The herald., 1895-04-26
Building Up a Case Against
Durrant
Strong Evidence introduced in,
the Court
REMARKABLE NEW FACTS
More Testimony Given by the Reverend
Gibson
Samples Of the ninister's Handwriting Shown
the Court-A Number Of New Witnesses
Tell of New Matters

SAN FRANCISCO, April 25.-The pre-
liminary examination of Theodore Dur
rant for the murder of Minnie Williams is
about over. District Attorney Barnes an
nounced today that he would close the
prosecutions testimony tomorrow morn
ing. and the defense will not, it is said,
make much of fight in the police court,
but will reserve their strength until they
go before the jury that will finally deter
mine whether or not there is proof
enough to hang Durrant.
Today's examination was principally
taken up with continuation Of the cross
examination of Rev. John George Glib
son, which was concluded shortly before
noon.
The preacher returned to the stand ap-
parently irritated by the treatment he
had received the day before. The lawyers
pretense of deferential courtesy was so
thin that it was at times imperceptible.
They locked horns almost at the outset.
General Dickinson questioned the pastor
sharply about his study and his posses
sions. He politely, but no less certainly,
accused the minister of telling false
hood about statement made last Thursday
in his study.
Then the attorney asked for some of DR..
Gibson's handwriting. By this time the
witness was aggravated enough to be dis
obliging, and refused to gave the writing.
A few minutes later the same request
came up and Mr.. Gibson, after COM
planning that there was no pen to suit
him among thhe dozen boxes handed out
by the clerk wrote everything they
asked. And he did it apparently with
out the slightest recollection that it was
the same request he had denied few
minutes before.
The writing they asked him for con-
sisted OF the names tnat were on the
paper in which the rings of Blanche La
mont were wrapped when they were re-
turned to her aunt.
They produced samples of the min
ister's handwritipg-a blackboard from
the church and mem1zandum from him
--and the obvious contention was that the
pastors hand had written the names on
the bit of newspaper.
A fresh witness was uncovered In
Albert McEroy, a boy who saw man
resembling Durrant and dressed as he
was the night of the last murder, meet a
woman presumably Minnie Williams)
near Emanuel church about $3.50 in the
evening. AS McElroy passed them the
man shielded the woman from his gaze
with his shoulder He saw the pair stand
near the church door. A few minutes
later he saw light in the church.
Bert Minner who met McElroy at the
corner of Twenty-third and Mission
streets, corroborated the story of the light
in the church.
DR.. Thomas A. Vogel also testified. 1t
was at his house the Christian Endeavor
society of Emanuel church met the night
of Minnie Williams murder. The i'm
portant part OF his testimony referred to
Durrants condition-disheveled soiled
and perspiring-when he arrived there an
hour and half later than was expected.
DR.. Vogels statement was varied con-
siderably since he first made it.
If Durrant goes on the witness stand
with an alibi he outlined when he was
arrested he will be confronted with the
statement he made to his friend Vogel
about the horses and the sigma! corps
and the more doubtful DR.. Vogel is on
this subject the better it will be for his
friend Durrant. The young ladies who
found Miss Williams body in the church
on Saturday morning told their stories
and the deputy coroner and the under
taker Explained to the court the condition
of the church and of The dead girl when
they arrived there.
Emma Struven. young girl. was next
introduced to prove that on the Friday
on which Miss Williams was murdered
Durfant accosted the witness and two girl
companions near the church between .
and AS clock. The witness said she
did not get good view of the man $ face.
but he looked like Durrant from the
back. Cross-examination failed to shake
her testimony. Miss Lucille Turner was
the next witness. She said she had
known Durrant about year. Durrant
had walked home from church with her.
Durrant had spoken to her in words not
those of gentleman and asked her to un-
dergo an examination, and that Durrant
suggested Il quiet place in the chucrh to
conduct the same. She told him her
folks could attend to such matters. He
time during the first of the year. rhe
witness said she treated Durrant as if
nothing of the kind had taken place. be-
cause she did not wish GOODNESS to attract
remarks. She said Durrant had given
her several questions to answer on the
subject. A paper was introduced which
she said contained her handwriting. The
paner contained the answers.
TOy n lJNnED OATH