The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-23
HOMIGIlAL mama.
FOUR MURDERS LAID AT THE
DOOR OF DURANT.

continue to monopOliZe public atten-
ton. Durant'S manner throughout
Sunday evening in the city prison
was calm, though not Indifferent.
His answers to questions were given
without hesitancy or delhi GRAFTON.
When givCna cell and a mattress Du-
rant wen to sleep in five minutes and
slept soundIy.
To the chief of police Durant denied
that he had any part IN the murder of
the two young women. This he
stoutly maintained throughout. The
chief told him that he would have to
stand trial for his life, and then asked
him abou5 the purse belor giDg to Miss
Williams that was found in the pocket
of his overcoat at bis room. He ex-
planned that he picked this up come
time during Friday night in the street
near the church. He said shat the last
time he saw Miss Lamont was on the
morning OF the day she disappeared,
and that he had not seen Minnie Will
Jams for three weeks. This state ment
the detectives working up the case say
they will have no trouble IN disprov-
ing.
It was reported shortly before noon
that the police had discovered a por-
ton of the remains of a pima in the
basement of Emanuel Baptist church,
but investigation showed that the re-
port had no foundation, the church
having been thoroughly scar ched.
Search is now being made for the
body Of Mrs. Forsythe, wife OF a press
man with tbs Schmidt Label Company,
on the superstition that she was MUIR
/ dered by the same hand that slew the
two girls. The principal reason for
/ RlSc %hn0uv % thu chn rryoC a w0nurhnn
of Emanuel church and frequently at
tended there. She was knownTo have
been in the company of a man who at
tended the church with her and from
this and a few other circumstances it
was thought that she had eloped. IT
ia now thought that Durant was the
man and that he killed her also.
There are reasons for thinking that
Durant also murdered Eugene Ware, a
young drug clerk, who was murdered
q few months ago. Those who saw
the scientific butchery displayed in
both cases, coupled, as it was, with
horrible savagery, Immediately con-
nected the cases. Ware and Durant
we're close acQuaintances and Durant
frequently visited him al the phar.
macy. He was seen with Ware on the
night of the murder. AS a motive it
was said that Durant was jealous of
Ware on account of his attentions to
girl. Ware was stabbed eighteen
times with a double edged dirk, and
only two of the wounds looked as
though they had been delivered at
random. Others were about the heart
and abdomen. Furthermore, Ware
was murdered by q left handed man.
Durant uses both hands with equal
facility.
Durant already has his circle of fe-
male sympathizers, but as yet none OF
them has been permitted TO hold an
int r. view with him. Morbid minded
women were on hand at an early hour
yesterday morning and made appeals
to the officers on duty about the City
Hall to take them to see the man sus-
pected of the two murders. Some OF
the women would not leave the build
ing until they had made requests Of
every officer that could be found
An examination of the clothing of
Miss Lamont gave unmistakable evil
dence that a struggle had preceded the
commission of the murder, although
no wound was found upon the body,
death having been caused by straDgu-
lation. The underclothing is stained
with blood, a fact which the police say
is conclusive evidence to them that
outrage preceded the murderA The.
police are fully satisfied that the evil
dence now In hand fixes the RESPONSE
bility of the crime upon Durant.
1t is said at police headquarters that
IL is by no meaps certain that Durant
did not have an accomplish. Detec
tives have not eUcceened In securing
evidence to substantiate the theory of
an accomplish, but they r working
upon several clews which may lead to
interesting revelations. The theory
seems to be based upon the apparent
impossibility of a man OF DuranLs
ply sfque being able to carry Miss
Lamont's body up to the belfTy.
Chief Crowley says that unless il
can be shown that Miss Lamont went
voluntarily into the belfry the chances
are that Durant had an accOmplice In
the murder. The chief says that there
is lutte If any evidence to show that
the body was dragged upstairs He
thinks it must have been carried up, 8
feat that would have been dificulG for
D1rant to have accomplished.
Durant, who is formally charged
with the murder of the Williams e RI.
when seen in his cell said that he had
been advised to make no further public
statement until the preliminary ex-
animation.
Il am innocent of the death OF tie
girls" he said, ''and hope to be able Go
prove that fact"
When he was told of the marked
similarity between his writing and
the address on the package containing
Blanche Lamont's rings, sent to. her
aunt, Mrs. Noble, on Friday last. he
said: The writing may be similar.
but I state most solemnly that I know
nothing of the persons who sent the
rings to Mrs. Noble"
On being questioned he admitted he
had charge of the E17ndov goLo1g