The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-18
A DOCTORS THEORY.
The Mutilation of Miss Will
liamS' Body Done After
Death.

| DIR. F. H. Shank of 923 Valencia street,
who visited the small bookroom yesterday,
is inclined to believe that the blood upon
the walls and floor came from post-mortem
wounds, and that the murderer mutilated
the body after she was dead from suffoca-
tlon.
"The bleeding would have been much
more profuse," said he, eff the victim had
been stabbed and hacked while living, and
this small apartment would have been
almost saturated, as the several arteries
in the head, breast and arms would have
spouted perfect cataract In every direc-
! ton.
''As it is, only one big splash of blood
and a number of spatters can be seen on
the floor, because the girl being dead and
the circulation stopped there would be no
more contractibiiity, or, in other words,
| the heart would cease to pump the red
arterial blood from the body, and only the
| blue or black venous blood would drip
! from the wounds.
"And, moreover, the splashes on the
walls were evidently thrown there and not
elected from the wounds in the body, and
for what reason | cannot imagine, unless
to leave the impression that it was the
work of lunatic or footpad, or to make
the deed as mysterious as possible. The
fact that Durrant was able to appear at
Vogel's party after the murder, presuming
that he is guilty, with no perceptible blood
stains on his clothing, looks as though
there was no struggle on the part of his
victim, and in consequence the murderer
was able to stab and stab and wrench his
knife around in the wounds, that bled
comparatively little, and get no blood on
himself.
cit is within the bounds of possibility
that the murderer, after gagging the girl
with a portion of her undertaking, went
to the party at Vogels, knowing that he
was due and there was no blood on himself.
1t is within the bounds of possibility that
Miss Williams assailant, after choking her
into insensibility (as he had successfully
handled Blanche Lamont) had left her, as
he thought, dead, either in the library or
little room. He was due at NogePs, and
must appear there in case an alibi would
be needed. So he hurried to the dentists
house, arriving there at 9:45, perspiring
and untidy AT 11:55 the party broke up
and Durrant, having left Elmer Wolf near
Emmanuel Church some time after mid
night, went-where2
who may say he did not enter the
building again, and finding his victim re-
viving, finished his work with the case
knife; or, finding her dead, he attempted
to carry her into the belfry. Having
broken the knobs of the door, he procured
the chisel from the pastors study and at
tempted to break open the door. 1t re-
sisted his efforts and he returned nom
plused to his little victim in the room be-
low. Then the brutal idea of mutilating
her body came upon him, and it was found
in that condition. Not knowing when
death actually came to the little girl, we
may assume that she had not been dead
long when he attacked the remains with
the dull caseknife. These post-mortem
| wounds would bleed venous blood, as they
undoubtedly did, the streams flowing out
sluggishly as the body lay on the
floor of the bookroom. Then, still
intent upon his desire to make every
feature of the deed more the work of a
brute or mailman than that of courteous
gentleman, member of a reputable col
lege and an officer in the church. he dashed
the thick, coagulating blood on the walls
where it can be seen in clots. If he could
have gotten through the belfry door the
little, thin body of his second victim would
have reposed nude by the side of her sister
in misfortune. But he had broken the
lock, and was caught like a rat in his own
trap, SO he made what he considerd the
| best OF bad bargain and hence the hur-
ried work of the knife. Possibly the gag
was a part of this labor. In view of the
fact that he was physically able to choke
the little weak girl to death without an
effort, and morally able to use the knife,
as we have seen, why take all the trouble
OF gagglng If not for some special after
effect? Until Durrant's bloody clothing is
found l must adhere to my theory that
he cut and gashed Miss Williams
when dead, and probably after the party