The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-31
DURRANT is AMUSED
his FAMOUS INDIFFERENCE NOW
BECOMES LEVITY.
At the Close Of q Thrilling Denunciation of
the Crime and of Himself Is the Perpe-
TRAITOR of It, He Makes Whispered
Comment to His Mother and Smiles as
Attorney Barnes Concludes His Argu-
Manufacturing Remains but the Charge
and the Verdict.

ment-Nothiue Remains but the Charge
and the Verdict.
San Francisco, Oct 3o.-District At
torney Barnes today appeared as the
central figure in the last scene Of the
trial Of Theodore Durrant- While the
specta tors in the crowded court room
craned their necks to catch every word
of the speaker, he delivered what is
considered in many respects one of the
strongest arguments ever made 10 a
California jury. Aside from being log
ical and convincing, in his discussion
of the testimony he made two or three
dramatic by-plays that put severe
test to the iron nerves Of the prisoner.
OF these scene the most impressive
took place in the early part Of his ar
gument when he spoke of how counsel
for the defense had invoked the spirit
Of Blanche Lamont, and voiced her
thought by saying: LET him go free,
he harmed me not"
While looking intently at the frame
bearing Miss Lamont's dress which
stood near the jury box,and telling how
in all her innocence and purity. Mr..
had seen the young school girl clothed
in all her innocence andp urity, Mr..
Barnes reached the climax of the scene.
DURANT THINKS IT'S FUNNY.
Turning upon Durrant, who was sea-
ted only three feet away, the district
attorney, with clenched fists and in a
voice Of thunder exclaimed:
Il see her now. There she stands
behind him at this very moment, not
praying for vengeance. for her deep an
remedhess wrong; not invoking retri-
button upon her murderer, but with
uplifted hands and streaming eyes,
praying that God will not leave it in
your hearts, by the mockery of a YER
dict of not guilty, 10 set free this mon
ster to prey upon other souls. pollute
with vile hands the unsullied snow Of
other children and defy anew that God
of justice, whose ministers you are"
Durrant was the least affected per-
son in the court room. While Mrs.
Noble, the dead girls aunt wept silent
ly and everybody else was thrilled with
the impressiveness of the scene, Dur
rant sat stolid and Indifferent. AS the
district attorneys last words were ut
thing in the ear of his mother, who sat
near him, and smiled. as if pleased at
the wit of his own remark.
Mr.. Barnes began his argument by
dwelling upon the personalities of Miss
Lamont and Durrant outlining the
grounds upon which the state bases it's
contention that no one but Durrant
could be the murderer.
BARNES ADDRESS.
He spoke in part as follows:
THE individual who perpetrated the
hideous murder with which the defen-
dant stands charged, and which has
narrowed the soul and frozen the biod
of this community. is no ordinary GRIM
inal;his crime in every respect in which
it may be considered is without paral-
lei. 1t was in every sense cold blood
ed, vicious murder. 1t was without the
slightest provocation or apparent ex-
cuse or palliation-
He took the life Of his victim not
with the savage mercy of a quick pis-
toll. or silent knife, but tortured her
with the lingering process of strangula-
ton, driving cruel fingers deep into
the tender flesh of her slender throat;
he hid the remains where he believed
they would Imain undiscovered and
have no promise of christian burial.
None saw the crime save God whom
he feared not"
Mr.. Barnes drew the conclusion that
she was murdered by some member of
the church who had keys to the build
ing and in whom she had confidence.
The murderer must also have ben a
man whose cunning was sufficient to
enable him to stifle that natural feel
ing Of timidity which always accom-
panies innocence and induced her TO go
alone with him TO a darkened church in
which they both 'worshipped on Sun
day. Such a man, he said, is Theodore
Durrant Only a monster capable of
taking the life of an innocent girl, he
said, could remain cool, impressive and
almost Indifferent when accused of
such crime. Durrant's testimony is
a mass of contradictions from begin
ming TO end, said Barnes.
The district attorney will conclude
his argument tomorrow afternoon.
when the jury will be charged and the
fate of Durrant placed in their keep
ing.