The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-02
How Durrant Got Rid of the
Telitale Blood Stains.
he STRANGLED MISS WILLIAMS.
Then Attended the Meeting Of the
Church Young Peoples Society.
Next He Returned To Hack the Corpse.
Then Went Home 10 Burn Ills
Clothes Commercial Traveller
Clarke Cannot Help nurrant.

san Francisco. Aug. IA fifth Juror
was secured az the forenoon session Of
the superior court where Theodore Dur
rant is being tried for the murder OF
Blanche Lamont. lie is Walter 5. Brown.
wholesale merchant. At the afternoon
session. when thirty talesmen had been
excused. c. II. Nathan. also "A merchant.
was accepted ny both sides and sworn in
as the sixth juror. The case then went
over until Monday. AS the trial pro-
crosses interest in IL seems 70 lag. Tho
crowd of morhdly curious people who
have assembled at the court room day af-
ter aa9 is growing less. IL may he that
the cessation OF interest IS due 10 the fact
that the court proceediags are confined
to the duh work of securing jury. When
tho taking OF testimony begins interest in
the Emanuel church tragedies may revive.
The police have learned of a witness
whose story. II repeated in court. may
prove disastrous To Theodore Durrants
defense against the murder charges with
which he is dealing. The new witness
Is a woman. and IL is said she declares
that on the night OF the murder Of Mia
ME Williams Durrant arrived home very
/ late and burned omethiug-pTobably
clothing-in a stove before he retired 10
his bedroom The young medical student
claims tha, on the night Minnie Williams
met her tragic fate he escorted two young
ladies home from the reception at the
Nogel residence. and then went 10 his
own abode. on Fair Oaks street. where
he remained until about o'clock tha
next morning.
The police have contended all along
that Durrant strangled Minnie Williams
before he went to DR.. Nogels. and after
the reception returned and hacked her
body with knife The story on which
they are now working follows up this
IDEA. Mrs. Durrant, the mother of the
accused. has stated that her son arrived
st-E ~ ,Frrf.F -
same time as usual. and went directly
to bed. This story has lust been directly
contradicted by s,-~pman who claims that
she stopped IN the Durrant house that
night. She has told a feminine friend ~
hers that she was awakened ny the noise
which Durrant made getting into tho
house.
II heard the noise downstairs" shs
said made hy somebody who was at The
stove. Mrs. Durrant called out: us that
you. Theoiore7' The answer came: Yes
What are you doing down there2 asked
the young mans mother. 7 am burning
some old letters OF mine he replied
paid no more attention 10 the matter.
hut soon 7 detected the odor of burning
clothing. II was long after midnight
when this occurred. and 7 thought no
more about the matter until I heard that
Theodore was charged with the murder
OF Minnie Williams. Then the expert
ence OF that night came back to me.
But have kept my own counsel. as / do
not wish to get mixed UP in the matter"
The police authorities are very reticcnt
as 10 this important witness, but the gen
eral impression is that they have located
her and Will have her I'm court at ths
proper time Capt Lees, chief OF dctec-
tives I'm speaking on tha subject today.
admitted that he had heard the story, hut
would give no information regarding the
identity OF the witness. In fact. he de-
-. L,
which such matter could be effective
said he. would ne TO have the witness tell
her story on the witness stand. I have
heard that the lady has told the story. hut
whether she win tell it In court IL an
other matter"
The Chronicle says: Charles II. Clarke
did not see Blanche Lamont with man
who looked like Theodore Durrant, hnt
who was not Durrant. on Powell street
car on April 3. the day Miss Blanche WAS
murdered in Emanuel church. Therefore.
Clarke's deposition will not be taken in
Boston 10 be used at the trial of Durrant.
and the testimony of three young girls
that they saw Durrant and Miss Lamont
on the car win go unchalenged 40 far as
Clarke is concerned. Today Mrs. Clarke.
wife OF the man who is now IN Boston.
made statement ~ Cant. Ices. District
/ Attorney Barnes. Eugene Deuprey and
John II. Dickinson which proves Colcl1-
, a Powell street car at the time blanche
Lamont Is known TO have taken her last
street car ride She also exhibited a let
ter from Clarke tn herself. written from
/ Boston, In which he stated that he was
mistaken as 10 the date
The letter said that Clarke was riding
on the dummy OF Powell street car.
and sitting close 10 him was a young
lady escorted by a young man. At the
corner Of Powell ana Market streets the
young lady took a transfer Ia a Market
street car. The young man took no trans
fer Clarke stated that he saw the cou-
say. "Goodby, Miss Lamont as ne raised
his hat and left her. II Is known that
Clarke on April 3. tho day Blanche La
mont was murdered. was at his mother =
bedside all dav until f.30 o'clock I'm the
afternoon IL was therefore impossible
for him 70 have seen Miss Lamont on a
street car that day. Clarkc's mother. aIrs.
Myirae came here from Los Angeles
about April and had "A surgical opera
ton performed. ~Dn April she was very
m and because Of that illness Mrs. clarks
remembers the date on that day Clarke
arose at 8 o'clock and after breakfast
went TO his mothers house, where ne re-
uafned all day. Mrs. Clarke remembers
a dav when Clarke could have seen Miss
Lamont with a man. but II was a week
dav the girl Was murdered. II was week
rrior 20 April 3 A result of these de-
velopments the police are highly delight
cd. as Clarke's testimony as outlined "
the defense would have seriously affected
the case OF the prosecution against Dur
rant.
This. Cofnag. I'm July.
-aaN