The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-27
DURRANT' rs
CLOSING
APPEAL
Respite Asked That He Be
Tried in the Will
liams Case.
MORE CLAIMS OF FRESH
EVIDENCE.
Governor Budd Expects to Give
His Decision on Sat
urday.
MRS. DURRANT LABORS WITH
MRS. BUDD.
The Mother of the Condo mned Inter.
cedeS With the Mother of the Gov.
ernor for Her Son.
MRS. DURRANT LABORS WITH
MRS. BUDD.
The Mother of the Condo mined Inter-
cedeS With the Mother of the Gov.
ernor for Her Son.

The attorneys for Durrant have turned
the last stone in his behalf. Their final
appeal to Governor Budd for the con-
demned man was request that respite
be granted in order that the prisoner may
bs tried for the murder OF Minnie Will
liams. Then. if he is again found guilty,
the lawyers say they will be content to
see him suffer death.
This, in brief, was the burden of the
petition presented to Governor Budd yes
terday by Attorneys John II. Dickinson
and Eugene n Deuprey. For three hours
the Governor listened, while the two law
yers proceeded to lay before him the case
of their client as far as he is concerned
with the death Of Minnie Williams. The
two cases are so inseparablv connected, so
much alike in their general details, that
they were willing to concede that the two
murders were committed by the same pair
of hands. There was doubt in the minds
of many, said the lawyers, that Durrant
murdered Blanche Lamont Therefore
they were willing to stake their fortunes On
a trial of the second case.
Governor Budd gave the lawyers an
audience continuing over three hours
Instead Of going TO him, the Governor
went to them The conference began at 2
o clock in the private office of General
John II. Dickinson and was star cham
Der affair. Even the faithful II. A. Tubb
who of late has been making 4 good deal
of noise in Durrant's behalf was denied
admittance and walled the whole after
noon In an anteroom while his principal
wrestled for the life of the prisoner. Gen.
eral Dickinson opened matters by first
informing the Governor that he had
evidence that he believed would acqult
Durrant of the murder of Minnie
Williams. He had refrained from
making public the particulars of it for
professional reasons. Forthwith Dickinson
proceeded to develop his case and the Gov
ernor was given IN some detail an outline
OF what the defense would have been had
the Minnie Williams case been tried first.
Chief OF Police Lees and District Attorney
Barnes have always commended that the
evidence against Durrant is stronger in
this case than in that Of Blanche Lamont.
This was emphasized by both Dickinson
and Deuprey in their argument. They,
too, possessed evidence in their clients
behalf of a strong nature that they were
unable to secure in the Lamont case.
The development of the crank element
of late in connection with the case was
seized upon by Deuprey as an object
lesson to illustrate the influence of news
paper reports to dlstort the i'm agination
of weak-minded people, and while not
laying any stress upon such matters as
the declaration of Convict Rosenber
Deuprey declared they served the purpose
of showing that people have taken
either side of the case with utter inconsist-
ency. Continuing, he said, there were
many people prone to believe Durrant
guilty in spite OF any proof of the oppo-
site.
TIE conference closed at $50 o'clock
The Governor took with him notes of all
he had heard, which he will ponder over
ct his leisure. Attorney Tubb delivered
to him a written request from Durrant for
an interview. The Governor, however,
has set his foot against any programme
that will bring him into contact with
either the condem ned or his parents. The
elder Durrant maze an earnest but vain
endeavor 10 secure hearing in the morn
ing.
The Governor devoted the morning to
an examination of the court exhibits in
the Blanche Lamont case. He called at the
Office OF Chief of Police Lees at o'clock
and spent three hours looking over the
clothing of the dead girl the chiseI, pad
lock and other articles that were pre-
sented 10 the jury at the trial. This
morning he will leave for Sacramento and
begin to prepare his decision. Possibly
he Will not be able to reach it until Satur-
day. He has still a good deal OF the testi-
mony 10 read. Besides he will again re-
view the transcript FLED in the Supreme
Court.
AS the day OF her sons execution draws
near Mrs. Durrant redoubles her efforts in
his behalf. During her visit to Mrs Budd,
the mother of the Governor, in Stockton
on the preceding dav Mrs. Durrant was
told that Mrs. DIR. Freeman of 10 Turk
street possessed some important informa-
ton.
Mrs. Budd had told her Mrs. Freeman.
who was formerly resident of Stockton.
was acquainted with man who bore a
remarkable resem blance to the con-
demned young man; and that, moreover,
he had admitted that he had occupied q
seat in the PoweIi-sIreet car with Blanche
Lamont on her return from the Normal