The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-25

met them on the street and forced them
to take the goods. They did not know
the goods were stolen, so they took them
TO please this mysterious stranger.
"Weu, who was this stranger, this &C.
commOdating gentleman who gave them
presents OF other peoples property? mat
is question they never can answer. III
they conld only answer that question they
might prove their innocence. But they
neglected to ask the name of their strange
friend. If they could only discover MIN
now
Gentlemen of the jury, you know that
San Quentin is full of criminals VINO
might not be there if they could ma TINS
mysterious stranger. And 1t WouIo go iar
toward establishing the innocence OF TINS
defendant if he could produce that mys-
ferrous stranger-that nan who came up
TO him at Post street and Grant avenue
and told him to go and search at the Ter
ries for Blanche Lamont. II Durrant
could only find the man who gave MN
that clew!
"Some one tapped him on the shoulder;
gave him a cleW. His heart throbbed with
Joy and he hurried away to-hls lunch.
It ,cas accusing conscience that
tapped him on tho shoulder.
"And he never told any one else about
this clew that made his heart glad. That
night he went TO DR.. NogeIS ana saw all
there. He never told them of the tapping
on his shoulder and the valuable clew
given bv the mysterious stranger.
DO YOU believe be saw that stranger?
You do not. gentlemen. But he did re-
ceive q tanning. l doubt not that. But
that tapping was OF grim conscience, &C
cusing conscience. And the tapping was
not ONLY at Post street and Grant avenue.
The tapping was at night, in the morning,
at noon, in all his waking and sleeping
hours. What tapping Conscience can
make: To him who has the ear for it there
is no noise can drown it.
after luncheon he did go to the ferry.
Was it to follow up clew? He did not
tell Dukes and Dodge it was. Why? Be-
cause it was not uppermOst in his mind
he tells you. Yet both Dukes and Dodge
tell you that the first words they said to
hlm were, Well, Durrant, have you found
Blanche Lamont YETI?
What was Durrant's errand at the fer
ries? He was waiting and watching for
some one. For whom? The evidence
does not go so lar. That is not a part OF
this case. But few minutes later Mr..
Hobe saw him with young lady at the
turntable of the Howard-street car. That
line was not pursued. Again, he was seen
to board a car with a girl. Again, he was
taking ride with a girl. So far as this
case goes we may not know who this girl
was.
Oppepheimer's character
remains UHimpedched.
Then there is the event of the ring.
DuTrant tried to pawn the ring of the
maiden he had slain in the belfrv. Where
is the impeachment of Mr.. Oppenheimel
that was promised? 1t has not come II
could not be produced. Mr.. Oppenheimel
told the truth It is part of his business
TO remember the people who come to his
store. Every man to his business. Every
man Is, or should be, an expert at his own
business. Mr.. Oppenheimer was trained
by long years OF business to remember his
patrons. The police call upon him fre.
Quently for information. He must be
able to describe his visitors. He was able
TO describe Durrant, and not only that
but he was able to describe the other per
sons sent to him by the defense. Mr.
Oppenheimer's testimony, l say, stands
unImpeached.
And not that alone, but corroborated
1t Is cOrrobOrated by the witness Phillips
And where is the impeachment of Phil
lips? He told the truth on this stand
gentlemen.
And now, what OF the defense? 1t i.
one mass Of contradictory testimony. II
Is, at most, negative testimony. 1t IS Dur
rants unsupported word. he alone tells
you he was at DIR. Cheney's lecture on the
afternoon of April 3. And the rollcalI Of
the lecture that is brought in to corrObra &c
him proves to be detective, because ii
marks Student Glrvln absent when IN fact
he was there, and because there is an eras-
ure of some mark that at first stood oppo-
site Durrant's name.
1t has been the custom from time i'm
memorial in colleges for one student to an
swer at the rollcall for another. 1t is in
his own testimony that Durrant asked
twice IN one week to have others answer
present Tor him at lectures. And TO verify
that rOllcall the defense brings upon the
stand that band OF seventy-fve students
with weak memories"
Mr.. Peixotto reviewed the evidence o
Student Chaser and DR.. Graham concern
ing the notes that the first gave to Dur
rant and that the second was asked for by
Durrant so that he could establish an alibi
Then, in conclusion, the speaker reviewed
briefly but forcibly the entire case, finally
reminding the jurors that not upon then
should rest the responsibility of conyicting
the defendant of the awful crime of which
he stood charged. To Durrant alone tina
responsibility belonged.