The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-24
DURRANT IDENTIFIED
HE WAS SEEN COMING OUT or
PAwNBROKER OPPENHENs SHOP.
Damaging Evidence Against the Al
legged Murderer of Blanche Lamont
and Minnie williams.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Sept. 2s.-The
tenth week of the trial of Theodore Durrant
began to-day. The prosecution now has its
case substantially before the jury and all
that the district attorney will need to in
troduce is corroborative testimony. Adolph
Oppenheim, the broker who stated that
Durrant had tried to pawn a ring identified
by Oppenheim as belonging to Blanche
Lamont, was further cross-examined to-
day. On the day Durrant is charged with
having tried to sell the ring, Oppenheim
said two others had called Both were
strangers, yet he described them minutely
and recounted the particulars of their visits
as if they had occurred but yesterday. OPP
penheim was asked regarding other speci-
fled days and answered promptly. Counsel
for the defense tried to confuse Oppenheim
by showing him number of silver articles
and inquiring If he had ever seen them
before. In many cases the pawnbroker re-
piled in the affirmative and described the
persons who had tried to sell or pawn them.
The defense evidently considered Open
him's testimony of great Importance and
tried hard to break IL down, but without
marked success
W.. j. Phillips, cigar manufacturer. a
middle-aged man of good appearance and
address, testified that he had seen Durrant
come out of Oppenheim's store in the early
part of last April He was attracted TO
the man by his peculiar appearance and
maner OF his actions and the fact that he
was coming out of a pawn shop. When the
district attorney requested the witness 20
indicate the man he saw coming out of the
pawn shop Phillips walked over to the pris-
oEer and, with pointed finger. said
in a positive tone: That is the
young man." Durrant did not finch
under the ordeal. He returned gaze with
gaze, and not a muscle Of his impassive
face twitched. He neither betrayed guilt
nor flashed back the glance of injured in
nocence. The witness was cross-examined
regarding his business enterprises and his
family history with the apparent intent OF
discreditng his testimony. He said when
Durrants portrait was first published he
remarked that he had seen him some place
When Oppenheim's picture was published
the scene of the pawn shop flashed across
him.
Leigh H. Irvine, newspaper man, said he
interviewed Durrant on the evening OF
April IA in the city prison. Durrants state
ment was made in the presence of Judge
Thompson, who was then Durrant's attor.
ney. 1t as to his whereabouts, on Apri
3. Durrant then said he left home about
o'clock in the morning and met Blanche
Lamont at Twenty-first and Mission streets
college on the day of the Conversation about
the Newcomes took place. He went TO the
church at 4:30 and took of his coat and
went upstairs to fix the gas. He stated that
he met King in the church and left IL with
King He said nothing about having seer
Miss Lamont in the afternoon. Mrs. A. B.
Perry, OF Alameda, who was visiting Mrs
Crossett on April 3. corroborated Mrs
Crossett's story to her trip TO the Mis-
sion on that afternoon Mrs. Crossett left
the Haight-street car at Market street to 90
out TO Valencia.