The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-02
DURRANT CONVICTED.
The Verdict Unanimous After
Twenty Minutes Deliberation,
ANGUISH OF A STRICKEN MOTHER.

WEss buEHhuA NlNts way TO butuuAIoilh@
Bile Grief, While the Prisoner Is I'm
moved-The Verdict wildly Chsered.
Case win he Tasen TO the Supreme Court.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2-Theodore Dur
rant, assistant superintendent of Emanuel
Baptist church Sunday school, was yester-
day afternoon convicted of the murder of
Blanche Lamont, for which he has been
on trial since July 22 last. The jury was
out twenty minutes and arrived at the
verdict on the first ballot. AS there was
no recommendation of mercy the punish
ment was fixed at death.
The scene in the court room when the
verdict was announced will never be for
gotten by those who were present. Judge
Murphy finished his charge at $3.50, and
the jury at once retired. Although there
was supposed to be little prospect of a YER
dict being returned before or o'clock,
the throng of spectators who had remained
in the overcrowded court room all the af-
ternoon to hear the judges charge settled
themselves back in their seats to await the
return Of the jury Mrs Durrant and the
prisoner talked and laughed together as If
an acquittal were a foregone conclusion.
They were surrounded by half dozen
]
mated when it became whispered about
that the jury had agreed upon a verdict
In an instant hush fell upon the little
circle that had gathered around the pris
oner. Durrants face, always pallid, as
sumed ghastly hue, and his mother was
/ speechless. Then the door at the rear of
the room opened and the jury filed in and
took their seats in the box. Intense ex-
citement followed. The room, although
lied to its utmost capacity, was almost as
quiet as if it had been vacant. Judge
Murpny, who had retired to his chambers,
was summoned and took his place upon
the bench. Clerk Morris asked the usual
question as to whether the jury had agreed
upon verdict Foreman Warren DuttOn
arose and replied in the affirmative. "We,
the jury" said he, find the defendant,
William Henry Theodore DGrrant, guilty
of murder in the first degree">
As the aged foreman, pale ana tremb-
ling, read the words that fixed Durrant's
fate, low runbling noise like the roar OF
/ mob arose from the rear OF the court
room. The next moment men wee cheer
/ ing wildly, while women wept hystcrically
/ in excitement The bailiff raped loudly
for order but the tumult continued for a
minute before anything like quiet could
be broughto out of the disorder. When Dis
trict Attorney Barnes arose and asked
that a day be set upon which the sentence
Of death should be passed upon the pris-
oner Judge Murphy said that sentence
would be passed next Friday, upon which
| day he would also set the day for the trial
of Durrant on the charge of numbering
| Minnie Williams.
During the tumult that followed the an.
nouncement of the verdict Durrant and
his mother were lost sight Of except by
/ the few who sat nearest them. AS the last
| words of the verdict were uttered Durrant
made a spa5moiic effort to rise to his feet,
but before he could do so his mother with
half sigh, half moan, threw her arms
around his neck and sunk back into her
chair. His mothers grief seemed to make
! Durrant forget his own position, and for
the next few minutes he sat with his arms
around her neck, trying to soothe her
The long strain Of the trial, however, had
completely shattered her self control, and
1t was some time before Mrs. Durrant
could leave the court room. Durrant's
father was not in the room when the YER
dict was returned. As soon as the jury re
tired he went out into the corridors, not
believing thuC the jury would return for
son had been convicted when cheer went
up from the crowd in the building as the
news spread.
Durrant recovered his old time com
posure as soon as he left his mother and
prepared toreturn to the county Jail With
his overcoat swung carelessly over his
arm he walked leisurely out of the room,
twirling his slight mustache with appar-
sntlyas little concern as if he were merely
a spectator, instead of the principal figure
in the exciting scene.
Aside from the spectators Mrs Noble,
Blanche Llmont's aunt, and Maud La
mont, the dead girls sister, were appar-
emily the hlppiesU persons in the room.
When the verdict was announced Maud
Lamont arose from her seat, Clasped her
hands, and then cried from sheer excite
ment Mrs. Noble mixed smiles with
tears, and shook hands with number OF
friends who crowded around to congratu.
late her.
As soon as Durrant left the building the
crowd surged out of the room and gath
cred around the door, out of which the
prisoner usually came to reach the prison
van Fearing that some violence might
be offered the prisoner, he was taken out
of another door and driven by circuitous
route TO the county jail.
The verdict fell with all it's force on Dur
rant and his family, who had banked all
their hopes on IA disagreement. While
Mrs Durrant knew that itwas only among
the possibilities that her son would be ac-
quilted her friends said she steadfastly
maintained that a shadow of doubt would
rest in the mind Of one of the jurors, and
that her son would not be convicted. She
was therefore, totally unprepared for the
jury to find her son guilty in twenty min
utes.
l5y common consent, District Attorney
Barnes is given most of the credit for con
viction of the greatest murderer that was
r ever tried in California. While the police
department did excellent work, it is be-
lieyed that Mr. Barnes address, which
consumed two days and a half in its de-
livery, had much TO do with removing any
: lingering doubt from the minds of the
Jurors, il at any time there was juror
who was not convinced of Duuants guilt.
The case will be appealed to the supreme