The San Francisco call., 1895-11-02
[shctched from, life by Cali" artist. !

SIDE OF Durrant, leaving him between her
and his mother. Durrant leans back COM
fortably in his chair.
Mr.. Barnes, Captain Lees and all the
other officials enter. Then the Jury.
How solemnly they walk now. No need
to read their faces. You can see it in their
tread. You can feel it in the atmosphere.
Mrs. Durrant bends her head low toward
her son. but nevertheless watches the
twelve grim men as they file into the box.
Behind them come Mr.. Peixotto and his
Lord Dundreary limp. Curious that one
should notice the pecuIiarity of this limp
at such time.
The crowd closes up and presses forward.
The Judge is on his feet. "Stand back
there" he roars savagely, and this relieves
the tension somewhat.
Mr.. Clerk, call the jury"
This is done. The ''heres" are firm but
almost inaudible. The clerk knows his
part. He does not answer "All here, your
Honor" as he has done twice a day and
more since the 22d OF July. What he says
is this:
Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed
upon verdict?'
eve have" 1t is Warren Dutton's
voice.
"What is your verdiet?"
Warren Dutton, standing there at the
corner of the jury-box, opens bit of pa
per and spreads it out. How long it takes
him. How long, how slow he is, how.
But he is reading now. The words fall:
"We, the jury, find the defendant guilty
of murder in the first degree ~
Tbo- SC II ~
mother.
Durrant straighteps himself quickly and
leans forward to Mr.. Dickinson; then
makes as though about to rise.
"Let me make Speech" he says to
Dickinson
Then his mothers arms are about his
neck and he could not rise to speak even
II Mr.. Dickinson had not whispered:
mo; keep quiet now!'
A shout goes up from the far end of the
room--from all parts of it; shout of ap-
proval; a shout like that of which q pack
of hungry wolves vent themselves when
the prey is cornered.
"Silence l!' came in laundering tones
from the court.
Then the crowd felt abashed and only
the mothers sobs could be heard.
"Gentlemen of the jury, L feel that you
are entitled to the thanks of the entire
community for the conscientious manner
in which you have performed your duty"
said the court, and then this, after consult
ing the calendar:
Il will fix Friday, November the 9Th, as
the day of sentence-one week from to-
day-and until that time the prisoner is
ya, oI = I. I'D, of
Again Mr.. Barnes comes out of the back
ground.
81 ask your Honor to also put down the
case of the people against Durrant in the
Minnie Williams case," he says.
''That case will be called then and set
for trial" says the court. Then he adds:
"The court now stands adjourned"
Three Deputy Sheriffs stand close in
about the women who surround Durrant,
the mother still weeping in his arms. Her
sobs are no longer audible. All the women
| in that group are weeping. 1t is left for
Mr.. Dickinson and Durrant to comfort
them.
step right outside please, step right on,
please, call the bailiffs as the crowd lin
gers.
Mr.. Dickinson is deeply moved by the
scene about him. Presently he leaves it
and goes away. By this time more than
half the people have gone out and the
hailiffs are urging the Others to use speed
in leaving.
lti quarter past o'clock when the
courtroom is finally cleared of all but the
baillffs and Under-Sheriffs, few news
paper men and that group of weeping
women.
The newspaper men exchange notes,
with the result that all learn the jury was
out Just twenty-eght minutes and that the
verdict was agreed upon at the first ballot
Now bailiff approaches Durrant and
lays his hand on the prisoners shoulder.
What do you want?" asks Durrant.
He is far less affected than the big-hearted
ba'liff beside him, who looks as though he
were biting his tongue to keep back the
tears.
But Durrant must go.
He walks out boldly, bravely, upright,
unfaiteringly, two Under-Sheriffs in front