Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-09-15
n Durrnnt TrInl.


San FRANCISCO, Sept. l2.-This
morning the testimony i'll the Durrant
case was good for the prosecution and
evidence was introduced directly con.
Meeting the prisoner with the murder
OF Blanche Lamont.
Tho first witness was Richard Charl-
ton. a grocer, who testified that he
had weighed Blanche on an average
OF once II month during her stay in
the city. Tho last time he weighed
her was OH March ~ or %. Then she
weighed us pounds. Her creates.
weight was l2l pounds. and her "
age was ll5 pounds.
This was considered i triumph for
the prosecution, showing TINT such Il
light weight could be easily carried
or dragged up to the belfry by Dur.
rant. The defense had tried to show
her weight was 40 pounds.
Henry Chalmount. n conductor on
the Suffer street car system, testified
that on April 81 Durrant and Blanche
Lamont got on n car Mt the corner OF
Mission and Ninth streets. Durrant
sat with his arm on top OF the seat
back OF Blauche, and seemed on very
familiar terms with her.
This witness WIS excellent for the
prosecution. He resisted all efforts of
the defense to break down his testi.
mony and had all the time schedules
so firmly fixed in his mind that no
Cross examination conld flustcr him.
He had identified Durrant at the City
Hall and again MS the defendant in
court. Durrant and Miss Lamont
left the ear at the corner OF Suffer
and Polk, taking transfers to the Poll,
street cars. He SAID D%urrant and
Blanche seemed to be very Jolly to.
gether.
Herman j. Schledger. Il medical
student and classmate of Durrant ties.
titled he knew Durrant well and had
seen him OH the-morning Of April I'd.
He noticed him first at the corner of
Ninth and Mission streets. lie was
accompanied by Blanche Lamont.
Durrant had previously told him the
girl was Blanche Lamont.
He frequently saw them together.
AT the corner of Webster and Suffer
streets the witness got of the car TO
go to the medical college. .Aftcrward
Durrant asked witness il he remem.
bered meeting him with Blanche that
day. Durrant said at that time that
Blanche had disappeared, and he
(Durrant) feared she had gone into a
house Of ill.fame. Durrant had re.
marked that blanche was an innocent
girl and he led her easily.
Tho witness answered all tho Ques
tlOns with marked reluctance. evil
deutly trying to protect his fellow.
student, us far rs possible. Several
times, in response to questions. wit
ness seemed Oh the verge Of Il disclos.
ure, but always checked himself in
time. He was u good witness for the
people in spite of himself.
>. w. Horton, Il reporter was the
next witness. lie interviewed Dur.
rant on the night OF his arrest. Dur.
rant had told him he had taken the
Suttcr street car with blanche La.
mont. Defendants counsel had been
shifting i'll their chairs and now said
they would admit that Blanche and
Durrant had been seen together the
day she disappeared.
Minnie Belle Edwards was the next
witness. She was Il classmatc OF
Blanche and after school boarded the
same car at the corner Of Powell and
Clay streets. ~Whcu BIauchc got on
the a Durrant vas with her. |
wont inside; they were outside on the
east side OF the dummy. Blanche
carried her school books and wore a
black serge, ] identify these books
and dress rs those carried and worn
on that day"
Witness alsp described Dnrrant's
attire on that day. The attorneys for
the defense gave Miss Edwards II long
and severe cross examination, but she
stuck to her story without Il break.
positively identifying Durrant as the
man accompanying blanche on April
Sd. She described infinitely how
blanche and Durrant stood before
boarding tho car and told how Dur,
rant wore his hat, and every change
OF position no made.
She had identified Durrant's por
trait when published III tho papers
and also identified him ut tho City
Hall. She did net know why shclIad
been summoned as Il witness. She
had told her story TO her school teach.
or and to no one clso.