The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-01

But if you believe. as do, that Quinlan saw
what he said he did how do we know that he
saw 1t? We know il plainly Cor this reason:
Mrs. Crossett corroborates Quinlan at one end,
Mrs. Leak at the other. In justice to this man
who has been assailed here it is but fair to say
that long before the State knew a word about
Mrs. Crossett or Mrs. Leak it knew about Quin-
Ian. He was the first man to come forward.
There has been an attack made on his charac-
ter. 1t is asserted that ne is Police Court
lawyer; that he has motive in the case; and
that therefore he is not telling the truth. 1t
was said he did not have friend or acquaint-
ance who would say his character was good.
Gentlemen, in the trial OF this case my pillar
OF cloud by day and my pillar OF fire by night
has been the guilt of this defendant. We are
not trying Qulnlan's character in Santa Rosa
ten years ago. We are trying the innocence or
guilt of this defendant, Theodore Durrant.
Mrs. Leak auas at the UindolU,
matching for her daughter.
When he got to the corner of Twentv-second
and Bartlett streets he saw this couple. He
did not know the young lady, but he knew
Durrant by sight. They passed within two or
three feet of him. He was in position to
recognize him. He had lived in that neigh
borhood for ten Years. We call your attention
TO the testimony, in the words in which it was
given by Quinlan, as the basis for our inquiry
into the testimony given by Mrs. Leak. Now,
upon this particular day Mrs. Leak stood at
her window at about a quarter past 4. She
was looking for heI daughter, and as she stood
there looking down the street she saw this
couple coming up. Mrs. Leak takes them up
where Mr.. Quinlan says he lost sight of them.
They were walking together, engaged in con-
versation. the young lady on the outside near
est the street, says Mrs. Leak, just as Mr.. Quin-
Ian said, and they remained in her view as
they crossed the broad sweep in front of the
church, till they came TO the gate through
which they passed. She knew Theodore Dur
rant, did Mrs. Leak. She had been a member
OF the church for fifteen years.
Mrs. Leak kneD Durrant
speU and had seen him often.
She had lived opposite the church for two
years or more. She had been a constant at
tendant at that church every Sunday for two
years, while Theodore Durrant was the usher
in the north aisle, every evening, and to the
Sunday-school, where he was kind of assist
ant to the superintendent; 10 the Young Peo-
Pies Society, at which il is also fair to presume
he was attending. as up TO April or May he had
been secretary. Two years of solid attendance
al this church, two years of seeing this Dur
rant, why should she not know him? How
could she make q mistake in regard to the
identity OF this man? She could not see the
girl because she was on the outside of the
street, walking along with this young man,
conversing with him. rest my case upon this
testimony. as l do upon that OF the other wit
nesses for the Identification. Can you con-
ceive that all these witnesses could be mis-
taken? is it possible hypothesis? 1t is in
credible that seven witnesses, all without mo-
tive, are all banded together into conspiracy
to convict an innocent man of the murder of
Blanche Lamont in the lonely belfry of EN-
manuel Church.
Mrs. Leak sdlO them pass beyond
he reach Of human eyes,
These people walked up to the gate of the
church. Durrant opened the gate, walked in,
| and the girl stepped in behind him and the
gate closed Blanche Lamont, between
on the afternoon of April 3, 1895, passed
through that south gate in company with this
defendant; then disappeared from human
eyes. Eleven days later her body was found
rotting in the belfry of that church. Her hat
was found in the belfry. In the belfry were
| these poor relics OF mortality hidden. The
I'M his nf "a holt FRY and
found in that church. Gentlemen, Blanche
Lamont never came out of that church alive.
She went into the church walking with this
monster. From his pocket the defendant drew
his key. He bent down and unlocked the door
He stepped inside and withdrew his key and
| locked the door behind her, and they were
alone-alone, this weak and sickly child, the
girl whose slender form filled the dress that
| rests upon that body pointing to the wire
model.
"Heduen is high and
the Gear IS the poloer."
They were alone. and she unable physically
to cope with this monster alone, and as the
Russian proverb says, Heaven is high and the
Car is the power" Alone, till the time this
defendant appeared to the startled eyes of
George King in the Sunday-school room, dis
| heveled and white as the body he mad left in
the belfry.
District Attorney Barnes quoted from an
opinion of Chief Justice Shaw of Massa-
chusetts in the Webs ter Parkman murder
case, showing the difference between direct
and circumstantial evidence and what in
| the light of the law constitutes a reasona-
Bile doubt. Mr.. Barnes also made passing
reference to Holmes, who is now on trial
| in Philadelphia on the charge of having
murdered people to secure their insurance
| money. Compared to this defendant"
said the District Attorney, Holmes is a
gentleman"
This monster lured this gentle
| girl alone into the church.
Compared to him, DR.. Webster, who killed
| MS creditor. was an illustration of a kind,
| genial and gentle nature. For this monster
!ured this gentle girl alone into the church.
walking side by side they passed there and
| went TO the library. What was the reason he
| brought that girl into the church? He says
ne promised her a book. George King, If you
believe his testimony, says he found the library
door open. Who opened it? Theodore Dur
rant on that eyentful Wednesday afternoon
But the library was not suited for his purposes
IL was better than the belfry, but still it would
| not DO, because when he got in there he
| reallzed that this was the first room from the
church 'Vestbule. 1t had window on Bart
| lett street, and he was liable, nav, almost
sure, 10 be discovered. No, on second thoughts
| lhe Delfry. Gentlemen. can't you imagine the
conouct OF this creature-I cannot call him a
man.
Durrant's nimble fingers
put on the EeaU lock.
gentlemen, have struggled and 1 continue
10 struggle during this argument against the
| personal feelings that are sure to spring up in
| man when the proofs of another mans guilt