The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-09-09
DURANT In COURT.
WHILE THE CASE PROCEEDS HE
TALKS TO A DETECTITE.
Are Examin-d-A Miniature Doll 10 to BE
Used-strong Fight by the Defense.

| trial is beginning to he family visible.
| Whether they have the sensational evil
] dence that they have limited will clear
Durant completely or not, they will try
the police department. There will be a
whole lot in the trial about the blindness
of the police and their fatuousness in ig-
ncring every ciew that did not coincide
with their preconceived idea that Durant
was the guilty man.
BY disputng every proposition of the
prosecution ana assuming all the time that
the police are turning everything against
the prisoner, they will raise a cloud of
contention and surmises that, with what
evidence they will produce of Durants pre-
Vious good character and the alibi wit
hcsses, Will raise the reasonable doubt
IN the jury's mind that will deter them
IRON bringing in verdict of guilty.
NOW 1t is certain that the trial VIII be
very long one. If such minor witnesses
as the detective who merely found the
body ana the physician who only con-
Quoted the autopsy are to be cross
examined for half day. how long will the
attorneys for Durant keep the witnesses
who actually give testimony against Du-
rant on the stand2 Mrs. Leak. who viii
swear she saw Durant 20 into the church
that fatal afternoon with Blanche Lamont;
Oppenhe inner, the Sc -ond-haud dealer in
jewclry, who will swear Durant tried TO
sell him one Of the dead girls rings, the
witnesses to whom Durant made state
mcnts inconsistent with the present theory
OF the defense and with facts the polc.
will prove. Will undoubtedly De kept on
the stand for days. District Attorney
Barnes once said it would take only two
weeks to get in the evidence II il does
not occupy two months, present Indications
count for nothing.
A Jointed Doll.
SO far the case has been almost exclu-
sively one of models, maps, charts, plans
and diagrams. The Witnesses testify
pointer in hand, and every spot they en-
ton they Indicate either on the elaborate
model of the tower or on the Diagrams.
To make the thing perfect. the prosecution
will produce doll that will represent the
dead girl in the tower model. II is as
pretty a doll as ever delighted a baby, but
il will play a grewscme part III this trial
IT is one Of those pretty frcrcI dal.s w-t'
movable limbs ana head. tumbied hair and
eyes that close. II will be Lana IN the COR
ncr of the miniature belfry with arms
folded across the breast aad head turned
slightly to one side ana Kept in position
10y two tiny blocks OF wood. Then the jury
will know more wildly than words can
tell them Just what was thc state OF things
in Emanuel church when Detective Gibson
broke down the bclfry door and found the
murdered girls.
Durart takes the lveicst sort Of inter
est in the model of the church. with which
he was so familiar. He leaned 10 Detective
Harry Morse and whispered suggestions
and comments all the time that Policeman
Russell was pointing out The distances and
particular points ia his model.
In the interval between the disappear
ance of blanche Lamont and the HndInG of
her body in tine bo!fry the tongue OF Theo-
dore purant was busy. iic may nave
cause TO regret il. To some people he zee
cared that he could NOT account for tie
mysterious disappearance of the girl WIN
tears in l;is eyes. lac said SHE hal been
pure girl and be could not reason ia Eis
own mind a theory of har absence. TO
others. IN several instances to neWsu;.ler
rcunrtors lee sad titt hr Irtt 'Di-uor'-
chat the SRI lad gone as,ray. that she
would be found f1wu town. 40 Iyr uuci,
ne offered his services 10 search In the
shadows Of the city for the missing girl
To the ianitor Of t..u iauel church. WHO
caught him al the ferry the Gay Minnie
Williams was murdered. nc said that hc
had information Jhat Blanche Lamont was
going away. and that he intended 10 IN
tercept her.
How will Duraut reconcile these atu-
tudese" is the query OF the prosecution.
1t is one of the questions the student viii
not answer. but il Is one problem which
ne must face before tine jury wnich is try
ing him viii say hat his life shall not bee
forfeited 70 the state.
When the trial was resumed this morn
Ing e. q. Noble. uncle of the murdered
girl. was recalled ana completed his ,v-
derce respecting the Identification OF tine
body.
A. +. R'.hl. police officer. was the next
witness He entered the church with Do
tective Gibson ana assisted tire latter I'D
breaking in the door leading INT" the
belfrv Gibson discovered the body Of Miss
Ia att
Witness saw blood stains on the floor ot
the third landing below where the body
was found and on examination he had
found that this blood had droppeS 1fom
above lie also saw footprints OF the dust
Of the steps Of the stairway
The Testimony
The testimony in the puTant case tc1ay
was mainly given over TO incidents con-
nected with the discovery OF TIE "od[ OF
blanche Lamont in the church tower.
PatrolInan Riecht testified that Pc dis
covered footprints in the Dust ON the steps
leading To the top floor of the tower WHef'
the body lay. lie thought the footprints
were those of the murderer, hut they We're
obliterated by the morgue attaches, VINO
entered the tower to get the body. Recent
also told Of blood stains on the first floor
of the belfry made by blood which drlppei
from the third landing, where the muir
derer rested with his victim and left the
body for about n day There were also
marks in the dust on the stairs made 10y
the trailing skirts of the dead girl while
the murderer vas carrying the body up
to the third landing
The defense was particular IN brinGlnN
ont these points. apparently to fortify its
theory that the body Of the murdered girl
was carried long distance ami that a
man of Durant's physique would have been
unable to carry IT,
The prosecution has evidence to SHOW
could easily have CARRIED Tie