The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-23
PRELIMINARIES BEGIN
Eager Spectators AaXou; to Catch a
Glimpse Of The Proceedings
ONE CRANK SHOWS HER FACE
No Additional Facts Brought Out
Miss Williams Father Testi-
fies-The Prisoner Pale
and Haggard.

SAN Francisco, April 22.-For hours
before the preliminary examination Of
Theodore Durrant commenced, in Judge
Conion's court this morning a crowd COM
menccd to gather, and a squad of police
were stationed at the entrance to tho ball
to preserve order. Judge Conlon's court
room was crowded to suffocatiou, a nd not
Few policemen were stationed in differ
ent parts OF the room on the lookout for
cranks, who have written threatening
letters to the Judge. Before the court
opened 5000 people surrounded the hall
and filed the approaches. When the de-
fendant arrived all eyes were turned upon
him and he was sketched from all points
OF view by the newspaper artists. The
prisoner looked pale and concerned, but
showed no emotion.
A photographer exhibited several photo
graphs OF the scenes i'm the church and
two large pictures OF Marian Williams,
showing the wounds, and the work of the
physicians were exhibited and attracted
much attention. They presented q re-
voting sight.
Mrs. Morgan, with whom Miss Williams
had lived in Alameda, was called to the
stand. She said that she last saw Minnie
Williams on the morning OF the 18th inst,
and that deceased had told her she was
going to Mrs. voy's house. She knew
Durrant: He had called at her house last
summer and stayed half an hour. She
had not seen him this month.
Charles II. Morgan, husband of the
preceding witness. said that the girl was
counted as one OF tho family. He could
not identify the face shown in the photo-
graphs. He also failed to identify the
purse found in Durrant's overcoat pocket.
Here the name of A. L. Williams, the
father OF the dead girl, was called, but in
bis place young woman rushed to the
stand and said that no one should testify
before her. She gave the name of Will
hanson aud said that she would be the
one to judge Durrant and ordered him re-
leased. The police tried to remove her.
but she would not let thom touch her, but
left the stand voluntarily after some
words. She handed an incoherent letter
to the clerk. She said she was sent by
God to judge Durrant. The woman was
subsequently, identified as Laura Lucy
Gould Williamson, of lilo Leavenworth
street. She declared herself to be an
"smisary of-God." She disappeared after
being removed from the court room.
A. Z. Williams then took the stand and
%t~AfsAN1 saC Pahoo III DuEfAut
overcoat as the one he had given his
daughter.
Sergeant Burke identified n bunch of
Keys as the one found in tho pocket OF
Durranrs overcoat, with the exception of
n 18th key, which he said had been given
him by George King on April 13. Burke
then told of the finding of the body of
Marian Williams in the book closet Of
the library, identified the pieces of the
young woman's underclothing which had
been taken out of her throat, where they
had been thrust, the broken piece of the
table knife found on her body, and tho
stick which had been used by the mur-
derer in forcing the strips of clothing
down the girls throat. He also testified
to the condition of the library door, the |
lock of which had been broken.
Sergeant Burke then gave a bit of sem |
sational evidence which has not como out |
before to-day. He said that when he, in |
with other officers, examined |
the lavatory or wash room in the back |
part OF the church, just to the rear OF the |
pulpit, he saw blood stains on the wash |
basin and the wall just above 1t. Ser |
eeant Reynolds. in charge OF the search
ing squad, had called his attention to |
these stains. Napt
Maggie Fitzpatrick identified Durrant
as the young man who had called on her
and two friends on Mission street April |
II, on the night Miss Williams was muir
iered. She said he was agitated. He had
her for some one else.
Another girl who was with her corrobor-
ated her evidence, but could not identify
Durrant, though she identified tho coat
and hat he wore. The place where these
girls say they saw Durrsnt is about two
blocks from the church. They said they
saw him between and 9:15 y. IN.
The last witness for the day was Mrs.
Mary NJ. Mccoy, a laundress. who testi-
led that she saw a man and a young
near Emanuel church, between Z
md 8 o'clock on April II. They appeared
% her to be lovers. The man was urging
he girl to accede TO some proposition and
he girl seemed to be coaxing him not to
nsist. just as she passed them she
heard the man say: "You are a coward.n
rne man was dressed in long oyercoat
md dark soft hat.