The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-25

SAHlFRASctsco, April 24.-lt may DO
tina. tho Emanuel Baptist chuach mur.
dor-tho killing OF Miss Blanch La.
mont, on April 8. and OF Miss Marian
Williams, on April l9-may 20 down US
unsolvod mys,crics in tho criminal an-
malls Of San Francisco. The police, 1t is
true, have gathered much evidence, all
circumatantial. but the witnesses for the
state, under tho iiro OF cross.oxamina.
ton. have no. hold so firmly to their
stalemonts-thcy wavered in tho matter
OF Identification when pinned down.
Tho result of tho second days prelim-
mary examination led Chief OF Police
Cromley TO remark that 1t was rather
disappointing and not what ho had rea-
aon TO anticipate.
Certain 1t is that Durans, tho medical
student, accused Of the murder OF Mar
ian Williams. has not yet lost his aa,ur.
ance or nerve. His deneanor is 90 pc.
culiar, SO enigmatical, that tho conclu.
aion is forced upon the observer that hs
Is either most consummate master or
most cruelty wronSed man. 1t Is
stated that he is anxious 10 make his
defense in the police court, relying up.
on tho weakness of the case against him
so far and his alleged ability to prove
an alibi, but his lawyers are too cautious
to permit him TO have his way.
The police havo abandoned their
search for additional evidence and say
| they have the net woven good and
strong around Durant. Oi course the
| public, or at least large portion OF 1t,
Is skeptical. At least the police still
have some twenty-five witnesses, and
| perhaps more evidence OF which the
| people have not been apprised. 1t is
possible the police may DO right and
will succeed in presenting the case
strong enough to hold the prisoner for
trial.
Durrant passed quiet night and
when he entered Judge Conlon's court
room this morning he appeared re.
freshed aud as ssli.com posed as ever.
lie converied with his attorneys earn.
estIy. DR.. Gibson testified that he had
seen Durrant Good Friday night at the
Christian Endearor meeting ut DR..
Vogers home, lie thought Durrant
came to the meeting about $3.50 o'clock
| after the conclusion OF the business
meeting. Durrant remained until the
| party broke up. Witness had seen
| Durrant alone in tho library OF the
church on March Il. Witness was at
the church on the morning that the
body OF Mis- Williams was found. He
heard noise in the church, but did not
investigate 1t. He saw Miss Williams
ior the last time TO his certain knowl-
edge March . in the Sunday school
room, when she told him she was going
away and bade him goodbye.
A new witness, Dennis Wclch. an
Alameda policeman, said he saw Dur
ant and Miss Williams together in Ala
media on several occasions, about two
weeks prior to the discovery OF tho
young lady's body in tho church.
Additional light has been thrown on
the murder Of Marian Williams.
Searchcrs have found blood stains in tho
church, showing that the murderer had
mado his way in the dark from the H.
brary closet, where lay tho mutlated
body, to the wash room back OF tho
pulpit, in tho rear end OF the church.
The prints OF bloody fingers wero seen
| at intervals. The eIton. OF tho blood
| stains in the wash room go 10 show that
tho murderer had no light while wash
ing his hands, for a judicious person, as
his actions prove him to be, would not
spatter so much blood around il he
could have seen what he was doing.
And 1t is evident that II ho had had
| Itr,I,t ha ,rnp1l ~ hov taft ko hi Ia,
stains on the basin. This tends TO
provo that the murderer was familiar
with every part OF the church.
Durant 10 making strenuous efforts to
provo an alibi In tho Lamont case by
Attempting to provo that on the day
Miss Lamont disappeared he was no.
hor escort from school nt $3.50 o'clock in
tho afternoon. Three young ladies' have
| Identified Durant as the young man
thoy saw on car with Miss Lamont at
that hour. He will call on his college
classma.cI to provo that ho was at n
| lecture at that hour. 1t is said that
| Durant's notc book contuing no notes
| OF the lecture and that no obtained in
formation as to tho subject mattor OF
the lecture from another student. This
matter ia question Of importance to
Durant and he bases his hopes on tho
memory OF his fellow students. Durant
was marked present Mt this lecture, but
it had boon n habit OF students to an
swcr present for each other, and tho
roll call docs not count.
| 4 sensational statement this morn
ing OF Mrs. L. Young. trance medium,
who says that several days ago sho went
into a franco aud, according to her
story. plainly saw Durnnt in tho act of
killing his helpless victims. lIe was
undrosscd nt tho time, sho says, and
after s,rangling Miss Lamont carried
hor body to tho belfry. Mrs. Young
says sho believes that II tho police will
search the partition on tho wost side Of
tho church, thoy will find tho Shoes
worn by Durant on tho night that ho
Ia supposed to hnvo murdered Miss
Williams. She claims that after dross.
ing himself Durant dropped ono Of his
shoos in pool OF blood. and that TO
avoid detection ho hid both of them in
tho partition. ltis not probable that
tho police will pay any attention TO tho
trance modium's droam.