Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-10-10
DURRANT'S STORY
As I,e Himself Tells It to Jury
and the Court.
HIS BEsT WITNESS Is HIMSELF.

Make, "a Good Impression Apparently by
the Manner in Which lie Testi:;es-AIl
III. Replies Given Promptly and to the
Point-~hows the jury How He Repaired
the Gas Fix:urcs-Ei;her o Very Cool
Liar or Not Guilty.
San FEAyCIsCo, Oct 1O-Theodorc Dur.
rant, assistant superintendent of Emanuel
Church Sunday school, was placed on tho
stand yesterday for the purpose of con-
yincing the jury selected TO try him that
hc did not murder Blanche Lamont in the
belfry Of the church on April g. With the
same coolncss that has characterized hi;
conduct since his arrest he denied the
principal allegations that have been made
against him by the most important wit.
ncsses fur the prosecution. His answers
were always brief and - the point. Only
once during the course Of the direct ezaini.
nation did he show any rcrvousncss or
hcsitancy. Wien Attorney Dickinson
asked him if he took notes ut DR.. Chcncy's
lecture on the afternoon Of April he cast
his eye, toward the floor, and for a en- O..
rIcnt was silent. lie replied that he had
taken notes, but that they were brief
.!abc iItH SHn IstSi w tncsS.
Taken altogether Durrant's direct tes.
timnny probably had Il tendency to
strengthen his ease. His dcmcanor while
on the stand was certainly intended fn
Impress the jury with the opinion that he
was telling the truth. Questions that
would ordinarily cause visible impress
sion oil IL guilty man were answered by
.,
ETcn when Attorney Duprry asked him
il on the 81 Of April, or at any other time,
he murdered or participated in the muT.
dcring Of Blanche Lamont the prisoner
cGolly replied in the negative. a signiti-
cant feature OF the testimony Was the fact
that while DUrrant was telling; Of several
incidents that took place at e PRAYER meet
ing held on the evening of April 5 Mrs.
&. VI. Noble, Blanche Lamunt's aunt,
shook hey head several times as if to indi-
cate that the statements by the prisoner
of what he had positive knowledge were
not correct.
Lcnailan DiSincIinrd to- Appear.
II was the original intention of tire de-
fcnsc to recall Charles I.anahan and have
him tell more about the occasion upon
which he tried to pawn u ring ut Open
helms shop. Lrnahan cOn:radictod him
self 80 many times Tuesday that doubt
was east upon his testimony. Yesterday
he did not respond TO his name when
called in court, aud an attachment was
made out for him. When he wa, found
an hour later ho was placed in charge of
the sheriff in ord n that he might be found
when needed. In the meantime. however
Durraht wa. called to the stand. The
examination Of Durrant was begun with
she questions relative to hi, age and his
early l.i, Ia thi| city. Coming down to
the day upon wajv!. 2lancEc Lamont wa,
murdered the prisoner was asked 10 relate
his movements from the time hc Iaf; LIS
HON" il the morning until hC returned nj
night.
Tci!s she story Of t;,c Fatal Day.
He said he met Miss Lamont on hcrway
To- school and rode with hCT on street ear
until he reached Cooper Medical college.
. lie said he remained at the college until
10 o'clock. when he and another student
named RuS, went for = walk. When he re-
turned an hour later he went to { he library,
where he was engaged in his studies until
noon. Then Ia went 20 luncheon with a
student named DiEgiuS. and returned at
l o'clock. After luuchcon Durrdnt re-
maincd inthc library until 3:3O o'clock,
when he attended DR. Chcncy'S lecture.
He said he was pr, sent at the rull-call 1T
the close of the lecture and answered u
his name NJ the close Of the lecture Dur
rant said he boarded street car ard rode
to Emanuel church for the purpose of re-.
pairing the sun -burncr, lie denied that he
was accompanied by Blanche Lamont OF
anybody else.