Connecticut western news., 1895-10-03
BLACK FOR DURANT.
HIS MUCH TALKED OF DEFENSE
 SEEMS VERY WEAK.

Durant Appear~ Unooncernsd, and His
 Mother Does Not Seem to Realize How
 Near Her Son Is to End Ills Days O.
 the GallswA
 SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2s.-n Theodore Durant has anything tangible upon which to base his denial of the charge that he murdered Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams, his attorneys have failed to give satisfactory evidence of the fact.
 After two days devoted to the testimony of the defense the trial was adjourned un- til next Tuesday. In the meantime, how ever, the defense has disclosed enough to satisfy the prosecution that Durant's at- torneys are groping in the dark in the hope that something may develop within the next few days to save the prisoners life.
 The weakness of the defense is made more apparent at this time on account of the extravagant assertions that Durant's attorneys have uniformly made since the trial began.
 When the prosecution was engaged in putting in its case and the situation look ed darkest for the young Sunday school superintendent, Attorney Duprey was ac- customed to snap his fingers and remark that he had no fears for the future of his client.
 "we will clear him in three minutes" said Duprey, land the public will be at a loss to understand how Durant's name was ever connected with tho case"
 The same line of extravagant claims was continued when Attorney Duprey made his opening speech for the defense.
 Mot only will the prisoner tell with his own lips the simple story of his life ou the day that Blanche Lamont was mur- dered," said Duprey, but Dr. Cheney will tell you that Durant was at Cooper Medical college at the very hour when the murder of Blanche Lamont is said to have taken place. Besides that, we will prove to you that Durant never tried to pawn Miss Lamont ring at Oppenheim's store. On the contrary, we will bring forward the young man who did try to pawn a ring at Oppenheim's similar to the one worn by Miss Lamont"
 The Alibi Knocked Out.
 In view of these startling statements 1t was first believed that the defense might have strong case held in reserve which would put to a severe test the case of the prosecution. In one day, however, the case of the defense crumbled of its own weight and today Durant's alibi has not Q leg upon which to stand. Dr. Cheney, who was expected to tell SO much for the defense, was as strong a witness for the prosecution as has taken the stand during the trial. Instead of fulfilling Duprey's statement and swearing that Durant at- tended a lecture at Cooper Medical college on April 8 he said he had no recollection of seeing the young medical student there. The denial dumfounded the defense.
 If further proof were needed on the be- lief that the defense has little to offer in refutation of the case put forward by the prosecution, 1t was furnished Friday. h. stead of placing witnesses on tho stand to testify to some material facts in oonnec- ton with Durant's alibi two gasfitters were called to testify with regard to the sunburners in the gallery of Emanuel church. For two hours the crowd was bored and the jury made tired by a long series of questions and answers relative to the minutest part of the construction of a sunburner. Not once during the en- tire session was the name of Blanche La- mont mentioned, nor was anything said to indicate that 1t was not suit to collect plumbers bill that was before the court instead of a murder trial
 The evident purpose of the examination, however, was to show that. the repairing of sunburners would necessarily result in the escape of great deal of gas. This testimony will be used to substantiate Du- rants statement that he was suffering from partial asphyxiation when he came down from the church belfry, trembling and flushed, and met Organist King in the auditorium.
 A significant feature of the testimony of the two gasfitters was the fact that each testified that he made an examination of ha h,rry In Eraa phn Sept 21. The prosecution interprets this to mean the defense had nothing upon which to base case until the case of the people WAS nearly completed. Only when confronted by the actual necessity of open ing its case it Is believed that the defense made an attempt to secure witnesses to testify with regard to sunburners
 The apparent hepelessness of his case however, produced no change In the de- meanor of Durant Day after day he sits in the courtroom beside his father and mother and listens to the evidence against him without sign of emotion. This stoi- cism on the part of the prisoner is only surpassed by that of his mother. Mrs. Durant seems to have no conception of the gravity of her sons situation. Attired in waving plumes and a tailor made gown such as a lady might wear at a matinee, she laughs and chats with her friends while the evidence that the prose cution believes will hang her son Is being put in against him.
 To frequenters of the courtroom Mrs. Durant's conduct is almost as unfathom- able as that of her son. Durant's father, however, looks careworn and gives evil denoe of the intense mental strain through which he must be passing.
 SAN FRANCISCO, Got. a.-After gather ing up few ragged ends of the testimony left over from last week the defense In the Durant case began the building of an alibi for the young medical student from ! April up to April 12 inclusive. The pur- pose of the alibi Is to impeaoh the testi- mony of Pawnbroker Oppenheim and W. ! J. Phillips, who testified that on April | 12 Durant tried to pawn Blanche La | mont's ring at Oppenhei ms store.