The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-10-11
DURRANT ON TEE RACK.
Tho Alleged Double Murderer
Continues His Testimony. z.
He CREATES A LAUGH IN ooyRT
ny silly story of Alleged Information
Conveyed TO Him by stranEer--rhs
Prisoner still Retains His composure
undsr rryinx circumstance.

AAieuutt ntAtl hotHtnb nM Gumnuh uF o
undsr rryinx circumstance.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. II. = Under the
rigid cross examination of District At
torney Barnes yesterday Theodore Dur
rant nade o number OF answers that are
regarded as decidedly incrimlnating, in.
asrnuch as they appear to be in direct con.
hict with we'll established facts, and then
changed his replies when he realized that
he was on dangerous ground. He gave an
explanation of clew regarding Blanche
Lamont's disappearance said to have been
received by him that was so palpably n
falschood that everybody In court laughed
aloud
= Two days before the body Of tho young
woman was discovered, Durrnnt said, as
he was standing at the corner of Market
and Montgomery streets, q stranger mp.
preached him and asked II his name was
not Durrant. The stranger then asked
Durrant IL, in view of the fact that his
name had been unpleasantly connected
with the disappearance of the girl, he
would not like to find her. Durrant re-
piled that he would be overjoyed even to
obtain a trace Of the missing girl. Watch
the ferries then" tho stranger snid, "shs
will try TO cross the bay. That is my nd
vice."
He did not ask the stranger his name,
his residence. or for any additional infor-
nation. He went to lunch and from there
70 the ferry, where he remained until s
o'clock, not having caught glimpse of
che missing girl. While he was waiting,
however, he saw three medical students
and an old-schoolmats. One of these men
has already testified that he saw Durrant
accost q school girl whose description an
swered that Of Minnie Williams, who was
murdered that night, and ride away to-
ward the mission on Howard street car
Mr. Barnes asked him IL he told anybody
else Of the clew given by the stranger, so
they could continue the search. Durranb
said he had no opportunity 10 tell any of
Miss Lamont's friends. When questioned
closely Durrant admitted that he attended
Q meeting of the young peoples society
the same evening, where he saw several
of Miss Lamont's intimate friends Among
others was Thomas vogel, whom Durrant
hsd said Q moment before was more inter
ested In the disappearance Of the young
woman than anybody else except Mrs.
Noble. her aunt. Durrant admitted that
he had a private conversation with Vogel,
Int did not think to tell him of the claw
Ae had obtained.
After a short recess surprise was
sprung on Durrant in the hope that il
might discOneert him, After asking him
II be had ever made q written statement
OF bis whereabouts on the day Blanche
Lamont was murdered, and receiving an
affirmative reply, District Attorney Barnea
asked the following questions:
is 1t not fact that you sent n written
statement Of your Case to your attorney
and wrote on the envelope, To be opened
II am convicted aud to be returned IL
am acquittedP'
The exoitement caused by this question
was intense. In the hum of voices Dur
rants answer was lost, and the stem
ographer was asked to read the reply.
II never sent an envelope to my attor-
Aeys bearing such an inscription" said he.
Durrant was questioned at length re-
Garding the communication and the sig
nii1cant Inscription on the envelope, buh
he denied that he ever sent such a docu.
ment.
Durrant was next shown tho various
garments worn by Blanche Lamont, and
asked II he had seorcted them in the bel
fsy, where they were found. He identified
che pieces Of clothing as the ones worn by
Miss Lamont on the day of her death, but
said he did not hide thom in the church
Durrnnt's strong nerves were tested by
. number of questions relative to the last
slime he saw Miss Lamont, but he stuck to
his former statements on that point.