The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-23
IT WAS NOT EXPECTED
The Newspapers of the City
Accused of holding the
Feeling.
LONG AFFIDAv1Ts OFFERED.
District Attorney Barnes Will Re-
sist the Application to the
Very Last.

William Henry Theodore Durrant did
not 90 to trial for his life yesterday. Con-
trary to all expectations, contrary to the
repeated denials of his attorneys, the
young man standing charged with the
murders in Emmanuel Baptist Church has
asked for change of venue. Openly IN
court yesterday, by the words OF counsel
and in voluminous affidavits, the accused
charged that public sentiment and pubic
opinion in San Francisco was so great
against him that he could not obtain fair
and impartial trial in the courts of the
City.
This change of tactics, after the repeated
assertions of attorneys and friends of the
accused that he was willing, even anxious,
to go to trial at once, came as surprise to
everybody, even the District Attorney. No
one had been taken into the confidence OF
Messrs. Deuprev, Dickinson and Thomp-
son, and it was only few moments before
the case of Durrant was called Tor trial in
Judge Murphy's court, that the prose
cutting officer was made aware OF the lnten-
ton of the other side.
The prisoner, apparently unweighted by
the awful burden of crime with which he
is charged, was taken from his cell in the
County Jail shortly before O'Clock yester-
day morning and taken to Sheriff Whelan's
buggy, standing outside the Broadway
Jail. He took his place on the seat readily
enough, and, in custody of Chief Jailer
SattIer, was driven quickly through the
streets. There were few people around the
jail, hardly enough to notice the new
shave the prisoner had received, his new
brown hat or his new overcoat, and no
demonstration whatever was made. There
were scarcely half a hundred people in the
corridors surrounding the courtroom when
he was brought upstairs in the new City
Hall and ushered into the tribunal where,
as events turn, his fate is likely to be de-
cided.
A dozen of Sheriff Whelan's deputies
stationed themselves at the doors leading
into the courtroom and in division 8 itself,
at once to guard and guard against the
prisoner, awaiting the hour when the court
should convene.
The prisoner, after divesting himself of
his hat and coat, dropped carelessly down
on the big bench along the west wall Of the
room, directly under the big clock and a
big calendar, on which the figures "22"
stood out in bold relief. None Of his rela-
tives-none of his friends-were present,
and he seemed the picture of loneliness
There were few people in the room, and
these all Sheriff's deputies, when he ar
rived, but by $50 O'Clock the room began
filling up slowly A detective or two,
more deputies, the Sheriff himself, couple
of reporters and then Dick Mcdonald of
Peoples Bank fame dropped in. Accom-
he lNon I-a,-x 4
law and a lady friend, all three being &C.
commodated by the bailiff with chairs in
the middle of the bar Enclosure, all soon
gazing intently at Durrant, as all in the
same courtroom had gazed so intently at
"Dick" few months before.
Another and greater celebrity than
"Dick'' Mcdonald had temporarily taken
the center of the stage, however, and, if
only for the nonce, "Dick'' was at liberty
to act as the purely disinterested specta-
tor. He wasn't, though, and. as the events
of the day in the Durrant case happened,
it appeared that matters which proved of
such interest in certain phase of the Nc
Donald case would have more than ordi-
nary bearing ON the destiny of the young
medical student. But Dick Mcdonald
was not present to speculate on the inter-
mlngling of destinies, much less out of
curiosity to see the youthful prisoner.
-Four cases against him, growing out of
transactions in the Peoples Bank, were on
the calendar, and he was there as a de-
fendant.
The others, present for various reasons,
watched "Dick" and watched Durrant, hut
when the side door opened and admitted
Durrant the elder all eyes were turned in
that direction to see if the mother of the
prisoner would follow. She did not, nor
did she come during the day, the pris-
oner's wish being that she should remain
away from the crowded courtroom. The
clasp of the hand between father and son,
the whispers as they walked to seats on
the other side of the room, the short, sad
smiles, and it took no one long to guess
that gentle good wishes from the other
had been carried to the son by the father.
1t was nearing 10 o'clock by this time,
and although people were closely scrutin-
lied and slowly admitted, the courtroom
was soon well filed, principally with
jurors summoned on the panel, members
of the press and a few lawyers. Not
single witness for the defense, as far as any
one knew, was in sight. Only Detective
Gibson, for the prosecution, was present
when Judge Murphy's entry into the
courtroom was announced by the sharp
knocking of Bailiff Rocks gavel. A mo-
ment later Attorneys Thompson and Deu-
prey entered and shook hands with the
prisoner and his father, and following on
their heels came General Dickinson, ahead
of very small boy with very big tin
box, black lacouered and gold striped, con-
tanning the archives of the defense.
Judge Murphy Immediately took up his
calendar, disposed of half dozen motions
in as many cases in quick order, set
Dick McDonald's four cases over for two
weeks, and then called out:
1.-The case of the People VS.. w. H. T.
Durrant, charged with murder"
Ready for the people, answered Dis
trict Attorney Barnes, who had come in
shortly before.
ALI eyes were turned on the defense, but
no one heard the reply ready" from any
of Durrant's attorneys. They were not
ready for the trial, as they very speedily
announced, after few preliminary re-
marks concerning division of the Jury
panel by Judge Murphy Thew desired a