The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-31

not tell what thoughts were passing in his
debased mind
At this point the noon recess was taken.
In the afternoon Mr.. Barnes continued
his argument.
DUrrant says he met
Blanche Lamont by accident.
Gentlemen, during the morning session en-
deavored to impress upon you my belief of
what constituted the duty of juror in case
OF this character. | asked you to consider
what manner of man this is, and whether the
kind OF man who went upon the stand and
with certain small cunning banded words
with the cross-e1aminer, whether such q man,
l say, as that could or would forego any oppor-
tun1ty that might come into his way for infu-
encing any human creature for evil or for good.
Turn back with me now to the Sd of April.
It was in the morning, at about a quarter past
8, you Will remember, that this defendant
came to the corner OF Twenty-frst and Mission
streets, that there he saw Blanche Lamont
coming from the opposite direction to take the
Mission-street electric car. In considering his
presence at this spot, remember that he was
there, as he says, to see George King about fix
ing the gasburner, that he met Blanche
Lamont by accident.
He lUent half a mile out
Of his lrGyt0 meet her.
This defendant was in the habit of leaving
his house early to go the Cooper Medical
College: Bear in mind that within hall a
block of his house he was near an electric car
which would have taken him nearer his desti.
nation. and yet he went eight or nine blocks
out OF his way. Gentlemen, do you believe
this story OF an accidental meeting with
Blanche Lamont? Is it not proper thing for
US to deduce from what we know that he went
down there to the corner of Twenty-irst and
Mission streets only for the purpose of meeting
this girl? Instead of going to Twenty-ffth and
Guerrero he walked seven or eight blocks out
OF his way, nearly half mile, down to the cor
when he knew this girl would be taking the
car, and there he waited for her just as he
waited for her later in the day. He went with
this girl down to the electric car, to Ninth and
Mission streets, took the Larkin-street transfer
to the Sutterstreet road and sat on the car in
the position he described himself. You will
remember now he cross-examined Schalm cunt
as TO the most minute particulars of that trip.
He tOGs troubled bya
ghost that lu0uld not dolun.
Everything he could possibly remember was
dragged out of him. General Dickinson says,
why, there is no contention of the fact that
defendant was on that car in the morning"
Gentlemen, what was the reason the defendant
did not deny that he was on the Larkin-street
car with Blanche Lamont on the morning of
April 3? Why did not he deny it as he denies
it in the case of Mrs. Vogel and all the other
witnesses? Gentlemen, l will tell you why 1t
was because there was a ghost that would not
down. Because, like all criminals, before he
got through with his crime, before the heavy
hand OF the law was laid on the shoulder, he
had to follow historical parallels since the time
of Cain and Abel. He had to say something
and see whether he was suspected of the muir.
der OF this girl. The human heart is not made
to contain guilty inhabitant like this The
man has got to talk. His breast will not hold
1t, and that is what happened in this case.
Why Durrant confessed
to the morning ride on the car.
There was schlaggerty, the friend and asso-
clate of this defendant, and three or four DAYS
after the Sd of April, after the disappearance
OF Blanche Lamont, while she was resting up
there in the belfry, all the time knowing
where the girl he said to Sphla rty -.
"D1d you see me on the car with girl the
other day? Well, that was Blanche Lamont,
the girl who disappeared" Gentlemen, he
had to say it. He wanted to speak to schlag-
gerty to see what he thought of it, and so he
did SO, and from his own lips came the comics
sion that he was on the car at that time 1t
was confession from the lips of this man who
proved so stolid and Unconditional, yet out of
whose own lips was laid the basis of this
charge. If three schoolgirls had seen him on
| the car, If an aged and respectable lady who
| had known him four years had seen him on
the car, If another lady who had known him
had seen him on the car or If an artornev-at-
| law had seen him on the car, what answer
would we have had2 "I never was with
| Blanche Lamont at all on that day." That is
the answer we would have had but for this
ghost.
Why Mrs; VogeE could identity
the defendant.
In the afternoon he could not wait to meet
the girl by accident, as he says he did in the
morning He went to the school and waited
and by the most fortunate of all circumstances
| the most fortunate thing for justice and the
most unfortunate thing for this defendant
upon the opposite side of Powell street to the
Normal School sat Mrs. Vogel. l do not pro-
pose to discuss Mrs. Vogeps testimony except
! in the light in which the gentlemen for the
defense have regarded this testimony. It has
| been said that she never had seen him before
l think that Mrs Vogel gives the best possible
explanation of why she watched this man.
| She is nervous and excitable. Now, it was
that very excitability that led her to regard
this defendant as she did. She was in charge
of some money-about $500. Part of it be-
| longed to somebody else, and she was respon-
| s1ble for Its custody. She knew that she had
| this money in the house and that there had
been a burglary committed in the neighbor-
| hood. She became suspicious of the defendant.
They arere seen to get on the
dummy Of PoluclLstreet CO...
To use her own expression che waited too
| long" She thought there was another burglary
| going to be committed in that neighborhood
and put her eye on that young man. Not sat
| lshed with looking at him. she used her opera.
! glasses. They claim failure of identification
| How is such thing possible when the opera.
| glasses were placed to the eyes that mistake
could be made? l submit that 1t Is against hu.
man experience. l submit that she was NOT
| mistaken, and that the defendant was there
! wandering around up and down, watching and
! lingering for this girl She saw him there
| waiting on the sidewalk. She saw two voune
| girls come down from the Normal School and
! saw this defendant address those girls raise