The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-10

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 9.-Theodore
Durrant, assistant superintendent Of
Emanuel Baptist church Sunday school,
was placed on the stand today for the
purpose of convincing the jury selected to
try him that he did not murder Blanche
Lamont in the belfry of the church on
the Srd of April last. With the same cool
ness that has characterized his conduct
since his arrest, he denied the principal
allegations that have been made against
him by the most important witnesses for
the prosecution. His answers were always
brief and to the point, and by many were
INTERPRETED to mean that he had studied
his part we'll before taking the stand.
Only once during the course of the d.
rect examination did he show any ner-
vousness or hesitancy. When Mr.. Dick
inson asked him if he took notes at Dr.
Cheney's lecture on the afternoon of
April ), ne cast his eyes toward the floor
and for a moment was silent. He replied
Inat ne nag i taken IN notes but that they
were very brief. The hes5tancy of the
prisoner may be understood when 1t is
explained that Gilbert +. Graham one
OF Durrant' most intimate friends will
! testify that Durrant asked TO borrow his
notes of the lecture. When the request
was made, Durrant explained that he
only needed the notes to establish a good
allbt. Graham refused the request.
Taken altogether, Durrant's direct
| testimony, which ended at O'Clock,
when the cI'oss-eXamtnation began, prob
case. HES demeanor while on the wit
ness stand was certainly intended to i'm
press the jury with the opinion that he
was telling the truth. Questions that
| would ordinarily cause a visible impress
son upon a, guilty man were answered
by Durrant with the utmost unconcern.
Even when Attorney Deuprey asked him
# on the third of April or at any other
time, he murdered or participated in
numbering. Blanche Lament, the prisoner
CODY replied in the negative.
A significant feature of the testimony
was the fact that while Durrant was
| telling OF several incidents that took
| place at a PRAYER meeting held on the
| evening of April 8, Mrs. c. G. Noble,
| Blanche Lamont's aunt, shook her head
| several times as if to indicate that the
statements made by the prisoner of
! which she had positive knowledge were
| Noble while he was testifying.
The purpose Of the defense to curtail
ST ss Rn %hen as mpGh as BqssDie
! Barnes asked the first question. Dur
rant was asked if ne was not born at
| Toronto, Canada. on April "a, 1871. At
! torneyI Deuprey objected TO the question.
! He said that Durrant could have no pos
| tive knowledge on the subject, and any
! belief that he might have would be
! the objection, and tue prisoner gave an
| Affirmative answer. Several other equally
! unimportant questions were objected to
J by the defense. The objections in most
| cases were ov6rruled.
1t was the original intention of the de-
! Tense to recall Charles Lenahan this
morning and have him tell more about
/ the occasion upon which he tried to pawn
! a ring at Oppenhe-mS shop, Lenahan
! ccntrad:cted himself so many times yes
| terday that doubt was cast upon his tes-
nd r11O ~,1- Tocr no. Not
/ spond to his name when called in court.
| An attachment was made out for Lena
| ham and when he was found an hour
! later he was placed in the charge of the
! Sheriff in order that he might be found
! when needed. In the meantime, however,
/ Durrart was called TO the stand.
! The examination of Durrant was begun
! with questions relative to his age and
/ his early lTe N this city. Coming down
/ to the day when Blanche Lamont was
| murdered the prisoner was asked to re-
| late his movements from the time he left
| home i'm the morning until he returned
! st night He saiG he met Mss Lamont
on her way to school and rode with her
| on a street car until he reached Cooper
/ Medical college. He said he remained at
J the college until 10 o'clock, when ne and
another student named Ross went for
walk. When he returned an hour later
! he went to the library, where he was
! engaged in his studies until noon. Then he
went to luncheon with student
l o'clock. After luncheon Durrant re-
manned in the library until $3.50 O'clock,
I when he attended Dr.. Chs0eY's lecture.
! He said he was present at the roll call
at the close of the lecture and answered
/ to his own name
At the close of the lecture Durrant said
| he boarded street car and rode to
| Emanuel church for the purpose of re-
pairing the sun burners. He denied that
he was accompanied by Blanche Lamont
or anybody else, Upon entering the
and vest i'll the library obtained the nee
essary tools and assembled to the gallery.
| A blackboard was provided and Durrant
| drew a rude sketch of the church and
its tall spire to illustrate the manner in
which he made the repairs. He said to
make the repairs it was necessary for
him to lie at full length on plank with
| in this position he said he lnhaled SO
! much gas that he was made III. To IL
lustrate the manner in which gas es-
! capped, Durrant took a burner and de-
scendng. TO the jury box explained the
construction Of the burner to the jury.
After repairing the burner, ,Durrant
where he found George King playing on
the organ King remarked that Durrant
| looked pale. Durrant replied that King
would be in the same condition if he had
been nearly overcome by escaping gas
! AT Durrant's request, King bought some
! bromo-seltzer, " iiich the prisoner drank
at o'clock Durrant left the church ir
company with King. He Went out OF his
way two blocks to converse with King
after which they separated and Durran1
went home to dinner.
Durrant said he felt i'll and ate but
little. In the evening he went to prayer
meeting at Emanuel church. He saw
Mrs Noble and asked her il Blanche was
coming to prayer meeting. Mrs. Noble
replied that she did rot believe her niece
would be present. He related a number
of other incidents in connection with hi:
conversation with Mrs. Noble, who evi
IDENTIFY did not endorse his statements
from the fact that she shook her heat
several times At the close of the ser
vice Durrant said he went hone and re
tired. Durrant denied that on the after
noon of April 3 he was at the. corner o.
Mrs. Vogel. He also denied the state
ment of the three school girls who ties
titled that Durrant and Blanche Lamon
boarded = Powell street car at Clay
ctrnnt and 1,nhn toward Market street