The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-05

San Francisco. Oct. If the manner in
which ths attorneys for the defense in
the trial OF Theodore Durrant are hand
Ing their case is any indication Of the
strength or their position. the prosecution
believes the developments OF today leave
little doubt Of the prisoners conviction.
TO the surprise OF everybody. the defense
this afternoon began the calling Of wit
nesses TO show the previous good character
OF the young Sunday school superintend-
ent BY the prosecution this step is inter-
preted 10 mean that the defense has intro
duced all Of the evidence that il has 10
refute the mass OF testimony piled Up by
the people. IL this be true, the verdict
OF the jury Is foreg0ne conclusion. Not
only has the defense failed 70 establish an
alol Tor Durrant. but Ii has actually
strengthened the case against the prisoner.
Miss Cunningham, the newspaper reporter
VINO was threatened with imprisonment
yesterday because she would not answer a
question propounded 70 her by the defense,
was called 20 the stand again this morn
Ing % give her another opportunity u an
s@er the question. She refused 70 disclose
the source Of her information with re-
gard - the nature of Mrs. Leaks tssti-
m0ny. but, instead OF sandng her 70 prison.
the court took the matter under advise
'ment until next Tuesday. IN a similar
case the supreme court OF California sus-
ana the court Is therefore in doubt with
regard 70 rs power in the premises.
Kev. j. George Gibson pastor OF Eman-
uel Baptist church. was called by the de-
Tense for the purpose of Identifying speci-
mems Of his handwriting The witness re-
Iused positively 10 identity any Of the spec
linens handed to him. He safG the writing
looked like his own. but as the documents
had not been In his possession for some
time II at ALL he could not positively
identify the writing. At the request of
Attorney Deuprey, Rev. Gibson printed
the name and address Of Mrs. c. G. Noble,
Blanche Lamonts aunt. He also wrote
several specimens for the district attorney.
which were introduced in evidence The
writing Of Rev. Gibson will play an IMPORT
ant part in the future proceedings as At
torney Deuprey announced in his opening
statement that he would prove that Mr.
Gibson directed the wrapper in which
blanche Lamont's rings were returned to
Mrs. Noble. While Rev. Gibson was writ
Ing the specimens for the defense he be-
came very excited and bobhed out OF the
clerks chair, in which he was sitting,
very frequently. TO ask questions of the
court or TO complain that the task asked
OF him was unfair. Mr.. Gibson was asked
70 write the name and address or Mrs
Noble with the letters "N'' and "B" IN
the word Noble printed This request oc-
casioned some trouble, as the minister be-
came confused and said he was all at
sea Il see a paper here If your honor
Please" he said. with these letters print
ed. Do ] understand that I am 10 follow
these2' NO, sir" said the Judge: '.just
print in the ordinary way IS If vou had
never seen the paper in your life 4
can't do that" replied the minister. Cant
you print?" inquired his honor. Gibson
said he could. We'll, print those letters.
then. in your ordinary way" The pastor
did as he was bid. seated at the clerks
desk. All the people in the court room
craned their necks 10 see the minister
write and Durrant half peeped between
the shoulders OF his attorneys infenfiy
gazing upon the exhibition Of penmanshfn.
Mr.. Gibson was triie slow. but at length
the writing was finished and introduced in
evidence by the defense
l.. T. revings. a newspaper reporter.
was called by the defense for the ntrp0se
Of ascertaining If he wrote an article which
was published on April Is. in which Dctec-
tive Gibson was quoted as saving that he
saw the prints Of a No. or shoe I'm the
belfry whore Blanche Tsmont's body was
f0G0e The witness said he could not say
positively whether or not he wrote the ar
tic'e but ne was of The impression that
he ala not.
The defense summoned ex-Congressrnan
Henley and several other witnesses 10
show the had reputation OF Attorney Outn-
Ian. who testified that on the afternoon ~
April 2 he saw Durraa' and Blanche Ia
mont walking toward Emanuel church
Fifteen witnesses were paced on the
stand 20 show the previous good reputa-
tion Of Durrant. The witnesses all regard
e3 Durrant as n model Young man. and
uot one had ever heard of his doing any
thing wrong. The cross-eXa minati9n was
brief. as the prosecution expects - have
no 6iflculty in proving that purr3nt's i'm
morality was notorious among tho lower
classes with whom he often associated.
Summed up briefly. the result Df The first
ten days of testimony introduced by the de-
fensc Is as follows: Dr. Cheney failed 70
testify as Attorney DeupTcy saia he would.
that Durraut was present az the lecture
efvcn on the afternoon Blanche lamont
was murdered. the prosecution establish
e8 the fact fha, the rol caIl book in which
Durraut vas recorded present AZ ERE le~-
ture lis unreliable. as another student IS
recorded present Who testified that he was
absent To offset these two strong points
gained av she prosecution the defense has
placed on the stand sixfy-e{ght students.
wha testified that they did not answer 20
purranss name az ~eli eaN on April 3
As ncxt Monday s. Labor day. court a.-
fourus3 until Tuesday.
Tife IS worth ,ivinS when yoGr cook
,seS Tar Prices Ezkinc P3wt.er.