Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-17


San Francisco, Oct. 12-After three
days ordeal Durrant yes erday left
the witness stand. District Attorney
Barnes tried again to draw from the
Defendant admissions that he was
well acquainted With the use Of bro
mO-SeltZcr as used in medicine. Dur
rants replies Indicated that he had
devoted the night to the study of the
compounds, lis he replied that he had
converSed with DR.. West about it in
jail Thursday evening. He was able
to give its analysis and detailed its
pathological effect.
For the frst time during the trial
Durrant yesterday pleaded ignorance.
lii reply to 4 question by Mr.. Barnes
he said that he did not know what an
aiibi was until after his trial began.
While ;estifying yesterday the pris-
oner became badly confused at
times, and when questioned regard
ing his experience at Cooper medical
college became SO mixed in dates that
he had to refer to a card he carried
II his pocket to set himself right. He
became noticeably confused and rath-
er testy in his replies when examined
n regard to the interview that he had
with Gilbert f. Graham, a fellow
student, at the city prison, when the
prosecution claimed that Durraut
asked Graham to furnish him with
copy of the notes of DR.. Cheney's
lecture, remarking: If | rad those
notes l would be able to prove an
allbL" Durrant, n his logged way,
denied absolutely that he made such
Il statement and tried to explain by
,eStltying that Graham came to him
with profferS of assistance, going so
lar as 10 inquire anXiously if Dur
rant had notes on Cheney's lecture.
Durrant finally admitted he asked
him to furnish the notes, but testi-
lied that he made the request on the
advice of his attorneys, who instruct
ed him to get the notes from students
of his class and compare them with
his own.
District Attorney Barnes again
forced Durrant to admit that he had
written statement of his case and
enclosed it in an envelope to his at
torneys with instructions to open it
if l am convicted and return it if
| am not convicted" Several spec
linens of DuTant's handwriting were
introduced in evidence for the purpose
of comparing them with the writing
on the wrapper in which the rings of
Blanche Lamont were mailed to her
aunt Mrs. Noble.
The district attorney closed his
cross exa mination Of the witness by
trying to show that when he was at
the ferry, ostensibly to search for
Blanche Lamont, he in reality was
looking for Minnie Williams, who
noon and was found murdered in the
church the next day. The defense
fought vigorously against the adlnis-
sion of anything bearing Oh the case
of Minnie Williams, and after long
argument Judge Murphy sustained the
objection.
After Durrant was excused Charles
I. Lenehan, who is said to have been
mistaken for Durrant by PaWnbroker
Oppenhein, was recalled to the stand
for further eXamina ton. Little pro-
gress had been made, however, when
court adjourned until Tuesday.
San Francisco, Oct. 11.-Under rigid
discrimination of District AttOr
ney Barnes yesterday, Theodore Dur
rant made number of answers that
are regarded as decidedly incriminat-
ing, inaSmuch as they appear to be
in direct conflict with the well estab-
lished facts. and then changed his
replies when he realized that he was
On dangerous ground. He give an
eXplana zion of the clue regarding
Blanche Lamonts disappearnte said
to have been received by him, that
was Sc palpable a fa.SehoOd that
everybody in the court laughed aloud.
The sitting atmosphere of the over
crow ded courtroom came to Durrants
rescue and he was ena bled to recover
from his confusion during
short recess that followed.
When he again came to the stand he
remained calm during most If the
trying ordeal. The prosecution was,
nevertheless, well sa tisfed with the
days work for it had accomplished
what had never been done before
Durrant for the moment had lost his
wonderful self-possecsion and hal
been caught in what are seemingly
untruths. Durrant was shown Vari-
Gus garments worn by Blanche La
mont and asked if he had secreted
them in the belfry where they were
found. He identified pieces Of cloth
ing as ones worn by Miss Lamont on
the day Of her death, but saiL that
he did not hide them in the church.
BENEFIT FOR SULLIVAN.