The record-union., 1895-04-20
Durrant Charged With the Crime
by the COrOner's Jury.
STRONG TESTIMONY AGAINST THE
ACCUSED
Evidence of Two of Durrant's Fellow
Medical Students Very Damaging
Seen at the Oakland Ferry Landing
in Waiting for the Murdered Girl
on the Night of the Tragedy.
special to the REooRD-UNToS.

Special to the RECORD-UNIoS.
SAN Francisco, April 19.-Theodore
Durrant has found that the evidence
against him, which he has been rather
scotfing at, is strong enough to convince
Jury that he is guilty of the murder IN
Emmanuel Church. The Coroner's Jury
to-day found that Minnie Williams met
her death at his hands, and there is more
against him than was produced at the in
quest.
A Coroner's verdict is not very seri-
GUS thing, as it neither convicts nor ac-
quits. but if there was evidence enough
to convince the twelve men who sat in
Coroner Hawkins office of this guilt,
the probability that there is evidence to
prove a similar impression on the twelve
men whose verdict will mean death or
life to Theodore Durrant, suggests itself.
But the significance of the verdict did
not bother the accused man. He had not
curiosity enough to desire to walt to see
what the jury would do, but went BACK
to his cell as soon as the Coroner would
let him. There was testimony introduced
during the last hours of the inquest that
appalled, those who heard 1t, but 1t did
not appall Durrant- He listened to the
recital of the bloody savagery OF the
slaughter of Minnie Williams with no
more emotion than he would display at a
college lecture When the worst was be-
ing told, and there was present in every
body's mind the picture Of the slender
little girl, dazed, choked, bleeding, fight
ing for her life in the dark church, Dur
rant was naturally the object OF every
glance But he sat there OstentatlOusly
4 cd lnt9rlGLpH
story nor in it's effect upon his fate.
There was a great deal of evidence that
was not presented to the jury; for in
stance all the circumstances that point to
Durrant as the slayer OF Blanche La
mont had to be left out, as not bearing on
this particular case. 1t is the policy OF
the police to introduce only such evil
dence as is absolutely necessary in ad-
vance of the trial.
The first thing done at to-day's session
of the Coroner's court was to clear Elmer
Wolfe of the suspicion that had been dI-
rected towards him on account OF alleged
DISCREPANCIES in his story and the ind
ing of the purse on the San Bruno road.
The testimony of DR.. Nogel and w olte' S
statement was all that was required for
this purpose. Wolfe was at the party at
VogePs house from shortly after O'Clock
10 nearly midnight on the evening that
Minnie Williams was killed and went
home directly.
Two of Durranps fellow medical stud
ents gave evidence that hurts his case
seriously. They met him at the ferry,
where, according to the prosecution, he
was waiting for Miss Williams, and he
asked them to answer for him at the col
lege roll-call next day, so as to make 1t
appear that he was there.
About the hardest blow OF the day was
dealt Durrant by dainty hands. Miss
Frances Willis, the prettieSt girl the grim
old NJ orgue has seen for many year,
told of meeting Durrant in Alameda a
few days before the Williams murder.
Minnie Williams told her guardian that
Durrant had called on her at Alameda
and made an Appointment to meet him in
San Francisco. In his statement Durrant
denied this, and said lie had not seen
Minnie Williams for three weeks before
she was found dead.
Miss Willis corrObOraIes Mr.. Morgan,
the murdered girls guardian.
The autopsy physician's ghastly state
ment and the testimony of the Coroner's s
deputies concluded the inquest.
Durrant yawned as the Coroner in
structed the jury and really seemed to be
bored with the whole proceeding.
IL did not take the jury great while to
declare Theodore Durrant the murderer
OF Minnie Williams.
DURRANT CHARGED WITH THE CRIME.
ner's Jury concluded its Investigations
this morning in the case of Theodore
Durrant, the alleged murderer of Minnie
Williams aud Blanche Lamont III the
Emmanuel Church.
1.-The jury retired for deliberation about
II o'clock, and shortly before noon rem
dered a verdict declaring Durrant guilty
OF the murder of Minnie Williams.
usual crowd of curiosity ers
was present when the inquest was re-
sumed this morning.
Elmer Wolfe, the young man whose
statement had been questioned recently,
was recalled to the stand and offered to pro-
duce witnesses to substanJiate all he had
said previously in regard to his move
ments on the night Minnie Williams was
murdered, but the Coroner declined the
offer, and both that official and the Chief
OF Police said they were satisfied with
Wolfe's statements and did not believe
that he was connected with The crime
Two OF Durranps companions in the
National Guard company were examined
and said that on the afternoon of the
night that Minnie Williams was muir
dered they saw Durrant lettering about
the ferry at the foot of Market street and
talked to him. They said that Durraut
told them that he did not expect to be at
the armory that night, and he asked
them to respond to his name at roll-call.
DR.. Bartlett, who conducted the au-
topsy, testified that Minnie Williams died
OF asphy xiaJion, as the result OF having a
part OF her clothing forced down her
throat by the murderer, and that the knife
wounds found on various parts of her
body were inflicted after death. h also
testified that the girl had been outraged,
and that previous to the time OF the
tragedy she had led q blameless life.
Several other witnesses were examined
on minor matters, and ABOUT IL o'clock
Coroner "a had N
more testimony TO oIler, though he called
Durrant to the stand, and the latter left
MS seat as II to present himself for ex-
animation, and then looked toward his
attorneys, who advised him not to speak,
and no further effort was made to ones
tion him. The jury did nor occnpv an
hour IN dellber2ton. 1t was the case OF
Minnie Williams death only that was 5e-
ing investigated. Tho case of the mnr-
der OF Blanche Lamont will be taken nm
later.
Durrant was not present when the iury
brought in their verdict at lI:EO The
Coroner's jury returned the folIowing
verdict: Nv c, the jury summoned and
sworn to inquire into ali the circnIn-
stances attending the death of Minnie
Williams, and by whom the same was
produced, and in what manner anI
where aud when the same Minnie Will
lains came to her death, do find that the
name OF the deceased was Minnie Flora
Williams; her age u years; nativity,
Canada: single; residence, Alameda. Ala,
media County. State of California; that
she was found dead a pril Is, 1898. in the
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bartlett
street, between Twenty second and
Twenty-third streets, city and county OF
San Francisco; that she came TO her death
from hemorrhage, due to lacerated