who have been
cast into suspicion and worse than the de-
! PENDANT.
| We will ask you, gentlemen of the jury, to
say whether or not these young ladies can ros-
sibly be correct or are they not partially mis-
taken. Remember, none OF them ever saw the
defendant until the afternoon of April 3,
| 1895.
Remember that these matters are called dis
| tinctly 10 their attention by photographs in
the newspapers, and that by the most inhu-
man. outrageous and uncivilized methods per-
mitted at the City Prison they are brought to
identity mantle subject OF all this upright
eous notoriety.
These two Young ladies who say they saw
this man on a car-they tell you they were
walking southerly on Powell street and that
the car on which this man was riding was go
OF this young man was from the nose down
Judge Murphy-Mr Deuprey, l must say that
you are exceeding your rights. You are now
discussing the testimony of the prosecution.
Our Su preme Court has decided that the OPEN
ing statement is for the purpose of setting forth
what is expected to be proved. The closing
statement is for the purpose Of discussing testi-
mony.
Mr.. Deuprey-I bow to the court, and will
say that have no desire to exceed my rights.
Now gentlemen Of the jury, we will show to
you that on the morning OF April 3, 1895,
when Dnrrant left his house he was attired
entirely in dark suit of clothes. We call at
tention to the pants in particular in the Vogel
testimony. Then it was that the witness Vogel
spoke of noticing light pants. We will call at
tention to the time Mrs. Crosett must have
taken in traversing the distance as testified to
by her. That the time necessary for that trip
is fully fifty-ive or fifty-eight minutes, and we
will show by expert testimony that imp paired
circulation, especially in old persons, will
affect the vision. We will show that the time
of person crossing in front of the windows in
front of the church is about eighteen seconds
and perhaps seventeen seconds.
We will introduce evidence to show that Mrs.
Leak has failed TO recognize her own lady &C
quaintances; that she has failed to recognize
Mrs. Durrant and has excused herself. We
will show the same failure of sight has been
made by Mrs. Crts EFT. We will introduce evil
dence to show the reputation of Martin Quin-
Ian. We will deal with David Clark in the
same way.