The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-09-13
THE TRIAL.

Ns
ProsecutIDg Attorney Barnes Makes y
Opening Appeal.
SAN Francisco, Sept. 4.-The trial
Of the Durrant Ease began this morn
ing. District Attorney Barnes in his
opening statement for the prosecution
said:
I'VE will show you that in the
month Of September, 1894, Blanche
Lamont, a young girl of about 20
years of age, came to San Francisco
from her home at Dillon, Mont, in the
hope that the mild climate of Califor-
MIA might benefit her health. She
went to reside with her aunt and un-
Gle, Mr.. and Mrs. G. G. Noble, and
from the time of her arrival here until
April 3 she was engaged in attending
school. She was not a society girl in
any sense of the word. She was
of a quiet disposition, homekeep-
ing and religious. She never at
tended parties nor theaters or other
places of amusement except in COM
pany with her relatives. We will show
that Blanche Lamont in her lifetime
was well, too we'll, and yet not well
O1OGR IL 0SIuhl1GC0 WltA Vic pIlSOl0T.
Durrant; that he was in the habit of
acc ompanylng her home from church
and prayer-meeting: that he was a
caller upon her at her aunt's house;
that upon the only occasion upon
when n ever went anywhere with
any young man al far as we are in
formed, she visited the park one after
noon in company with Durrant. We
Mill ~iyo ~, a hse<Dnr ~ l.o~
of her movements as far as we are
able up to the Sd of April, 1895, in or
der that you may form a just appreci-
alton OF the character and habits of
this unfortunate young girl.
wv will show you her connection
with the defendant and we will show
you the reason why, when the MUIR
dered body of Blanche Lamont was
foundin the darkened belfry:. of the
church and the question sprang from
the lips OF every resident of this city
and of this country. Who is the muir
~derer?-why it is that the state
that he who was responsible for the
slaughter OF this young life is William
Henry Theodore Durrant; Durrant,
once the friend of Blanche Lamont;
Durrant, once in charge of the Sunday
school library; Durrant, once assistant
superintendent of Emanuel Sunday
school; Durrant, once the electrician
who knew the ms and outs of the
great building; Durrant, once the
handy man and. j~ack-of-all trades Of
the church, and now Durrant, the
prisoner now on trial for his life. We
shall show Durrant's connection with
the crime and shall demonstrate bv
ir%refutable and unanswerable evil
dence that he, and he alone, commit
ted the murder.
eff We show you these facts; if we
show you that Durrant met this ill
fated girl on the day Of her death;
that he accompanied her to the church;
that he was seen to enter the church
with her; that he was seen afterwards
IN the church alone;s that Blanche La
mont was never again seen by human
eyes, from the momentshe entered the
portals Of Emanuel Baptist church
with the defendant; that In the church
was found her dead body; her clothes,
her school books-showing that she
had never been home, and that she
a gone straight from her school to
her death: if we show you as we con-
fdently expect that no one but the
prisoner could have committed this
outrageous and horrible crime. we
shall look to you as citizens of this
great state, whose reputation for lust
ice and for enforcement of the laws.
we, as It's officers are trying to uphold.
to render your verdict that the pris,
oner at the bar is guilty Of murder in
the first degree"