The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-17


decorate with. The rear door was PROB
blv open and they would get in that way.
7 Frequently found the rear door open.
When that happened [ always supposed
the pastor was in the church.
O.LWhen did you see Durrant last? A
I saw Durrant about o'clock last Friday
afternoon at the ferries. l asked him what
he was doing. He said he had been there
all the afternoon and that he had a clew to
the disappearance of Miss Blanche Lamont.
He said it was rumored that she would
leave that afternoon TO visit some
friends in the country and he was
on the lookout for ner. He told
me that the detective employed by
Mr.. Noble did not seem very efficient. In
the first place he would not do anything
until fee of $50 was paid him. Durrant
thought that was not fair because the Off
Ger was getting SIS day from the Govern
ment. Next Durrant told me that when
the officer got the money he asked a few
simple questions. ''How old was Miss La
month" he asked, and when told q, he
said: " Oh, why bother about her She's
able to take care of herself" The detec-
tive, according to Durrant, called upon DIR.
NOgel, and asked him to make inquiries
among his friends, and if he heard any
thing Of the missing girl to report to him.
Just before parting Durrant said to me {:
The detective is a poor one, and l m help
ing him out because of the interest taken
In the disappearance by the church people
Besides L m looking out for some one else. 3"
The witness could not swear whether he
had ever seen Durrant and Blanche La
mont in the church or walking together.
DIR. J. George Gibson, pastor of Emman-
uel Baptist Church, was the next witness
called. He answered the questions put to
him readily, but got irritated once or twice
over questions that were put to him. He
wanted to be asked about certain occur
rences in a certain way, and DIR. HAWKINS
told him sharply that he would conduct
the examination in 4 manner that suited
himself.
Il last saw Minnie Williams alive when
the young people gave me reception She
was alone"
Q.-Do YOU know Theodore Durrant?
Al do. The last time ! saw him was at
DR.. VogeTs. 1t was last Friday, between
the hours of $3.50 and IL P. NJ. 1 got TO
Dr. Vogel's about 100, and Durrant came
a long time afycr as the business meeting
of the Young Peoples Society was all over.
He was the secretary of the society, I
think, and should have been there. Miss
Lizzie Marshall was appointed to fill his
place.
Q.-Who were present at the meetingP
A.-Dr. Vogel, Miss Daisy Wolf, Gertie
Ta0er, Miss Fall, Charley Marshall and
Clarence Wolf.
Q.-Was Miss Kate Stevens there2 A
She was.
Q.-Wass Miss Minnie Lord there? A
She was. After the business meeting we
had q social chat and a few games. | had
no special chat with Durrant and did not
hear him make any excuse for being late.
The meeting broke up q little after IL
o'clock, but ! am not very sure whether
Theodore Durrant was there at that time
or not.
Q.-What did you do after leaving DR..
IL Il.
cars and, hearing some one shouting, 1
waited. Miss Fall, Miss Marshall, Gertie
Taber and some others came along, and we
all walked up TWenty-secOnd street 10 Va
lencia and then turned down TO my house.
We stopped at my door, and Miss Taber
said, Now, we have seen you home, Mr..
Gibson goodnight"
Odd you ever see Durrant in the
company of Miss Williams? Al never
did. / have seen him walking with Blanche
Lamont.
Q.-Who gave out the keys? Al really
don't know. l bought my own. l always
thought that Theodore Durrant had key
and [ have seen him in the church when
he was alone. He was a very handy man:
kept our electrical apparatus in order
drew illustrations on the blackboard for
the children and used to sing for US.
never saw him coming from the belfry
tower
A jurOr-What happened while You were
in the church on Saturday morning? A
In my statement to the CALL | said: Sat
urday morning l got up early, Sunday
being Easter, and got to the church at 9
O'Clock, which IS an hour earlier than I
usually get there. The door was closed.
but unlocked. / stepped inside and heard
a noise as of some one walking in the
hbrary-room. l said to myself, 'Oh, it's
Just the janitor or his boy cleaning up
As it was TOO early for the mail l went
right up the back stairs into my study
The janitOr's boy came in Find
ing the door unlocked at an earlier
hour than usual he wondered if l was
in the study. He came up the back stairs,
listened, heard me reading aloud and then
went back about his work. Before he came
/ was conscious that some one was in the
building, but did not 90 to see, thinking
that the janitor wanted TO make a special
cleanup for Easter. After a short time I
went into the church and spoke to the
janitor's boy, telling him not TO clean the
platform till the afternoon. He said, Mr..
Gibson, do you know that the library has
been broken open| | said, No but don t
you say anything and | will see about it. ,
Knowing my mail would be downstairs |
went down into the front hallway. | saw
the door of the library broken open. l
looked at the lock, went into the little
room, looked around, but as everything
was in perfect order it did not strike me to
open the door of the little closet under the
stairs where the books are kept, so I passed
out" | have nothing to add to that.
Q.-Have you not stated that you were
in the company of Durrant from to on
Saturday night? Al never made anv
such statement, and l was not in his com
pany.
Q.-Who told you that Miss Williams
was murdered in the church? Airs.
Nolte came to my room and told me.
went and called DR.. King. and together we
visited the church. | got Dr. King to go
along because l wanted a witness All the
rest you know. [ only saw Durrant alone
in the church once. He was then arrang-
ing the books in the library.
With the conclusion Of DR. Gibson's tes-
timony the Coroner adjourned court until
this morning.
The witnesses yet TO be examined are:
Mrs. Nolte, $40 Twenty-frst street; II. E.
Shook, Golden Gate Undertaking Parlor:
James Sademan, 251a Lapidge street; DR..
Vogel, 1902 Howard; Officer j. A. Feenev
and Sergeant Burke; c. NJ Wolfe, $50
Twenty-third; J. J. McGreeyy, 1877 Bart
lett; A. E. Williams, 617 Bush; c. J. No
BILE, SO First; G. T. Hills 303N Bartlett; G.
H MarstOn, 50 Stevenson; Mrs. A. s. and
Miss Voy, 1907 Howard; Harry Shook,
2429 Mission; janitor, armory, corner Page