The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-16
DURRANT IDENTIFIED.
Three Normal School Girls Recognize Him as
Miss Lamont's Companion.


Miss Lamont's Companion.
There is no longer the shadow of doubt
that Durrant was the man who met
Blanche Lamont when she left the Normal
School on Powell street about o'clock on
the fatal Wednesday afternoon, and with
her boarded a Powell-street car bound for
Market street. Three of the dead girls
classmates who saw him on that occasion
confronted him in Chief Crowley's office
yesterday afternoon and positively identi-
fed him. Durrant, with almost brazen
GOODNESS, denied that he was the man, but
the testimony of the three girls can
scarcely be shaken.
At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon Detec-
tive Anthony visited the Normal School
and had an interview with Principal
Albert H. Yoder. Soon three young ladies,
whose ages might be anywhere between II
and 20 years, were called in. They were
Miss Minnie B. Edwards of San Mateo,
whose brother, Thomas M. Edwards Jr. is
craftsman for Polk & Polk; Miss Alice
E. Pleasant of 1913 Twelfth street, and Miss
NJ. Lanigan of 2321H Larkin street, who
has brother in the Internal Revenue De-
partment Detective Anthony announced
that the Chief required their presence at
p
while anxious to do their duty, were some
what timid and wished to be accompanied
by relatives during the, to them, trying
ordeal. Finally it was arranged that Pro-
lessor Yoder should accompany them.
Upon arrival at the Chiefs office Detec-
tive Ben Bohen instructed the girls: eff
you recognize the prisoner as the man who
was with Miss Lamont say so; if not, keep
silence" Detectives Seymour and Anthony
then marched in with Durrant between
them.
The accused was neatly dressed in long
cutaway coat and vest of black cheviot
and striped trousers fashionably creased.
His linen was irreproachable, his neck
scarf neat, and on his head he wore a Fee
dora hat, which he removed on entering.
His face, pale and thin, bore an expression
of mingled anxiety and defiance. AS he
entered he glanced sharply at Miss Ed
wards and casually at the other two girls,
and then his gaze rested again on Miss
Edwards. She is the girl who left Miss
Lamont Just before the latter Joined Dur
rant, and it seemed as if he recollected her
face.
For fully five minutes silence reigned
Then the Chief thinking that Durrant had
not been recognized said, That is ALL"
The prisoner turned to leave the room and
as he did so the girls gasped, THAT is he.'
What do you know him?" calculated
Durrant, come back"
Then in turn the girls were questioned
and each one positively affirmed his
identity.
what have you to say to that?" asked
the Chief of Durrant.
81 have simply to say that [ was not
there was the reply, and Mortified ooh"
escaped the young ladies at this denial.
81 don't see how he can say that, said one
of them afterward, ''for he was surely
there. I don't want to do him an injustice,
but there can be no mistake"
The clothing found in the tower was
shown and identified by the three girls as
that worn by Blanche Lamont when they
last saw her. They recognized it by the
material by the cut of the basque and by
the rosettes.
A visit to the Morgue was next in order,
and the girls and their escorts were bundled
into a hack and taken to Dunbar alley.
The Coroner's realm was even more horri-
flying than usual, and the delicately nur-
tured girls will not soon forget their visit.
The corpses of Blanche Lamont and Min
ME Williams, lying side by side, presented
a terrible sight, and the odor of the dead
was overpowering. The young women
gazed in silence on the sadly altered fea-
lures of the dead and sighed as they recog-
nized their late companion. Once outside
they drew deep breaths of relief and COM
pleteQ Jne1r lueHIluCdUlOn.
The three girls tell very straight stories.
They give good reason for the particular
notice they took of Dnrrant when they saw
him with Miss Lamont, and each of them
recognized his picture in the Chronicle of
Sunday and told relatives or friends of it
before they met again at school to talk the
case over.
"On the afternoon of April g." said
Miss Edwards yesterday, 81 walked down
the steps OF the Normal School on Powell
street, with Miss Lamont. We went to the
corner of Clay street and started to board
a car going south. / got inside, but she
walked to the front of the car and boarded
the dummy with young man she met
just as said Good by Mr.. Yoder has
rule that we must not be escorted by
young men to or from the school, and tor
that reason took particular notice of this
one. | rode on the car to Market street,
but did not notice where they got off.
II saw Durrant's picture in the Chronicle
last night and l recognized it at once, par
ticularly by the mouth. 1 told my
mother then that he was the man saw
with Miss Lamont. l had not seen Miss