The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-08
A Theory Coincident With the
Story Of Frank Young of
Alameda.
HER OWN PECULIAR GESTURE.
DR.. Moody, the Girls Physician, Tells
an Interesting Story - Mrs.
Mowers Testimony.

"If Durrant did kill Minnie Williams
why did he do it?" is asked by many
persons interested in the crime.
The statement of Frank Young, the
Alamedan, which was published in yester-
days CALL. has thrown a new light on the
matter. His story, taken with the testi-
mony of Clark II. Morgan, which was
gwen at the Coroner's inquest, furnishes
the likeliest kind of a motive why the man
who murdered Blanche Lamont should
have wished Minnie Williams out OF the
way.
1t was with the family of Clark H. Nor
gan that Minnie Williams made her home.
He was a sort of foster-father to her, in
fact would have been were she not be-
yond the age at which she could have been
legally adopted. He thought as much of
her as of his own child, and she had like
confidence in him, and talked to him as
she might have done to her own father.
She had told him of her relations to
Theodore Durrant, and had informed him
of an unpleasant experience she had had
with the now condemned student.
Mr.. Morgan went on the witness-stand
at the Cororner's inquest over the body OF
Minnie Williams and testified that she had
confided to him that Durrant had at one
time made an improper proposal to her.
She told Frank Young in his store at
Alameda the day before she was muir
dered, that she knew too much about the
disappearance of Blanche Lamont"
The inference, therefore, is that Minnie
Williams was in San Francisco the Sd of
April; that she must have met Theodore
Durrant and Blanche Lamont together,
and that he, in view of his recent con.
mont, must have decided to put her out
of the way, remembering that he had
offered her an insult, and knowing be-
cause of that fact and that she had seen
him with his first victim, she would be g.
most damaging witness against him should
he be apprehended as he expected.
This is the theory of the motive for the
held by the prosecution, and to work it
out the police are n search of evidence to
prove that Minnie Williams was in the
City the afternoon of April 3, when
Blanche Lamont was last seen alive.
The theory of the supposed meeting be-
tween Durrant, Blanche Lamont and Min
ME Williams is this: There is period of
about twenty minutes that has never been
accounted for when Durrant and Blanche
Lamont are supposed to have changed
cars at Powell and Market streets. The
time that must have been consumed in
Emmanuel Baptist Church, figuring from
the time they were seen by Mrs. Caroline
Leak TO enter the churchyard gate, leaves
an interval of perhaps twenty minutes
which, as stated, has never been accounted
for
The theory, therefore, is that Minnie
Williams met the couple during that in
terval. If such a meeting can be proven
the motive for the commission of the Sec
ond crime will be reasonably established.
When Minnie Williams said to Frank
Young. q know too much about the dis
appearance of Blanche Lamont" she did
not say what she knew, but to this in
quiry as to what it was returned an evasive
answer and left his store. Had she re-
piled there is very little doubt she would
have said she was in the City that after
noon in April and had seen Blanche La
mont in the company OF Theodore Dur
rant during that unaccounted-for interval.
As yet no one has been found who saw
Minnie Williams in the City the afternoon
of April 3, but there is strong reason to
believe she was mere, and the story of
Frank Young emphasizes the belief. II
she was not here and did not see the
couple together how could she have known
so much about Blanche Lamont's disap-
pearance?
Mr.. and Mrs. Clark II. Morgan, with
whom Minnie Williams made her home,
have moved to Tacoma, Wash, since the
murder. Mrs. Morgan was seer at her
home in that city by CALL correspondent
last evening She was not at that time
able to state positively whether the girl
was in the City that day, but said:
81 am inclined to believe Minnie was in
San Francisco that afternoon, although
cannot remember positively. l know she
had friends there whom she visited quite
often and l remember of her speakin g
about them shortly before the Sd of April,
saying she intended visiting them again
soon, and | feel sure it was on April that
she went to the City last on that mission. u
In view of Mrs. Morgan's statemant it is
believed some one will yet be found who
will rem ember seeing Minnie Williams in
the City that day, even if no one can be
found who actually saw the three young
people together.
Mrs. A. B. Voy, from whose home the
unfortunate girl went forth TO her death
on that April evening, is certain that she
called on her subsequent to March %, and
week or more before April IL. This call
was in order to make arrangements for her
STAY in the City after Mr.. and Mrs G. II.
Morgan should leave for Tacoma. Mrs.
Voy has not yet been able to fix that date,
but believes it was on or about April 3.
DR.. Mary w. Moody of 1920 Howard
street, who attended the girl when she was
afflicted with lumbago a short time ago,
remembers seeing her crossing Twenty
first street, ct Mission, shortly before or
after that date. She commented upon the
girls changed appearance, and thought
she looked like one who had undergone a
severe mental struggle.
''She looked jaded and worn," said the
doctor, "and | could not but notice the
change since / had last seen her. She
passed on without recognizing me. but
could not Danish the careworn little face
from my mind"
DIR. Moody believes this was near the
Date of the first murder, but has not been
able, as yet, to determine it.
Mrs William McMurray of 29261I Folsom
street, in whose employ Minnie Williams
was for several months, says the gesture