The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-30
P|AKERTONS CALLED IN.
More Evidence Against Dur
rant Wanted by the
Police.
THEY WERE SEEN TOGETHER.
The Accused and Miss Williams at
the State Board of Trade
Rooms April IL.

Another feature of the Minnie Williams
murder case has just come to light that
may have some influence upon the fate OF
Theodore Durrant, who is accused of hav-
ing murdered the unfortunate girl. 1t is
the discovery of witness who saw the
couple together about o'clock on the
afternoon of the day when she was killed.
The testimony of this witness will contra
dict the statement of Durrant, who denies
That he was in her company upon that day
or had seen her for three weeks.
Chauncey NJ. Johnson, clerk at the Cali
fornia State Board of Trade exhibit, SIS
Market street, is the witness who saw them
together, or at least saw Durrant with a
young girl who answers the description
given of Miss Williams.
Mr.. johnson said yesterday that he no.
tlced something familiar in the features of
Durrant as published in his pictures in the
newspapers. IL was curious to see the
fellow, and when I saw him on Sunday
recollected where / had seen him before.
lie came into the Board of Trade rooms on
the 18th inst. with young, slim girl, and
they looked around the place for several
minutes. | usually close the place about
D O'Clock i'll the afternoon, and as this
couple were the only people in the rooms,
and as was anxious for them to leave so
could close the doors, / took particular
notice OF the man who stood by the regis
ter. AT last / told him that it was time
Tor me to shut the door and they went
away. AS soon as l could place Durrant
IN my mind | went to the register of April
" to see if he had registered his name
there, and to my surprise found the page
torn from the book. No one in this place
knows how or when the page was torn out.
At any rate | am sure that it was Durrant
who was in the Board of Trade rooms with
slight-built girl on that day."
Mr.. Johnson is well known to the public.
few months ago he assisted the police in
trapping and convicting Jury -briber Hur-
ley, who tried to get him on the Dick Nc
Donald jury.
1t will be remembered that on April IL
Miss Williams left her home in Alameda
TO visit Mrs. Voy on Howard and Seven
teenth streets. She reached this side of
the bay at about 4 20 P. NJ, and did not ar
rive at her friends house until after 5
O'Clock. Durrant was seen at the ferry
waiting for some one late in the afternoon.
The police are still at work securing evil
dence by means of which they propose to
send Durraut TO the gallows. They have
gathered much information, but do not
seem entirely satisfied with the result of
called in outside officers to assist them in
their search.
Yesterday afternoon Detective Sim mons
of Portland, Or, and a member of the
Pinkerton force, who was formerly located
at the main office of the Pinkertons in
Chicago, but, who more recently has been
in Oregon, inspected the Emmanuel Bap-
fist Church with Detective Gibson of the
local force. A long consultation on the
followed, during which the Pink
erton man took copious notes. The two
then separated.
The appearance of the Pinkertons on the
scene is considered by people who have
watched the case closely as furnishing
strong reasons for hopefulness on the part
of the defense. They argue that the
police have reached blank wall, which
they can neither see through, climb over
or get around, and therefore they have
called to their assistance the ablest detec-
tive talent in the country.