The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-19
TENTH DAY OF THE TRIAL.
The Last Link In the Chain Fur
nlshed by the Defendants
Friend and Intimate.

nlSh6o by the De1enCdnCS
Friend and Intimate.
Since the taking of testimony IN the trial
of Durrant, charged with the murder of
Blanche Lamont, began nearly three weeks
ago, each day has brought forth its
own sensations, its own convincing and
damaging evidence, but the testimony of
George r. King, the organist of Emmanuel
Church, seemed to be the climax of all
the sensations of all the days that have
gone before.
1t forged the last link of the chain.
Durrant was seen to enter the church in
company with Blanche Lamont shortly
after 4 o'clock. There the chapter ended
Tuesday evening.
Yesterday the tragic tale was finished by
the evidence of George King. He went
into the church about o'clock He went
to the Sunday-school room and sat down
before the piano to practice. He played a
few minutes, and then his attention was
attracted by figure between the sliding
doors in front of him.
He looked up and saw Theodore Durrant
standing there in his shirt sleeves, bare
headed. his hair disheyeled his face color
less and his eyes bloodshot. Blanche La
mont was not with him now. And it is 3
noteworthy TACT that George King, the
friend and intimate of Durrant, is the first
witness who saw Durrant that day wheE
Blanche Lamont was not his companion.
Was the strangled body of the murdered
girl now lying in the belfry? And if it
were not-Mr. Barnes will surely argue
why did she not appear in the doorway
with Durrant? And how came Durrant to
be hatless and coatIess, his hair in disorder,
his eyes congested and MS face so pale!
Durrant had a ready answer on his
tongue at the time. lie told King he had
been up fixing the gas burners, that he had
been overcome by the gas, so that ne could
scarcely get down the ladder. He asked
King to go to the drugstore and get him
some bromide settler.
King performed the errand, and when he
came back he found Durrant either in the
vestibule or lying down on the platform in
the Sunday-sehool room.
At the Police Court hearing Mr.. King
said he found Durrant in the vestibule
And this is evidently where Mr.. Barnes
wants him to be. for he questioned his
witness yesterday until NJ r. King admitted
that it was probable Durrant himself, or
one of his attorneys HAD suggested to him
in private conversation, that Durrant might
have been lying down. He had been to
see the defendants attorneys at their Of
flee, and he had been to jail to see Dur
rant.
Mr.. King gave his damaging testimony
against his friend with apparent reluct-
ance. and Mr.. Barnes found it necessary
M n aiH aro iv1sv,
bring it all out.
After Durrant took the seltzer he went
to the looking-glass in the classroom and
viewed his distorted features in the mir
ror. Then they carried the organ down a
flight of stairs. Durrant was very weak,
and had to stop often to rest, though he
had the light end of the organ.
Then they came back to the Sunday
school room and rested. And when rested
they went to the library, and there lay
Durrant's hat and coat on box in the
corner. .Durrant put them on, and the
two went out of the church. Durrant
walked short way with King, and then
turned back to his own home, which was
in the opposite direction.
In it's main points the testimony was
the same as that given before the Police
Court. Yet it came with none the less
dramatic force, and it had fascination for
Durrant only equaled by the interest with
which he regarded the evidence of Mrs.
Crosett.
There will be no court to-day, but on
Friday the District Attorney will begin
his work of riyeting little tighter the
links already forged. He will not conclude
the peoples case by Friday evening, and
will probably consume the first day or two
OF the fourth week of the trial.