Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-09-22
Durnnt's Trial.

NAA
ing Edna Lucille Turner was the first
witness. She testified she knew Dur
.S:t and was a member OF the society
OF Christian EE5eavor OF which Dur
rant was Secretary and was a men,
Der OF Emanuel church. Then the
District Attorney asked her the ques-
ton Were you n Emanuel church
with Theodore Durrant on the after
0 of Wednesday, April 81:
Witness replied NO There were
no further questions and no cross en-
animation and the witness was then
excused.
1t subsequently transpired that the
object OF the prosecution in this was
to forestall the action OF the defense.
The police had learned that the de.
Tense intended to place Miss Turner
on She stand and have her say that sho
went to Emanuel church with Dur
rant on April Sd. and hat she was the
girl whom Quinlan. Mrs. Crossett and
Mrs. eek saw with Durrant and not
Blan-h Lamont. II that was the in.
tention Of the defense the prosecution
haG spoiled that plan.
The next witness was George r.
King, organist, and associate OF Dur
rants abont Emanuel church. He
said he knew Durrant we'll. Dur
rant was the assistant superintendent
OF h Sunday School and sometimes
sang in the choir, when the witness
played the organ. On the afternoon
OF April Bird, King went into the
church to practice a new piece. After
he had been there Il few minutes Dur
rant walked in. Durrant's hair was
d~ishevelled. he was pale and agitated
and looked i'll. He had his coat and
hat off and explained his appearance
by saying that he had been repairing
a leak in the gas pipes and that he
had been overcome by the gas. He
gave the witness fifty cents and asked
him to go and get him some brumo
scltzer. The witness went to a neigh.
boring drug store and made the pur-
chase as required. When he return
cd Durrant was in the lobby or lying
on the platform. the witness forpo, /.
which. The District Attorney pro- .
duced a transcript of the testimony of
King Mt the preliminary examination
and asked il the witness did not testi.
fy Durrant had taken the draupht
standing in the lobby. The p~rosecu.
lion seemed to emphasize the slight
discrepancies i'll the testimony OF
King, who was plainly using every
means in his power to save his friend
Durrant by emitting important parts
o: his testimony. Everything that
could be construed rs injuring Dur.
rants case could only be extracted
from King with the greatest difficulty.
He had seen Durrant. he admitted,
after the preliminary examination
and also Durrant's father and mother
with whom he had talked over his
testimony regarding Durrant on that
fatal afternoon.
King, under the skillful question.
ing Of the District Attorney, finally
admitted that it had been suggested
to him that he change his testimony,
under fire OF objections 10y attorneys
for the defense. Bit by bit the Dis
trict Attorney got the witness to adj
NIT that the suggestion to change his
testimony had been made in the
county Jail by the defendant or in the
Office OF Durrant's attorneys by attor.
ncys Dcuprey and Dickinson.
This answer created n tremendous
sensation. Dcuprcy cycitcdly jumped
to his feet and shouted that the whole
story OF his endeavOring to change
the testimony Of the witness was a
myth i'll the brain OF the witness, but
as il to disprove Deuprey's remark.
District Attorney Barnes led the wit.
ness to say that he tKing) was a close
friend OF Durrant and was anxious To
see him acquitted. lie said he had
examined all the gas jctsin the church
after Durrant said gas was escaping
but could find no leak any place He
had asked Dur-ant why he had not
called for witness To help him fix the
gas, as he had done before. and Dur.
rant had replied lie had not haRtime.
MI work on the gas fixtures had been
finished three days before and every.
thing was in good shape.
When witness gave Durrant the
bromo settler he took il intothe kitch
en-. mixed it and then came back into
the lobby and sat down. Durrant
had ask witness il his eyes wore con.
gcsted and il he WIS pale afterwards.
Witness asked Durrant to help him
carry the organ down stairs. Durrant
appeared exhausted and stopped fire..
qucntly to rest. Then Durrant lin
locked tho library door and got his
hat and coat. which were in a box in
tho corner. Witness had notsecn them
before. They left tho church at six.
Witness had been there n little less
than II hour.