Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-11
DURANT ON THE STAND.
He Is Either Innocent or One of the Best Ac- tors in America Prosecution
 Is Alert,

San Francisco, Oct. 10.-Whether or not Theodore Durant is one of the most re- markable of murderers, he is a remark able witness. All day before an audi ence that packed the court room he stood a fire of questions from District At torney Barnes which it seemed at times must break him down with imperturbable coolness. His wit and adroitness were shown dozen times. He went over the ground of his direct testimony and en- tered into the details of his movements in the church on the day of the murder without varying a point or abating any in plausibihty.
 The cross-examnation began with the time that Durant first met Blanche La mont This was last September year ago. He said he escorted her to and from her home about hfteen times. Du- rant admitted that after Miss Lamonts disappearance he had stated that he be- leyed that she was easily led astray and had been inveigled into house or ill-fame He was asked what there was about her or about her habits which had led him to that conclusion. He replied that there was nothing. He had formed it from statement of a detective who was put on the case when her disappear ance was reported to the police
 The examination had been tame up to this point, but 1t soon became excit- ing. The district attorney went back to the statement of Janitor Sademan Of the Emanuel church that he had seen Du- rant at the ferry on the afternoon Of the Minnie Williams murder and Durant had then said that he was waiting to see if Miss Lamont would not pass. He told Sademan he had heard she was going to cross the bay that afternoon.
 Did you make such statement to Sademan?' asked Barnes.
 T did, Durant replied.
 Who gave you that clue?"
 "I got 1t from a gentleman up town.
 Who was he?'
 q don't know I never saw him before or since. I was standing on Post street, near Dupont" continued Durant when this man approached me on the shore, and asked me if was not Theodore Du- rant. told him that was my name. He then asked me if l was not aware of the disappearance of Blanche Lamont, and on answering in the affirmative he said he would advise me to watch the ferry that afternoon, as she would cross the bay. He then walked off down the street, and went to lunch and afterward walked to the ferry and watched for her all the afternoon.
 "Did you not investigate to learn who this man was and where he got his in formation?" he was asked.
 ''I did not" he replied.
 You knew Blanche Lamont was being searched for and that your name was associated with her disappearance, and yet you permitted this stranger to walk away without learning anything about him."
 Well" said Durant "the truth is that I was so overjoyed at getting clue that did not think of pressing him. l mo- ticed that he was man about feet inches in height and dressed with light oyercoat and hat and I told my counsel to try to locate him."
 "Is it not fact that you were at the ferry at that time, not because of any clue connected with Blanche Lamont, but to meet Minnie Williams, whom you expected to see across the bay?"
 Tt Is not fact" said Durant, unmoved by the rapidity of the, questioning or the reference to the girl thought to be his second victim.
 Did you not meet Minnie Williams at that time and leave the ferry with her?' he was asked.
 ''I did not meet her or see her there, he replied.
 Barnes then reverted to Durant's al legged work at the sun burners. He got him to go over the details of what hap pened then and was particular to inquire as to the symptoms which followed the inhalation of the gas while he was at the burners. Durant said he was at work at the burners about minute, when he felt the nauseating effects of the gas. He felt about the same degree or nausea aS when he took bromo-seltzer, procured for him by King. He took teaspoonful of the seltzer and 1t relieved him.
 Barnes then questioned him as to his studies. In opposing an objection Barnes made the statement that Durant knew enough about medicine to be able to di- agnose his case and that he had pre- scribed something intended for partial asphyxiation. Had he been overcome by gas, as he had stated, and had taken enough of the promo seltZer, the dis trlct attorney declared that he would have been a dead man before he could have left the church. This telling point had it's effect on Durant. who showed the only excitement manifested by him on the stand. He rose to his feet and turning to the court said the district at torney had misstated his testimony in saying he had diagnosed his case as par tial asphyxfation. Barnes said 1t made no difference. his nassua, according to his own statement, was from gas inhala- ton.
 In this the prosecution will produce experts that gas inhaled f1ushes instead of paling the face and that bromo-selt- ger Is for the nerves and not such com plaint as Durant alleged he suffered from. The cross-examination will go on again tomorrow.