The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-04
THE DURRANT TRIAL.
f,pening Statement Made by
the Prosecuting Attorney.
raE JURY TAKEN TO THE CHURCH
Y,,,sng the Prosecutors ArraIgnnent
and az the scene Of the Crime the
Prisoner showed No Emotion.

d., rrsrrlsco SEPT s-The trial OF
~A.oaora Durrant for the murder OF
.sssnrne Lamont IN Emanuel church real
:, sava~ today. The court room was
,.,,yrjed 70 hear the opening statement 90
-,sx.~{et Attorney Barnes. At the request
<.se defense all the witnesses In the case
800 axciuded from the room during the
.ssrn4v The defendant listened atten-
.s.eIx, 70 the statement Of the chief pros
sen,or. Al every point against him alluded
:. ~ the district attorney DBrrant's brows
so-tracsed. and he continually whispered
surve~tIons to hiz counsel The defend
.r.3 attorneys objected 10 several state
,.snts IN TIE address. They disliked an
.,f,zion 70 the conversation OF the school
.srIs who identified Durrant as the man
~ba had walked Off with Blanche Lamont
rssv also objected 70 Al explanation OF
.he reason why Bfrs. Leak sat 50 long al
So window on the afternoon when she
yss seen the murdered girl entering the
ehureh with Durrant The court over
,uled the second objection, but sustained
.h4 first Though counsel for the defense
Rad said that they would be willing 70
tave the Blanche Lamont and Minnie Will
tarux cases tried Jointly. when the district
s,sornev referred to the finding OF Minnie
Williams BODY the defendants counsel OBJ
.seted 10 the introduction OF any
thing relating TO the Williams muir
der which he said, was the basis
sor separate action. Tho court said he
wo,,Id permit reference to the discovery OF
Mamie williams body as an incident lead
ing 10 the discovery Of the body OF Blanche
lamont. He said he would not rule as to
The merging OF the two cases until the
question should be presented 10 him oi-
recfiy.
After outlining the case against Dur
rant and telling what the prosecution in
tended to prove. Mr.. Barnes concluded as
follows. IF we sh>w you these facts; IL
Ne show you that Durrant met this ;Il-
fateA girl upon the day of her death: that
he accompanied her TO the church. that he
was seen to enter the church with her:
that he was seen afterward In the church
alone: that Blanche Lamont never was
again seen by human eyes from the mo-
nent when she entered the portals OF the
Emanuel Baptist church with the defend
ant. that In the church was found her
dead body, her clothes. her school books,
showing that she had never been home
and that she had gone straight from her
school 10 her death If We show YOU as
ee confidently expect, that no one but the
rrtEoner could have committed this out
rageous and horrible crime. we shall look
20 yon as citizens of the great state whose
reputation for Justice and the enforcement
OF the laws We. as its officers. are trying TO
prisoner At the bar Is guilty OF murder In
Tire first degree"
Al the conclusion Of the opening address
the opposing counsel and the court held a
consultation. Then. at the suggestion OF
The defendants attorneys, the court or
dered that after recess the jurors. the de-
PENDANT the Judge and the official steno-
grapher. In charge of the sheriff visit the
seene Of the murder in Emanuel church.
When District Attorney Barnes con
Guided his address he turned to the pris-
oner and looked sharply at him. The
fudge stared at Durrant, the jury stared
at him. the sherIff's men and the court
room clerks all turned TO Durrant The
spectators, and their numbers were the
limit o. the court rooms accommodation.
all watched hiIr For the first time Dur
rant had heard the evidence against him.
and II seemed as II the man must give
sone sign Of distress or indignation or
defiance. But never a face Of man was
more immobile than the face OF Theodore
nurrant as he looked straight into the
district attorneys eyes.
Before the day was over he was put to
another test. a strain harder to bear and
enc that has broken down many men ac-
eused OF murders. Durrant was taken 70
the scene OF the crimes with which he Is
charged lie stood IN the dusty little
room where Minnie Williams was choked
and gashed to death. and the spot on
which he stood was still dark with the
stain Of her blood. He was taken up the
narrow stairs which he last traveled-if
she theory Ct his crime he true-with his
other helpless victim. He stood in the
dark. erimv belfrv where Blanche La
monss body Law for ten days until the
finding Of the other girls body led 10 its
discovery, and he remained there while
ire jury which Is 70 say if he lives or
dies were shown 70 all tho places where
the girls books and clothing were hidden
and through II all he was unmoved. He
brushed the dust from his cogt. and when
Re came hack 20 the light he smiled 10
tAe people he knew