Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-27
BAD FOR DURRANT
His AIibi Fails to Connect at a
Most Critical Point.
100 MUCH PROMISED BY DurREY.

Professors at the Medical College Decline
tn swear That the Accused was at the
Lecture ON the Fateful Afternoon-A
Record introduced That Doesn't Seem
of Much valuc-Isclfry Door brought
Into the Court Room.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27.-The Key
stone in the arch Of Durrant's alibi crum-
bled and fell yesterday. The witness
upon whom the attorneys for the defense
depended most to sustain their contention
that Durrant was attending a lecture at
Cooper Medical college at the hour when
Blanche Lamont was murdered gave dis
appointing testimony. Instead Of testify
ing that Durrant was present at the lee
lure, as Attorney Duprey said DIR. Cheney
would do, the doctor said he had no recOl-
lection of seeing the young medical stu
dent To offset this reverse the defense
gained oBlzAhe. pOint-the admission -
~ exhibit pf The roll-call books at the col
lcgc In which Burrant was recorded pres
ent at the lecture given on the afternoon
of April 8. The prosecution holds the
roIl-call book in little esteem, from the
fact that it will place witnesses on the
stand to prove that Durrant frequently
asked his classmates to answer to his name
when he was absent, and that they COM
piled with his request.
Noisy Crowd In the Corridors.
The crush in the corridors at the en-
trance to the court was greater than upon
any other day since the trial began. Men
and women fought for admission, while
the sheriff and score of deputies strug-
glcd as desperately to keep the crowd back
At times the confusion outside was so
great that the proceedings of the court
were interrupted. AT length Judge Muir
Aphy summoned the sheriff and ordered
him to clear the corridors. If the sheriff $
forces was insufficient the judge said he
would call on the chief of police for a
squad of men to execute the order. Ser
gcant Reynolds, the police officer who con-
Quoted the search of Emanuel church after
the discovery of the bodies of Blanche La
mont and Minnie Williams, was the first
witness called to the stand.
Bloody Shoe in Evidence.
He was asked about the chisel marks
found in the door leading to the belfry.
The door and casing through which the
tim were brought into the court and
formed one of the most interesting cx-
hibits produced. The witness testified
that the marks correspondcd in size to a
chisel found in tool box in Rev. John
George Gibson's study. The witness was
also asked to identify shoe supposed to
have been stained with blood which was
found in the pastors study. As Sergeant
Reynolds did not know to whom the shoe
belonged Sergeant Burke was called, but
hp,was also in ignoranco with regard to
the ownership of the shoe.
Didn't See Durr,nt at the Lecture.
DR.. W. Cheney, Of the Cooper Medical
college, was the next witness. He said
the lecture on April began ut $3.50 and
lasted until 4:lo at the close of which the
roll was called. The witness did not
know whether Durrant was present or not,
asithc roll was called by DIR. +. u. Gray.
DIR. Cheney was temporarily excused ana
DIR. Gray summoned. DIR. Gray did not
know whether Durrant was present OF
not, but assumed that he was from the
fact that he was not marked absent
ON the roll call. Questioned with regard
to the roll call book, the witness admitted
that the entry of April 3 was not an origi-
nal record, ils it had been transferred from
another page subsequent to that date for
the purpose Of rectifying an error. On
this ground the district attorney moved
that the book be not admitted rs an cx-
hibit, but the objection was overrulcd.
Mighty roor Witness for the Accused.
DIR. Cheney was then recalled and rcit.
Grated his statement to the effect that he
had no recollection of seeing Durrant at
the lecture given on the afternoon Of
April g. Attorney Duprcy was plainly
ncttlcd Mt the conflict between what the
defense had promised DR.. Cheney would
testify to and what he really did say, SC
another effort was made to obtain a salts
factory answer The witness was asked
if in conversation with one Of the attor
ncys for the defense he (the witness) had
not said that he believed that Durrant was
present at the lecture. The court asked
Attorney Duprey if he was trying to i'm
peach his own witness and then sustainer
an objection interposed by the prosccu
tiun.
Practice Of Answering by Proxy.
On cross-exnmination District Attorney
Barnes tried to show that students at the
college frequently had their classmatc:
answer to their names ut rollcall when
they We're absent, bu: all questions put
with that purpose We're objected TO and
the objection sustained Court adjourned
with Cheney still on the stand
swamp Fires i'm Wisconsin.
GREEN BAY, sept. 27.-Swamp fires arr
raging southwest, west and northwest OF
this city. \ furious wind is blowing from
the southwest and the flames are sweep
ing through the timber and over the
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