Evening journal., 1895-04-16

~" -'"'A 'A 'h7 Ahy tstht Miss La
mont Disappeared-Du Durant Led a Jelsyi
and Hyde Existence, 1t Is said.
SAN FRANCISCO. April 16. --Thoro is no
abatement OF popular interest IN tho
dreadful crimes that have desecrated
Emanuel Baptist church. IL was sup.
posed that the arrest Of Theodore Dnrant
would put an end 70 tho mystery sur
rounding the deaths Of the two yonno
girls who were lured to their fate but the
prisoner coolly denies any knowledge OF
the crimes and declares fatty that ho onn
bring proof 20 show that It would have
been physically impossible for him to have
been IN the church when the crimes wore
committed. He has q following IN the
church that remains loyal to him, buu tho
majority believe with the police that the
evidence against him is conclusive
The chief myatery now Is whether lac
hnd accomplices. Those who have made
Q study Of tho stene Of the murder of
Blanoh lamont declare that no one Of the
strength Of Durant. who Is only foot
inches and of slight build, could have car
ried, unaided. the body OF tho woman IN
the marrow winding stairway to the church
belfry.
On this point they base their belief that
no had at least one acoomplice in the
church, and the man suspected is a chuin
Of Durant, who has shown groat sympa.
thy for Durant He was i'm the church on
the morning that Blanch Lamont was
killed Durant declared that the man
was playing the organ while he was fix
ing the electric wires near the belfry
whore the girls body was found.
The fact that Mrs. Forsythc, married
woman, who was a member OF the Eman-
uel church, has been missing for a week
has caused the suspicion that a conspiracy
existed among two or more mmnbers OF
the church for running women aud that
their work became SO bold that murder
was inevitable to prevent discovery.
Another Woman Missing.
The facts rs gathered by the police show
that Durant tried to scduoe Blanch In
mont and then killed her. and the murders
OF the second girl was to prevent her from
revealing his attempts to ruin Miss La
mont.
Theodore Durant has been formally
charged with the murder Of Mimic vii
liams Tho coronor's inquest upon Miss
Williams will bo held today. Il will be a
dual investigation. The police will pro-
ducu their evidence regarding tho murder
Of both girls They say they have moro
than enough testimony to convict Durant
| of murder.
Tho city is alive with sensational ru-
mors regarding the horrible tragedy. Tho
street in front OF the Emanuel Baptist
church was blocked all day with curious
and excited crowds Police and detectives
spent tho day in searching all hooks and
corners OF the city for further evidence
which may throw light upon the crime
| The police believe Ia impossible FOR tho
butcher Of Miss Williams 20 hava accom-.
/ plished his brutal murder without having
smcnred with blood some article Of cloth-
/ ing.
To find some trace Of tho assassin s
presence was the object Of their unsuccass
| ful search
George King. organist OF tho church
where the horrible crimes were commit
ted made statement To Chief Of police
| Crowley which tends to fix one crime. at
least the murder of Miss Lamont. upon
Durant. King says that on April 3. tho
day Miss lamont was missed, he went In
to the church about D. M 20 practice On
the organ. saw Durant therO much
TO my surprise. Ho cnmc down 20 the orr
gan loft in a highly excited and ovcrheat
cd condition. ! asked him what was the
matter, and he replied that no had been
overcome by gas up In the loft He was
very weak and pale and asked me TO give
him a glass of bromo seltzer ] knew ho
was fitting up an electrical contrlvanre
about the church and thought nothing
strange about his going up ia the loft 70