The San Francisco call., 1895-07-21
The Prisoners Lawyers Have a
Bloody handkerchief
to Offer.
MYSTERIOUS INITIALS J. H. J.
Strange Story of an Unknown Man
Who Is Expected to Testify
for the Defense.

cence of their client and is not the least
sensational development in this case of
many sensations. They have in their pos
session letter and bloody handkerchief.
The handkerchief was dropped by the
murderer of the dead girls as he left the
church after the second crime. The letter
was written by a man whom the murderer
iostled in his hurried exit and who picked
up the handkerchief.
On the Wednesday or Thursday follow
ing the arrest of Durrant a stranger
called on Mrs. Durrant and requested a
private interview. She was engaged with
callers at the time, but led the way to an
adjoining room, not, however, before her
visitors had secured a good look at the
new arrival. The stranger declined to
give his name or address, but the story he
told, if properly substantiated, is of the
utmost Importance TO Durrant.
about O'Clock on the Friday night on
which Minnie Williams was murdered, J"
said the stranger, 81 was passing the En-
manuel Church, when the side gate into the
yard opened and man came out. He was
IN great hurry and bumped up against
me pretty hard. He excused himself
abruptly and passed rapidly along the
street.
II did not like the way the fellow acted
and stood watching him. When he had
passed nearly out of sight l noticed some
thing white at my feet 1t proved to be a
handkerchief and it had blood spots upon
It, Ny first impulse was to call after the
man, but his manner had .riled me and
put the handkerchief in my pocket, think
ing that the loss served him right for his
lack OF courtesy.
when first heard of the discovery of
Minnie Williams body, | concluded that
the fellow whose handkerchief [ had was
her murderer. | was going to notify the
police, but chance glance into q mirror
showed that | resemble the description of
the man seen entering the church that
night equally as well as does your son.
had been hunting along Bartlett street
that night for friend of mine and l could
not have accounted for my time for two
hours in a satisfactory manner. Therefore
| concluded to keep quiet. [ could not do
so longer, however, when / see the evil
dence that is apparently being secured
against your son, whom | know to be inno-
cent. | will send the handkerchief to Gen.
eral Dickinson. 1t has name upon it,
and perhaps through it the real murderer
may be found. Unfortunately, however,
it is now in the wash, but l will send it as
soon as get it back
Mrs. Durrant begged and pleaded with
the stranger to have him give his name or
where he lived. but he was thoroughly
frightened and would say nothing beyond
an involuntary admission that he resided
on Golden Gate avenue. On his departure
Mrs. Durrant told his story to her callers.
The man was of medium height" said
Mrs. Durrant when questioned about the
matter. "He was rather heavy set, and
must have been about 50 years old. His
Fmustache was reddish brown, and his
clothes were rather ssedy. His hatP II
was Fedora, and rather shabby.
why did | not have him followed
Well, there was no one to follow him. 1t
was in the middle of the afternoon. Mr..
Durrant was at the jail with Theodore
and there were only women in the house
Besides he had promised to call on or com
municate with General Dickinson"
Mrs. Durrant told her sons lawyers
about her mysterious visitor, and q day OF
two later General Dickinson received a let.
ter from him. In it he repeated practi-
cally the statements made to Mrs. Dur
rant, emphasizing his fear OF being made
by the police to answer for the crime him
self. He signed himself IS" and prom
ised if it should be absolutely necessary fol-
him to come forward to save young Dur.
rant from the death penalty he would do
so. The handkerchief WIS inclosed with
the letter.
1t was hemstitched, and in spite of the
fact that it had been washed blood stains
were plainly visible. 1t bore name writ
ten in indelible ink, but SO faded that not
more than the initials could be made out
with certainty. The initials were ~. II
j." After the first ~ some small letters
were written as though the first name was
James" or "Joseph." OF the last name
not more than "Jen-" could be distin-
guished.
The man who dropped the handkerchief
at the door OF the Emmanuel Church did
| 49, IA
who this week will have to stand trial for
the murders. He was tall, said Mrs. Dur
rants visitor, ABOUT 40 or so years old and
wore closely cropped dark beard. His
clothing was dark, and slouch hat sur
mounted his head. His coat was long
Prince Albert, worn unbuttoned, and nc
had no overcoat.
Upon receipt of the letter and handker-
chief, detectives were put at work looking
up all the men they could find whose ini-
tials were 81. II. j." Some were followed
to Stockton ard TO Sacramento, but so far
without satisfactory results. search
was also made for the mysterious "S''
who lives on Golden Gate avenue but ii is
understood that he has not been found,
though General Dickinson is confident that
he Will turn up at the trial.
Strangely enough the police have had in
their possession from the first evidence
which is strongly corroborative of the
story of Mrs. Durrant's visitor. About
AS o'clock on the night of the Williams
murder, ]. D. Hendry, carpenter, who
lives at 91S Twenty-first street, was going
with lady to an entertainment, and was
stopped at the corner of Twenty-irst and
Capp streets by man who inquired his
way to Emmanuel Baptist Church Mr..
Hendry did not know the church by that
name, and the stranger mentioned that
DR.. Gibson was its pastor. Upon that
statement the direction was given and the
stranger departed. His description, as
given by Mr.. Hendry, tallies exactly with
drT tV' told ' the police what he knew knew bn but
they, apparently paid no attention to it.
1t is likely, however, that he will be called
on by Durrant's attorneys to tell his story
in court.
THE SILVER CONVENTION