New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
EFFORTS TO SECURE COMPUTATION
- FOR DURRANT.

FOR DURRANT.
OUTLOOK FOR WHEAT AND FRuIT-THE FAIR
WILL. cAsE-pE WOLF IiopPER's SUCCESS
SAN rRANcIscos TRADE THREATENED.
4IpY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBrSr.l
San Francisco, May 15.-The greatest efforts
have been made here this week TO secure the
Communication Of the death sentence OF young
Theodore Durrant, who murdered Blanche La
mont and Minnie Williams in Emmanuel Bap-
fist Church two years ago His attorneys have
exhausted all the laws delays and now their
only hope is to raise doubts OF the strong cir
cumstantial evidence on which the young medl-
cal student was convicted. They have resorted
to every device, their latest being the affidavit
Of a Russian convict, now IN San Quentin, VINO
swears he murdered Blanche Lamont, although
the shipping records show he did not reach san
Francisco until six months after the murder IN
the church. Yesterday Durrants counsel made
an elaborate plea to Governor Budd, but IL Is
not thought that the Governor will Interfere.
Early last month the wheat and fruit crops
of California promised 10 be the largest TOT
years March had been very wet ana the
crops escaped killing frosts. But April was dry'
and thus far this month no rain has fallen Inc
drouth in many districts is excessive. and has
been rendered WOTSe ny uoI HOi'hSA'' "N'-
blew for nearly a week Wheat is heading out,
although not over foot high. throughout
the San Joaquin. Sacramento. Napa and sonoma
valleys wheat will not be more than one-quar-
Ter an average crop. In many districts IL VIII
no cut for hay Barley has also been badly
injured In the Santa Clara Valley about haiI
crop Of grain will be secured. but ali fruits
will be good except prunes ana cherries. IN
the Southern counties wheat and bar.ey nave
also been injured, but not so seriously as IN 'ne
Central and Northern districts. Fruit promises
we'll in the South
The local real estate market has been
strengthened by the purchase of an important
piece OF Market-st. property by Mayor fheiah'
He has secured the Bay City Market, fronting
on Market and Turk SITS. for S2oO'oU' AS the
lot Is fifty feet front on Market-st, TINS repre-
scented valuation Of $4,000 per front foot. The
lot Is midway between Mason and Tayior sts''
and has been used as butchers stalls for many
years.
Tho Fair will still drags its slow length along
through the mazes of the technicalities Of hand
writing A high salaried expert from Chicago
has consumed much OF the time OF the court
with explanations of enlarged photographs OF
Fairs chirography and what he declares are
the forged signatures Of the old millionaire IN
the Craven deeds and marriage contract The
case. which promised at the outset to be as SEN
sational as the notorious Sharon divorce suit
has now degenerated into contest over legal
technicaties which make even the lawyers
yawn.
The Regents of the State University this week
elected Edward w. Davis, Superintendent or
Schools of Sonoma County, as secretary or the
University. to succeed the late DR. Bonte Mr.
Davis has for years been interested in educa-
tional matters; he is also large farmer Al
though the University charter requires that the
secretary shall be e practical agriculturist MT
Davis is the first incumbent who fulhls TINS re-
Quirement.
A registered letter from abroad. which reached
hare this week. was tempered with in a peculiar
wav Banknotes which it contained were eX-
tracted by washing off the stamps and then cut
ting slit in the envelope When .ie s'a ,
we're again pasted on the envelope bore no signs
Of the cut
DaUolf Homer has scored one of the greatest
successes in the records of the BALDWIN Iheatre.
In eel CAPTAIN" he has filled the house 1oI TWO
weeks the standing-room sign being dlspiayeu
,brouqbout the second week. The sale OF seats
for Nat Goodwins David Garriok" next week
AT this same house. is very large Al tie ~
cazar Theatre is striking novelty IN the 10TH
a. one-act Chinese play by Francis Powers. en-
titled THE First Born" The scene is lald IN 10
cal chinatown" and the chlef actor Is d Chi"e9e
whose wife deserts him for a rich merchant,
taking her boy All the characters are taken by
White actors, dressed in genuine Oriental cos s.
tune. The play has made hit ana oueh' u
commend itself TO some Eastern manager
The Supreme Court this week decided that
cahorn the editor. of Willows, must serve elshl
Years in the State prison for killing Putnam
druggist The is noteworthy, as '' I'm q
goes 10 prison rather than ruin the reputation vi
q voung woman whom the dead man had com
nromised II was the editors knowledge Oh mise
ffacts which led TO the quarrel that ended in the
shooting
Thu Tacoma steamship lines are proving DAN
oerons competitors for the San Francisco lhes'
Rot only do they carry heavy freignt ior over
iand transit but they actually bring from one
quarter TO one-thrd Of each cargo lor trans-
sbinnent 10 this city Thus the steamer rei can.
which reached Tacoma on May .. had -Voo Iulls
OF freight from China. of which oVo weIe 6 ne
Skinned 70 San Francisco, and the steamer I'll, O!l-
mia which reached Tacoma from dohg , hohs
~ Nav 8 brought 1000 tons OF freiehl, mciuu-
~ = loo TONS for San Francisco This diversion
~ freight would create excitement IN any oenes
eeanore than San Francisco, where Glerchs, , !
oe1n,iv hermit their trade TO be seized by rlva'
cities with only feeble efforts TO meet coiiipeo'