The record-union., 1897-03-04
DURRANT'S DOOM SEALED.
1UST HANG FOR THE MURDER
OF BLANCHE LArlONT.
The Supreme Court Affirms the Deci-
sion of the Lower Court, Which
Found Him Guilty.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 3.-The
supreme Court this afternoon affirmed
the decision of the lower court in the
case of Theodore Durrant, found guilty
oil the murder of Blanche Lamont in
Emmanuel Church almost two years
ago. He appealed from the verdict of
guilty, alleging errors in the rulings of
the trial Judge, and filing volumin-
Gus bill of exceptions. The trial Judge,
however, was confirmed in all his dis
puted rulings, and the verdict ap-
proved by the Supreme Court. The
case will now be sent back to the Su-
rerior Court, which will fix date for
| DurrantS execution.
Friday afternoon, April II, 1895, the
body of Minnie Williams a young girl,
was found in the closet of the pastor S
study of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
The girl had been outraged and muir
dered, the arteries in the wrists being
cut. Two days later, just before church
service began, the body of Miss
Blanche Lamont, who had been miss
ing for several days, was found in the
belfry of the church. She had been
strangled to death.
| Theodore Durrant a young medical
student. who was superintendent of
the Emmanuel Church Sunday-school.
| had been on very friendly terms with
both murdered girls, and was suspected
| Of the crime. He was arrested while
on trip to Mount Diablo with the
Signal Corps, and although he had been
warned with heliograph by his COM
trades Of the Signal Corps from Tele-
graph Hill, he betrayed no concern, and
calmly awaited the arrival of the Off
GERS. In his oVercoat, which had been
left at home, was found Minnie Will
Jams purse. A pawnbroker identified
| Durrant as a man who had tried to
sell him a diamond ring which had be-
| longed to Blanche Lamont
| 1t was proved at the trial that Dur
rant accompanied Miss Lamont to and
from school on the day she disappeared
and that he met Minnie Williams at
! the ferry the evening on which she
was murdered. That evening Durrant
arrived late at a meeting of the Chris
| tian EndeavOr Society. He was flushed
and disheveled. He asked permission
| to brush his hair and wash his hands
| before he entered the meeting.
| The discovery of the murders caused
| tremendous excitement, and after
! long and sensational trial Durrant was
| convicted of the murder of Blanche
| Lamont. He was sentenced to be
hanged year ago last February, but
has been granted several stays of exc
cution pending the hearing of his ap-
peal for a new trial by the Supreme
Court. All this time he has been con-
fined in the County Jail, where he has
maintained his usual stolid composure,
devoting his time to study and religious
reading.
When Durrant was informed by the
head jailer of the Supreme Courts de-
cision he burst into tears, and said this
was a very cruel end. He said that
some day the truth would prevail, and
he would be vindicated. He seemed
to take some comfort from the report
that Chief Justice Beatty would in a
few days file a dissenting opinion.
Durrant has ever since his arrest man
ifested the most supreme confidence in
his ultimate acquittal, and when he
was convicted in the Superior Court de-
clared that the Supreme Court would
grant him a new trial.
The attorneys for Durrant intend to
CihE'ios CNNiy iCSdi DIcdIS " SlOp IDS
execution of the sentence of death. Eu-
gene Deuprey, one of his attorneys, so
asserts.
Il am adamant in my belief that this
young man is innocent" said Mr.. Deu-
prey "and that his death by hanging
would be murder. / shall, therefore,
fight for him to the last resource"
Mr.. Deuprey explained briefly his
purpose. Il have read the opinion of
Justice Henshaw," he said, though
with some haste. / notice that many
of the points made on behalf of the de-
fendant are treated with inconsidera-
ton Points of law are dismissed
briefly, or not mentioned at all. The
evidence as summarized to use the
language of Justice Henshaw, omits
matters that we regard as of impor-
tance. But meager attention is given to
our contention of the effect upon the
jury of public clamor and articles in
the newspapers. Within twenty days.
the time allowed by law, we shall pre-
sent our petition for a rehearing, setting
up these matters that seem to be over
looked, or at least not considered We
cannot, with propriety, comment upon
the short time given by the court to the
consideration of the case, although it
seems remarkable that a record of such
length could receive attention in the
time given it, when other cases of i'm
portance have been under considera ton
by the court. If the petition for a re-
hearing is denied we shall apply to the
Federal courts on a constitutional cues
ton, the apportionment of jurors to
counties, If necessary taking the case
through the District Court and Circuit
Court to the Supreme Court of the
United States"
IIo9O-YOgq SuIoS 1noulIM uJgasns