Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-11-02
The Jury We're Ont Only Twenty
Minutes.
MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
Enormous Lie Durrant Told the
Woman Reporter.

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twenty minutes.
Theodore Durrant. assistant superlD
tendeHt Of Emanuel Baptist church
Sunday school, stands convicted Of th,
mhruer of Blanche Lamont, for which
be has been on trial since July 22nC
last. The jury was out twenty min
utes and arrived at q verdict on the
frat ballot. AS there was no recon-
mendation Of mercy, the punishment
was fixed at death.
The scene In the court room when
the verdict was announced, will never
be forgotten by those who were pres
ent. Judge Murphy finished bis
charge at $3.50 p. IN. Friday and the
jury at once retired. While the jury
was out Mrs Durrant and the prisoner
talked and laughed together as II ac-
quittal were foregone conclusion,
They we're Joined by half dozen
friends and the conversation become
animated, when 1t 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 prisoner. Durranrs face
always pale, assumed ghastly hue
and his mother was speech,ess. Then
the members of the jury filed In and
took their seats. Clerk Morris asked
the usual question rs TO whether the
jury had agreed upon verdict. Fore
man Warren Dutton arose and replied
in the affirmative. ave, the jury"
said he, "find the defendant, William
Henry Theodore Durrant guilty of
murder In the first degree"
As the aged foreman, pale aud
trembling, read the words that fixed
Durran's fate, low rumbling noise
like the roar of mob arose frLm the
rear OF the court room. The next
moment men were cheering wildly,
while women wept hystericalIy in the
excitement. The bailff raped loudly
for order, but the tumult continued for
a minute, before anything like quiet
could be brought out of the disorder.
Judge Murphy said that sentence
would be passed next Friday, upon
which day he would also set a day for
the trial Of Durrant on the charge of
Minnie Williams.
During the tumult that followed the
announcement Of the verdict Durrant
md his mother were lost sight of ex-
'ept by the few who sat near them.
As the last words of the verdict were
uttered Durrant made a spasmodle
fort TO arise to his feet, but before he
Ould do so his mother with a half
Ugh, half moan, threw her arms
round his neck and sank back into
Ter chair. His mothers grief seemed
o make Durrant forget his own posi-
lon and for few minutes he SAT with
is arms around her neck trying to
Dothe her. 1t was sometime before
irs. Durrant could leave the court
pom. Durrant's father was not In
he room wnen the verdict was re-
armed and he first learned that his
IN had been convicted when the
heer went up from the crowd In the
Darrant recovered his old-time COM
Dsure as soon as he left his mother
nd prepared to return to the county
~. Win MS oVercOat swung care
ssly over his arm, he walked leisurely I
1t Of the room, twirling his slight
ustaehe with apparently as little i
ncern rs II he ware merely a specta- :
Z instead of the principal figure In {
@ exciting scene. Aside from the !
ectators, Mrs. Noble, Blanche La
onts aunt, and Maud Lamont, the
adj girls sister, were apparently the
rpiest persons " the room. When
e verdict was announced, Maud La
ont sprang from her seat, clapped
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