The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-04-20

about decided that Durant had muir
dered Miss Williams. and this Theory
was further strengthened this morn
ing when, or making a through search
of Emanuel church, the dead and out
ragged body of Miss Lamont was found
concealed in the steeple. Death had
been caused by strangulation. The
body was lying just inside the door of
the tower room, nude and OF the floor.
Around the neck there we're a few
streaks, the marks OF fingers that had
been pressed deep into the tender flesh.
The features were badly distorted. be-
ing drawn down at one corner n the
lips were swollen and blood stained.
The nose was the only feature that re-
tanned its original shape, for the cheeks
were bloated. The girls light brown
hair was matted with dirt and hung
loosely about her shoulders. The body
was in the first stages of decOmposl-
ton. When the officers reached the
head of the stairs they found the door
of the tower room locked. They broke
in the door. 1t was so dark they could
not see and one of the officers struck a
match. AS the light tiared up they
saw before them the dead body of the
girl for whom they were searching.
The body was taken to the mOrgue.
where it was placed or a slab by the
side of Minnie Williams.
AS soon as the news became known
immense crowds surrounded the church
and had to be kept back by the police.
The chief of police sent for Rev. DR..
Gibson, pastor of the church. and the
report became current that he had
been arrested. Great crowds surged
to Dr.. Gibson's house and the excite
ment grew more intense. 1t soon
spread all over the city. Extra pa
pers were gotten out and thousands of
of people tiocked to the scene from all
over the city. RumOr of the arrest
was later denied and it became known
that DR.. Gibson and the sexton of the
church had been merely called before
the police to tell what they knew.
At 5 o'clock came the news that
Dmrant had been arrested at Walnut
Creek, on the rOad to Mount Diablo.
He was caught by Detective Anthony,
who left in pursuit of him this morn
ing. The police are certain that they
have the right man. They claim to
have two witnesses who saw Durant
and Miss Williams in company last
Friday night and also state that when
a seach was made of Durant's house to-
day that in the pocket of his coat was
found a purse which Miss Williams is
known to have carried Friday night.
Durant is about % years old and was
born and raised in the neighborhOod in
which the murder was committed. He
is a graduate of the Coggswell High
school and has been studying medicine
for a year. He is 4 member of the
Second brigade signal corps and was
t.cIcNtiN 'Nl&i L lin iiiN
uel Church Sunday school. He was
always of a quiet disposition. and his
friends refuse to believe. in spite of the
evidence. that he committed the crime
attributed TO him. The police. how
ever. think that Durant is another
Jack. the Ripper with a mania for
murder. They state that it is highly
probable that Durant is responsible
for the killing of Eugene Ware. a
young drug clerk. who was found stab.
bed to death in the store where he
worked. No trace was ever found Of
the assassin and the theory is that Du-
, rant killed him. No motive of the
crime was discovered and the tiendisr
cruelty of it. Ware was stabbed in Is
places. leads to the belief that it was
) TIE work OF an insane person. Durant's
parei-ls are highly esteemed people.
His father is chief engineer in Buck.
ingham X Hecht's large shoe factory,
} and while not rich, has been able tC
| give his children a good education anG
start them in life.
Detective Anthony met Durant anc
: his companions coming back from
, Mount Diablo. They We're in uniform
and had been on a signaling eXpedi
| ton. When Dnrant was placed under
arrest. his comrades at first. wanted tt
resist the officer. but finally allowed
} him to be taken to Walnut Creek