The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-05-01
CANE To FREE DURRANT.
An Arizona Rancher Tells q VerV
Strange Story.
Al MAN CONFESSED TO HIM THAT HI
MURDERED BLANCHE LAMONT.

The San Francisco Chronicle OF
the 26th ult., says:
A mysterious man named Schrader.
who knew a. mysterious man named
Brown, who confessed eighteen months
ago to the murder of Blanche Lamont,
arrived in the city yesterday and told bis
stOry to several people. Sohrader, who
appears to bear indifferently the surnames
William and Samuel, is an elderly man.
very poorly dressed and nearly 81 years
of age, with hating voice and q nervous
manner.
Yesterday afternoon at about o'clock
he went to Hughes drugstore at the cor
ner of Post and Powell streets, and asked
for directory. He told Hughes that be
was looking for the address of the Dur
rant family, and Immediately announced
his business in San Francisco. He said
that he had; come here from Arizona to
declare the innocence of Theodore Dur
rant and to save him from the gallows.
He went on to state that he was a rancher
in a small way, living in little cottage
q long distance from civilization, and
that one night in November, 1895, q
young man bearing every evidence of ex
haustion from a long journey, knocked
at his door. He admitted the stranger,
and at once proceeded to make him com
Portable. giving him food and Offering
him, q shake down for the night.
The visitor went to bed in Schrader's
room, andin.a few minutes was fast asleep.
His rest was broken, however. anu he
talked a good. DEAL, three or four TINES
mentioning the name of blanche"
Blanche, ""Blanche Lamont" Schrader,
who had carefully read the San Francisco
papers containing the account of the En-
manuel church murders some months
before, scanned the young man closely,
and was amazed TO see how like he was
in appearance to the published pictures
of Theodore Durrant.
Next morning at breakfast the stranger
said his name was Brown, but would not
give any Information about where he had
come from or where he was going.
Schrader asked him what he knew about
Blanche Lamont. As soon as he pro-
nounced the name he says. that Brown
nearly tainted. He sat back shaking in
his chair, and after burst of tears con
iessed that he had murdered Blanche La
mont and that Durrant was not the guilty
nan at all. Then he got up and went
away.
II have never seen him SINCE" said
Schrader. 81 thought the truth would
urely come out, and besides l was too
Door to take d trip West, so L waited for
! long while: Then, when found the
'ther day that Durrant was, going to hang.
decided to sacrifice everything and do
ny duty by coming to San Francisco and
naklug my statement
He took down the address of the Dur
ant family and also the Office number Of
Attorney Deuprey and then went down
own.
Attorney Deupreg =, whe seen last night,
vas very mysterious. He said that he
lad not seen Schrader, having been busy
q court all day, but that the Arizona
nan had, he believed, called at his office
Turing the afternoon.
"Have you heard of bis story before?"
e was asked.
"Well, yes, have" he replied. 81
ave been in communication concerning
previous to this time, but am not in a
osition to talk"
"Were you instrumental in bringing
chrader to town2"
"Well, now, Mr.. Deuprey answered, II
eally must decline to say. The man is |
ere, and he is not here for nothing. And
ne lawyer would talk no more about II. |
General Dickinson, as usual had moth |
lg to say.
1t is stated that George Tubb, one of
he attorneys for the defense, met Guard
'uffy of San Quentin on Market street |
n Thursday, and, referring to the Durrant
ase, said: "My client will not hang.
necessary. a trump card will he played |
nplicating another party"
Durrant passed his third Sunday
q. the genitentiary very quietly.
lis father arrived On the noon train
rom the city, and, after receiving
be necessary permission, was taken
D Captain Edgar's Office. Guard
IAN; Sullivan. brought the con-
emned man to. the Office and re-
lained during the entire interview,
'hich lasted an hour. Afterward
he father watched the guard while
is son was locked in the con-
emned cell. Durrant seemed un-
oncerned, walking across the prison
ard with his head erect. He now
ears brown bicycle cap by per-
,ission of the officials. To
hronicle correspondent the father
f the condemned said that be was
OF at liberty to talk about the
rison Directors meeting, and
hen asked what he thought of the
chrader story, he replied: "My
oy is all right and always has
cen. l have nothing to say in
sgard to Schrader. 1t will only
g short time before. the whole
latter will be explained"
James Russell Lowell. when Amer.