The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-05
Searching for Six More Good
Men and True to Try the
Case.
RAPIDLY NEARING THE END.
1t Is Hoped That the Full Jury Will
Have Been Secured by Thurs
/ day Next.
THE DURRANT CASE IN A MINUTE-T0
SEEK FOR JURORS TODAY

SEEK FOX JURORS TO-DAY.
The search for six more jurors to try William
Henry Theodore Durrant viii be resumed in
Judge Murphy's court this morning. Three
hundred veniremen have been summoned and
it is predicted that a full jury will be secured
not later than Thursday, so that the trial
proper will probably be commenced this week.
The prosecutions line of testimony has been
fully outlined, and only from the defense are
surprises expected.
The real battle in the Durrant case will
begin this week. The end of the skirmish
for jurors is confidently predicted for
Thursday, at the latest, and the real work
of the trial will begin at once. The prose-
cution will make the charge IS to what it
expects to prove against the young medi-
cal student, and the first witness of long
array will be placed on the stand to supply
his link in the chain of circumstances
encircling the prisoner.
The prosecutions line of testimony has
been public property for weeks. 1t has not
one witness other than has already APP
peared in the case. The District Attorney
is authority for this and the chief of detec
tives, Captain Lees. They certainly ought
to know, or, If there are other witnesses,
they have their particular reasons for not
making it public. 1t is more than likely,
however, that their statement is correct.
will not be as many witnesses for the pros
ecution by two, the Rev. J. George Gibson
and Conductor West of the Powell-street
line. Neither of them will appear at all if not
called by the Defense as they probably will
be. Captain Lees states that these wit
nesses were merely called in spirit of
fair play, to show the full hand or the
prosecution to the defense, so that afterward
no charge of concealment could be made.
Their testimony was taken down, direct
and cross examination, and from that
moment Captain Lees states that he con-
considered his duty done, and the prose-
cution decided 10 call them to the stand no
more.
The material of the prosecution thus be-
ing in plain sight the public can only ex.
pect surprises in the trial from the defense
and from the suggestive manner of coun-
sci for the defense when asked for informa-
ton it is fair to infer that the public will
be gratifed. Just what form these sur
prises will take is what is bothering those
who have been watching the progress of
the case and what will bother them until
the prosecution rests. 1t is well known
that the defense's main attack on the evil
dence rendered on the part of the prosecu.
ton will come by way OF proving an alibi,
and, incidentally, proving that the persons
who have testified that they saw Durrant
at certain places at certain times were MIS-
taken. Back of it all, nevertheless, coun-
sci for the defense will have to show pretty
conclusively, even if they shake the testi-
mony of the prosecution i'll this regard,
just where Durrant was at these certain
| times. If they can and do, that will be
the big surprise, bigger one than the
prosecution thinks the defense capable of
springing.
! 1t will not take very long for all these
things to be determined, mere matter of
few weeks, which will pass all so quickly
Tor the prisoner, no matter how slowly
time may seem to move. for the expectant
public, and the first day of these few
| weeks is this day, when the search for six
more jurors to fill the box will begin, with
800 citizens summoned on the panel, all to
be examined if necessary within four days,
within which period, Judging from the
progress already made, the box should be
filled and all preliminaries ended. The
trial of William Henry Theodore Durrant
for the murder of Blanche Lamont will
then have begun in earnest, to end in
liberty for the prisoner or as short shrift
at the end of moose as the laws delay
will permit.