The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-12
Says It Is God, Not Nerve Which
SustainS Him.
He Has Faith That He Will
Protect Him.
DENIES THE STORY.
Says No Statement Was Put in
an Envelope.
Declares That aWomanReporter
Declares That WomanRepOrter
ConcOcted the Story.

SAN FRAxc1sc Oct 12-The story of
the mysterious story of Durrant sealed
in an envelope marked ITO be open
ed if I am convicted" Brought forward
so prominently by District Attorney
Barnes, does not seem to worry the de-
PENDANT or his lawyers so much as it
angers them. Durraut himself is not
wrathful, but processes to be greatly sur
prised at the conduct of tho reporter
upon whose testimony he thinks the
prosecution will rely to establish its
point.
II do not like to say anything against
q woman" said Du1rant, "bu5 my disap
pointment is SO keen that l cannot
keep silent The reporter has been
kind to, me in many ways, has
given me repeated assurances of be-
lief in my innocence and has often said
had her prayers for speedy termina-
ton of this terrible nightmare. she has
repeatedly sought expressions of opin-
ion from me. Adhering TO inf1exible
rule of not denying or indorsing any
thing whether for or against me, always
gave her the same answer. My time
had not come to talk.
''At recent call she detailed this
dramatic yarn about my having written
q mysterious something which l put in
an envelope with a strict injunction dis
tinctly on the outside that it be returned
TO me in case Of acquittal, or opened
in the event of conviction. This stupid
story annoyed me- and, realizing how
much talk this would make. l asked her,
as a srecial favor, that she make no men
ton Of it in any way either 10 the press
or the prosecution. She readily assented
TO nv request, and even went further.
"'If you doubt me- she said, 'get your
Bibie' l took that dear book and passed
it to her. She placed it on the wicket
door aud solemnIy swore that she would
make no mention of it Imagine ny
surprise when the district attorney
asked me about that envelope. It was
not that / cared about the story. Il was
not true. had nothing to fear. So lit
tie did it i'm press me after l supposed il
was relegated to oblivion, where it be-
l0nged, that l had absolutely forgotten it.
81 wrote d statement, il is true. Every
bodv knows that Il was made public
but somewhat garbled. There was Moth
ing mysterious about it, aud no envelope
enclosed it.
"The press talk of my coolness-my
nerve. Il is not my fortitude in this hour
of darkness, it is my all abiding faith in
God that sustsins me. l have faith in
his goodness: that ne will protect me be-
cause I am innocent of these frightful
crimes.
"Dr Graham" the prisoner branched
of, II have always looked upon az an
honorable fellow, and | cannot think but
what he will tell exactly what occurred
at our meeting. Surely what he said
and what Dunnigan has bartered for hard
cash must be confounded.
"W hen Dunnigan came here with Ora
ham be7 told ma he was POrrPsDcH0nnf
for an eastern paper, aud was anxious to
set me right in the eastern papers. As
was not conserving to interviews. l had
to decline his flattering offer.
sIhe district attorney has made con
siderable sport of my ignorance of the
word salibi.' l had never been interested
in things criminal; l had never read
trial. The word was as strange to me as
if it had been Sanskrit. After my arrest
I heard the word several times; wonder
ed what it was, and did not ask, as l
knew it would make me appear ignor-
ant The conversation soon instructed
me-
Durrant does not appear to take much
stock in the general opinion that the
district attorneyrhuTt the case of the de-
Tense when he probod so deeply in the
matter of the man il the light coat who
Durraut swears gave him the clew that
the defense are Inclined to make light
of this part of the matter. They have
estaSsjshed to their own satisfaction the
identity of the unknown who they
claim tapped Durrant on the shoulder
and started him for ne ferry.
The mysterious person. they say, was
nothing more than one of the officers of
the police in the employ of the c..Y and
county of san Francisco They argue
that for some days prior to April 12, the
name of Durrant had been joined by the
police with the mysterious disappear
ence of Blanche Lamont
Carrying out this idea. one of the men
in citizens clothes who had seen Durrant
was detailed on the afternoon of April
u, TO accost the suspect wherever found
and to give him Sip" which would
lead him to the ferry where another man
could have an opportunity to see whether
or not he came. and if be did TO watch
him closely and report his actions That
Is the theory the defense has figured out.
Captain Lees denied it.
Land Rapidly Taken By Mortgages