The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-20
THE SAN FRANCISCO TRAGEDIES.
Doubts as to tho Guilt OF Durant and sus
picions In Another Direction.

PhCiCnb IN another Direction.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 19.-The ex-
element that followed the discovery of
the murdered body OF Marion Williams
In the library of Emanuel BaptistChurch
on Saturday last and the finding Of the
mutilated. nude and decomposed re-
mains Of Blanche Lamont In the belfry
OF the same church on Sunday morning,
just as the Easter bells were calling to
church, has subsidized in great meas.-
uro, but public interest in the case con.
Ginues.
Doubt as to the guilt OF W. II. T. Du.
rant, che young medical student, who is
accused formally of killing Miss VIII.
liams and suspected Of having slain
Miss Lamont, is freely expressed by
many, ana this doubt being fostered by
the parents and friends OF the prisoner
and those who mis- rust circumstantial
evidence, Is spreading. There has been
an undercurrent OF opinion among these
which was expressed in a statement to
the newspapers by the mother OF tho &C.
cused man and which also boldly stated
In anonymous letters to the coroner
which have been published that the nc.
lions OF the pastor OF the church, Rev.
JOHN Geo. Gibson, have been so peculiar
that the police might do we'll 10 turn
their search light ou him, and those who
openly profess to believe that the
preacher might be the guilty man.
These rumors reaching the ears of tho
pastor have naturally agitated and irri-
tated him.
In spite OF those expressed suspicious
against the preacher, IL is almost
beyond doubt that he is in any way
implicated, as his whereabouts on tho
night OF tho murder and during the
ylyh nr lf,,
are known, for no was, during that
time, at gathering of the young people
at O church members. II It should be
proven that Miss Williams was not
killed until midnight instead OF between
and 8 O'Clock, then there might have
been grounds for the suspicion voiced
by many people. Five detectives have
had charge Of the case, and last night
the chief OF police questioned the men,
and then asked the detectives II, In
their Investigations, nything had sug-
gested that the murders were done by
several men in company. The detail
was unantmous in declaring the belief
thai both women were killed by one
and She same man, and that man, w. III.
L. Durant, YVES now under arrest
Emanuel Church is in q section
known as Tho Mission" and popular
t"NSio hhHtHB Viz SQluS0. ne
church has always been under cloud.
A stain OF human blood marks it's his.
tory from one pastor who killed q
newspaper proprietor and who blew out
his brains and shence to the a-.aI
tragedy that Ia now before the psople.
Everywhere is heard the expression:
BURN the place down" AS q result of
these threatening expressions the in
surauce companies have cancelled their
policies and the police have been on
guard there since the tragedy.
The usual crowd Of curiosity seekers
was present whom the inquiry was re-
aumed this morning. Durant and his
attorneys were also preaont. DR.. Bart.
lott. who conducted the autopsy, testi-
fad that Minnie Williams died of as
phyxiRtion. He also testified that the
girl had bsen outraged and that previ-
GUS to the slime of the tragedy she had
led blameless life. The jury did not
occupy an hour in deliberatIng and re-
turned verdict before noon charging
Darant with the murder of Minnie VIII.
liams. 1t was tho caBe of her death
only that was being investigated. The
case OF the murder Of Blsnche Lamont
will DO taken up later.