The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-09-07
THE MURDER STORY RET0LD
Blanche Lannon'S pure Character and
Her Foul Assassination
Brought out.

cred an opening address. of which the
following is a synopsis:
"At this point in the trial, and before
proceeding with the evidence, it be-
comes my duty as a representative of
the people to make what is called the
opening statement of the case. The
opening statement should not be re-
garded by you in the light of testimony;
neither should it be regarded as an ar
gument upon the facts. 1t should not
have any weight with you, nor should
you consider it as mlugating against
the prisoner. 1t is merely statement
of what the people expect to prove,
statement of evidence which they in
tend to present for your consideration
and upon which they will confidently
rely for a verdict at your hands which
shall sweep away the sophistries and
the technicalities that have enveloped
the criminal proceedings in this state as
with a garment and shall declare that
the land we live in is blessed not only
of God to man, but is further blessed
with the manifold gifts of nature and
with the hard, clear common sense that
can rise above the tortuous environ
punish the crime committed in the man.
ner required by all laws, both human
and divine.
1--WE shall show you that in the
month of September 1894, Blanche La
mont, a young girl about 20 years of
age came to San Francisco from her
home at Dillon, Mont, in the hope that
the mild climate of California might
hana6f hon. bao1th Che vua,ot to racfda
with her aunt and uncle Mr.. and Mrs.
c. G. Noble, and from the time of her
arrival here until April she was en-
gagged in attending school She was not
a society girl in any sense of the word.
She was of a quiet disposition, home
keeping and religious. She never at
tended parties nor theaters nor other
places of amusement except in the COM
pany of her relatives.
I'VE will show that Blanche Lamont
in her lifetime was WELL too WELL
and yet not we'll enough acquainted
with the prisoner, Durrant; that he was
in the habit of accompanying her home
from church and prayer meeting; that
he was a caller upon her at her aunt's
house; that upon the only occasion up
on which she ever went anywhere with
any young man as far as we are inform
ed she visited the park one afternoon
with Durrant. We will give you a his
tory of her life and her movements
as far as we are able. up to the third of
April, 1895, in order that you may form
a just appreciation of the character
and habits of this unfortunate young
girl.
1--WE will show you her connection
with the defendant and we will show
you the reason why when the murdered
body of Blanche Lamont was found in
the darkened belly of Emanuel church
and the question sprang from the lips
of every resident of this city and Of
this country, Who is the murderer?
why it is that the state answers tina
he who was responsible for the slaugh
ter of this young life is William Henry
, Theodore Durrant Durrant, once thu
friend of Blanche Lamont; Durrant
once in charge Of the Sunday school Ii
, brary; Durrant, once the electrician
who knew the ms and outs of the grea
, building; Durrant, once the handy mai
, | and Jack-of-all-t trades of the church
Durrant, now the prisoner and on tria
for his life. We shall show Durrant'
o connection with the crime and shal
Q demonstrate by irrefutable and unan
swerable evidence that he, and he alon,
4 committed the murder.
r eff we show you these facts; if W
n show you that Durrant met this Ill
: fated girl on the day of her death; tina
t. he accompanied her to the church; tina
v he was seen to enter the church wit
her; that he was afterwards seen
the church alone; that Blanche Lamor
D was never again seen alive by huma
eyes; that in the church was found he
III dead body, her clothes, her scho
books, showing that she had nev'
Re been home and that she had gor
- straight from her school to her dealt
l. II we show you, as we confidently e,
II pect, that no one but the prisoner cou,
: have committed this outrageous ar
II horrible crime, we shall look to you ;
10 citizens of the state whose reputatiC
II for justice and for enforcement of Il
. laws we, as it's officers, are trying
y uphold, to render your verdict tn
y the prisoner at the bar is guilty
- murder in the first degree"
d POINTS OF OBJECTION.
The court room was crowded to he
the opening statement by District A
~ torney Barnes. At the request of Z
o. defense all witnesses were exclud
from the court during the address. T
u defendant listened attentively to t
IN statements of the chief prosecutor.
he every point against him alluded to
ed the district attorney Durrants bro
ms contracted and he continually whisp'
ce ed suggestions to his counsel. The
he PENDANTS attorneys objected to sever
It statements in the address. They d
We liked an alllision to the conversation
school girls who identified Durrant