The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-27
NOR DID ANY ONE ELSE, SEEMS
The Star Witness for the Defense
Fails TO Assist the Prisoner.
Durrant Was Marked Present at the
Lecture. but lie Had Been i'm the
Habit OF Absenting Himself and
Asking Feilow-Students to Answer
for Him at the Roll-Call.

san Z FRANCISCO. sept. @S.-Tne keystone In
the arch Of the Durrant alibi crumoIcd and
fed today. The witness upon whom the
attorneys for the defense depended most
10 sustain their contention that Durrsnt
was attending a lecture at Cooper Medical
college Al the hour when Blanche Lamont
was murdered gave Disappointing testi-
mony. Instead of testify.ng that Durrant
was present at the lecture, as Attorney
Deuprey SAID Or. Cheney would do the
doctor said he had no recollection of see
ing the young medical student To offset
this reverse the defense gained only one
Point-the admission as an exhibit OF the
ron can book at the college in which Dur
rant was recorded present at the lecture
given on the afternoon Of April 8. The
prosecution holds the roll call book in little
esteem. from the fact that il viii place
witnesses on the st.nd 10 prove that Dur
rant frequently asked his classmates to
answer 70 his name when he was absent.
and that they complied with his request.
The crush in the corridors az the en-
trance 70 the court room was greater to-
day than upon any other day since the
trial began. Men and women fought for
admission while the sheriff and a score Of
deputies struggled asedesperately % keep
the crowd back. At times the confusion
outside VAS so great that the proceedings
or the court were interrupted. At length
Judge Murphy summoned the sheriff and
ordered him 10 clear the corridors II the
sheriff's force was insufficient, the judge
said, he would call upon the chief Of po.ice
for a squad OF men 10 execute the order
Sergt. Reynolds. the police officer who
conducted the search Of Emanuel church
after the discovery OF the bodies Of
Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams. was
the first witness called 10 the stand. After
describing the furniture and other arji-
cles found in the pastors study. he was
asked about the chisel marks found in the
door leading TO the belfry. The door and
casing through which the murderer pass
ed with the body OF his victim were
brought into court and formed one Of the
most interesting exhibits produced. The
witness testified that the marks CORE
sponded in size 10 a chsel found in the
tool box in Rev. John 6. Gibsons study.
The witness was also asked 10 identity a
shoe supposed to have been stained with
blood. which was found in the pastors
study. As Sergt. Reynolds did not know
TO whom the shoe belonged. Sergt. Burke
was called but he was also in ignorance
with regard To the ownership OF the shoe.
DR.. ". F. Cheney. OF Cooper medical COL
lege, who was supposed 10 be the mainstav
OF the defense. was the next witness. He
said the lecture on April 3 began at $50
o'clock and lasted until ais. at the close
of which the roll was called The witness
did not know whether nurrant was present
or not as the roll was called by DR.. +. +.
Gray.
Or. Cheney was temporarily excused and
DR. Gray summoned. Dr. Gray did not
know whether DuTraut was present or not.
but Assumed that he was from the fact
that he was not marked absent on the roll
call Questioned with regard TO the roll
call book. the witness admitted that the
entry Of April was not an original record.
as II had been transferred from another
page subsequent to that date for the pur-
pose of rectifyIng an error. On this ground
the district attorney moved that the book
be not admitted as an exhibit, but the OBJ
lection was overruled.
DR.. Cheney was then recalled. and rejtpr-
ated his statement 10 the effect that he had
no recollection Of seeing Durrant AZ the lee
ture given on the afternoon of April 2
Attorney Deuprey was plainly nettIed at
the conflict between what the defense had
promised Or. Cheney would testify and
what he really did say. so another effort
was made TO obtain satisfactory answer
The witness was asked II 10 a conversation
with one Of the attorneys for the defense
he Ohe witness) had not said that he he
2ieved that Durrant was present az the lee.
tire The court asked Attorney Deuprev
If he was trying 10 impeach his own wit
ness. and then sustained an objection i1r-er-
posed hy the prosecution
ON crOss-examination District Attorney
Barnes tried to show that students al fba
college frequently had their classmates an
sWet - their names at roll call when they
were absent. The witness was asked If in
his experience as an instructor al the COL
lege ne had not become aware OF the exist
eHce Of such a practice The defense OH
lected TO the question on account OF rs
sweeping nature. The court sustained tho
objection. but intimatpd that the question
1nIsht ne asked If made in proper form.
IL or HNrr-.
i"' "t 'hIte more questions OF similar Inn
pert were asked bur objections were sus-
tanned in each case. Court adjourned un+l
tomorrow morning. with the crose-exarni-
nation OF DR. Cheney still lncomnIete
4ne report that the defense vr1.tl9 mr.
dHce witness who would testify t7.t she
"a" tAe accused medical student enter the
Einanuei Baptist church alone on the af
teIHooh or ApTil 3. between 4.30 ana ;
Clock, within which time Blanche "a
mont is supposed 70 have been r,,,r5e~o4
aaS oeen confirmed, hut the forv .paopIe ~
W1om t1!s witness das c0nnde9 Tho sto~,,
guard ner name settulously William 4
Dou1. stock broker. knows the v.or,,r
NaP may thus testify. and is in rosze4si,,
of me nature of the evidence sne Will give
AF- 4''ud sad: u know OF 'his witness
because the story was told 70 me. Several
others know Of n. Al are nleigof - ee-
cr@.y- When the proper time comes ans
70 t1e proper authorities the evidence will
be given The story as known IN r0lf-a
Dr. fdquartcrs ~ that this woman met a
young man walking toward 30 church ~
thai afternoon a. t7e time mentioned. and
ae0oste1 Hm.' mislaking him ~ first for
friend She ap7ioclzea. passed or. and
then. curious about her mistake turned
ana sa~ the stranger entering the chureh.
Recently sna Is said u have Identified
bHrrant - t1e Young man she spoke %
that afternoon Mr. Dou9 would neither
denV nor coafrw t7is- lie said tnst he hsf
no motive Tor e1ures1nE anything. THE
point Wji7 nm vas that tae LADY, might
be - sfaFe1 AMI untH s7s found that Sire
vas uot it was unnecessary 20 bring her
name before t1e police
Another person a8o claims ~ have as-
sisted in ne m8vfer ~ Blanche Lamont
has been heard f~an His story vas e9u-
tai1s3 .n me f7!l0UfcE anonymous letter
received at tne Tiayor 1f1ce. aan1ef lsfe-
n tae cties II police
Orange y. J.. sept l2-To fhe Mayor
o. san Francesca. You az" trying t1s
r--z man for m-r5e~ plrrant iz an Iue-
cent man I with one or1er Gla fae dead
ard I could come sn5 pick the man ont
ala nor d the numbering hut 7 helpe}
cary tre BODY wi say 70 more an we:
known out thsTe 7 say Once more Dur
rant fs an inocent man
rr-fzefrhtesS sentenced to Prison
zs-ss~ f-f.r Kan Sars s s-pa7fv ril~-