Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-11-03


md he would. as he has done, sneer-
lngly smile in the awful presence OF
relics OF his victim, torn by his
hands from her stiffening body, and
exhibit neither passion nor emotion,
neither sympathy o regret for the
child he had brought to
u premature grave. Such n man
could well lie in Jail awaiting his
trial for murder, and clothe his vii
lainy with the mask Of Il pretended
trust in the Jehovah whom he has
detied, and play the saint with verses
and phrases stolen from holy writ.
lie could listen with grim complacen-
cy while his counsel struggled TO
weave a web Of suspicion and accusa.
ton around one whom he knew to be
innocent, and from the beginning to
the eEd OF his trial for the highest
crime known to the law, remain the
same nerveless, impossible, smiling
villain.
i am aware, gentlemen, that in a
case OF this character; equally with
that where crimes less a~trocious are
laid to the charge of any creature, the
case OF the people must rest npon its
strength and not upon the weakness
or the failure OF counsel to prove that
which he most confidently promised
to establish. l have not the time. MOI
should you possess the patience to
wait on me while 1 compare the bold
and confident utterances OF alleged
facts exculpatory Of his client, into
which zeal has betrayed the advocates
for the defendant, with the wretched
and total failure Of proof. II such
comparison is obvious, you can make
1t for yourselves. l must observe,
however, that / listened to the opening
statement for the defense with an alb
sorblng interest. l was disappointed
in little. What | heard | expected to
hear, save IL thought which filled
me with amaZement and pain. The
learned counsel who opened the case
OF the defender invoked the spirit OF
Blanche Ian. mt and voiced her
thought by saying, Let him go free,
he harmed me not
Gentleman, like the counsel, ]
have felt her presence during all the
long and tedious days of this impor-
tant trial. | have seer her. rs she
was on the Sd day of Apnl last, rs she
left her school and her classes, with
her little burden OF books and ape
L fill again that slender robe before
me with her girlish form. Above it |
see her sweet face, haloed by its
wealth of hair. her gentle eyes, her
smiling mouth dropping kindly
words, bubbling up from the unpol-
luted depths OF II pure heart. / have
seen her rs she was when the defend.
addressed her at the door of the
Normal School. / have SO seen her
very day; | see her now. There she
behind him at this hour; not
praying vengeance for her deep and
'emedIleSs wrong, not for the laws OF
etribution upon her murderer, but
With uplifted hands and streaming ,
yes praying that God will not put it
nto your hearts, by the mockery OF Il
'erdict OF not guilty, to set free this ,
ionster to prey upon other gentle
pollutc with vile hands the I'M. ,
unned snow OF other children, and
ely anew that god of justice, whose
minister's you are" :
In speaking OF Durrant's defense, !
District Attorney Barnes said an
lib was the first and favoritc
OF criminals to escape JUS
ice.
"Durrant's testimony is Il mass OF
Contradictions from beginning to
nd said Mr.. Barnes. "Not only
as he contradicted the testimony Of .
lie prosecutions witnesses, but he :
las contradicted the testimony OF his
wn. submit to you, gentlemen. ;
hat there is nothing in the testimony :
the defendant or OF any witness
presented by the defense to establish
he alibi that the defense has tried to
'uild up in this case" !,
Mr.. Barnes said he believed il had
zen conclusivcly proved that Dur.
ant did not attend DR.. Chcney's lee :
unc on the afternoon Of April 3, not. :
outstanding the fact that tho prison. :
r Is marked present on the roll call. i,
wen IL n o one else anrwcrcd for Dur. !
ant, he said the roll-call was but a !
opy Of the original record and been :
roved to contain crrOrs. IL Durrant ,
at the lecture, he asked, why Mt ,
east one student out Of the class OF .
eYcnty.fOur had not been brought :
)rward to testify to the fact? Why :
al no witnesses been produced who .
iw Dnrrant Oh his way from the col. '
'ge to the churchY c
The District Attorney said there :
as every reason for believing DIR. .
'raham's testimony to tho effect that :
. -. 2ss-c.. .Ull him he had !,
D notes Of the lecture and asked TO y
Drrow his. DR.. Graham was n ;
lend and classmate Of Durrant. and .
Ould have no motive for telling a :
lgehood. At that time Durrant had "
ade Il copy OF Gla2cr's notes, but he !,
antcd Il copy OF Gralam's in order
mt he might make enough changes
that II would not be apparent that :
; had copied from Glazer's. With y
gard TO the statement made by Gen. y
nj Dickinson 10 tho effect that Inc .