The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-24
Arguments in the Durrant Case
10 Be Begun Today.
MISS CUNNINGHAM A WITNESS.
She Says Durrant Told Her He Saw
the Murdered Girls Body.
Doctors Testify That Gas A~phy yxiation
Would Not Have Made Durrant Pale
and Trembling Case Againss
nurrsnr Almost Perfect.


san FraueiSco oct. ss.-After a bitter
legal struggle lasting three months. the
testimony in the trial Of Theodore DuTranr
~ al In, and tomorrow the argument OF
the case VIII begin. When the court adj
1ourned this afternoon District Attorney
Barnes announced that while he would
not then formally close the case for the
people. ne would undoubtedly do so the
first thing tomorrow morning. Mr.. Barnes
notified the attorneys for the defense that
at most he would have but one more wit
ness, whose examination would last but
"A few minutes The case would have end
ed In "A pyrot echnic display of sensations
today IL the testimony that was introduced
had not been printed SO often before that
II was familiar 20 every body.
Miss Carrie Cunningham. a newspaper
reporter who visited purrant in prison
frequently testified that purrant teld her
he saw Blanche Lamont on the second
floor OF the beifry. where she was MUIR
dered- While engaged i'm fixing the sun
burners. Miss Cunningham said he told
her. he heard suspicious noise in the
helfry which attracted his attention. He
crept along the ceiling OF tffe church until
he came 10 the hetfrv casing where ha
looked through a crack and saw Miss La
mont. Miss Cunningham's testimony was
obtained only after great number of OBJ
jections made hy the defense had been
argued and ruled upon. An effort was
also made 20 secure statement from the
witness with regard 10 an alleged confess
sion made by Durrant. but the court sus-
tanned an objection To the question. on
one OF Miss Cunninghams visits 10 the
prisoner he is said TO have shown her an
envelope addressed TO his attorneys.
marked. TO be opened IL am convicted,
and 10 he returned II I am acquitted"
The witness was subjected 20 a searching
Cross-eXa mination. In which an effort was
made 10 show the means 20 which she had
resorted TO obtain interviews with Dur
rant She said that At the suggestion OF
the newspaper by which she was employed
she had expressed the greatest friendship
for the prisoner. and frequently sent him
papers. magazines and flowers She de-
MED that she ever took An oath and kissed
the Bible after promising purrant not 10
publish anything he told her. She said
she promised Durrant she would not pub
iish anything he told her. and kept her
word.
only two witnesses beside Miss Cum
ningham were examined today Both were
physicians. Their testimony was iInpor-
tant. from the fact that IL shows that
DuTrant did not have the appearance or a
man who had been partly asphyxiated
when he met Organist King IN the church
on the afternoon OF April 8. King testified
that Durrant was pale and trembling
when he saw him. When on the stand the
prisoner corroborated Kings testimony.
Drs. May and Rosenstern, who were .x-
amincd today, said that the first effect Of
gas was TO flush the face and lips and IN
flame the eyes. Durrant. according.to his
own statcrne<. had neither of These
symptoms. The physicians also testified
that man who had for five minutes been
subjected 10 tho fumes OF escaping gas
from twenty-four lets would be insensihie.
The Evening Post, IN commenting upon
the close 81 the case. says Now that the
evidence in behalf Of the man charged
with the Emanuel church murder Is all
in II ia fair to cornuare what has been
proved with the promises made in Deu-
prcy's opening statement 10 the 5ury.
when lie said he would prove beyond
doubt the Innocence Of the accused. With
apparent sincerity he stated that he would
furnish an unassailable alibi. which would
be supported by the strongest kind or tes-
iimony He further said he would i'm
reach the chief witnesses Of the prosecu-
ton. and even went 40 far as To claim that
before tho defense was all In II would 30
shown that another man than Durrant
was the murderer. lie pointed the finger
of suspicion at Rev. John George Gibson.
hu, did not 70 50 far as 20 charge him
with the strangiing % Blanche Lamont
and the murder and nutintion or Minnie
Williams How the defense has failed ts
"a matter Of record The promised alibi
m3ny ~ he numerous witnesses called 20
sustain III in an Indirect wny impeaches
the story told by the defendant on the
stand The mage in the roll call kept by
pr cheney is ar that stands between tbs
prisoner and the scaffold. " there ~ ons
Juror of tho twelve who believes II cor
rect. tire prisoner life VII be saved. The
prosecution has shown. however, That IL
is a mere copy and an erroneous one at
that II can easily oe appreciated that ifte
document carries very little weight. espe-
ciaiiy as it is impeached hy the negative
testimony Of seveufy-four students and
Or cheney. who have sworn that they
have no recollection of Durrants attends
ance at the lecture on April Z. The effort
of tho defense 20 iTnueaeh the testimony
of tho leading witnesses for the prossstl-
ton amounted 70 nothing The attempt to
prove DurrAut innocent feli fiat. as not a
veaffge 81 evidence that WIS presented
points "a such a conclusion. Ia fact. tbs
casc of the prisoner Was stronger At tbs
close of the case for the people. so far as
Rev John George Glhson is concerned.
not fact has been rrodured - connect
him with the ease Ia any manner