The San Francisco call., 1897-05-15
DELAY IS
SOUGHT FOR
DURRANT
Eugene Deuprey Makes
an Argument Before
the Governor.
STRANGE PLEAS TO GAIN
MORE TIME.
Renewal of the Insinuation
Made Against Pastor
Gibson.
Docrrprpr,o corEDccrox yr
STRANGE PLEAS TO GAIN
MORE TIME.
ROSENBERG'S CONFESSION" is
ADMITTED WORTHLESS.
Final Struggle to Prevent the Ex-
ecution of the Convicted MUIR
derer of Blanche Lamont.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, May 14-On
each of two consecutive days Governor
Budd has had to sit virtually as jury and
Judge and weigh life and death in the
scales OF justice for two men condemned
to the gallows. On Thursday be listened
10 the plea for clemency on behalf of s. d.
Worden. and to-day for more that three
hours he sat in his Office and with consid-
erable show of interest and consideration
gave hearing while Eugene n. Deuprey in
eloquent argument prayed for ieniency
and what he claimed to be justice on be-
half of William Henry Theodore Durrant,
convicted of the murder ~of Blanche La
mont, and condemDe to be hanged until
he is dead on the 11th of next month.
| When the attorney announced that he
] had exhausted his argumentative ammu-
| milton, for he brought absolutely no new
! facts to the attention OF the executive, tde
! latter stated that he would look over all
the printed and written matter submitted
to him, give it very careful consideration
and announce his decision some day dur
| ing the coming week.
| Ii the Governor complies literally with
his declared intention ne will be kept busy
reading continuously for week at least.
Transcripts of testimony, voIuminous
| briefs, petitions and letters by the score
were submitted 10 him, accompanied with
| apologies and condolences on the part OF
Deuprey.
Two points of more than ordinary in
terest were developed in the course of the
hearing. Deuprey in most pointed man
ner directed the finger of suspicion at
Rev. j. George Gibson, who is so strenu-
ously ende avoring to resign his pastorate
over Emmanuel Baptist Church, and by
curt reference to the shipping records of
the San Francisco papers the Governor
showed the utter absurdity and untruth-
| fulness of the 'fake" confession of the al
| legged real murderer OF B.anch Lamont
| that was published in the Examiner.
Blanch Lamont disappeared on April 8,
! 1895, and the ship Hospidar, on which
was John Rosen berg, who confessed to the
girls murder arrived on November 5,
1895, ,.about seven months after the COM
| mission of the crime.
| Deuprey was accompanied by A. A.
TuDb, an attorney, who is working in
Durrant's interest Independently of the
condemned mans duly appointed attor-
neys. After Deuprey had finished Tubb
asked leave to file statement in the case
with the Governor and was granted per-
mission to do SO. He intlmated it was to
he revelation by woman, who would
first have to apply to Rome for permis-
sion to divulge her information. He said
it might be a week or more before the
statement would be ready.
| Though the time set for the hearing
was 10 A M. it was twenty minutes of IL
o'clock before the Governor was ready.
There were about dozen spectators pres
ent.
Deuprey opened by calling the Cover.
nor's attention to the fact that notice had
been served of the hearing on the District
Attorney OF San Francisco. No one was
present, however, TO represent Mr.. Barnes.
He read the petition which had been in
the hands of the Governor several days,
and proceeded TO criticize Judge Murphys
attitude while the trial was in progress.
| He spoke of him as having been accus-
| toned to act as prosecutor, and declared
| it was difficult for the Judge to rid him.
| self of the prosecuting habit. "His man.
ner of expressing his feelings lowering
| of the eyebrow. a movement OF the lips, or
| a shrug of the shoulders" he said, ''ex-
pressed more to the jury than words could
do.''
Deuprey at this point read letter
Nav 13 addressed TO him by General
Dickinson, in which the latter excused
himself from being at the hearing before
the Governor on the ground that he was
engaged in the Craven-Falr case. In this
he says he expects to Ille brief In the
matter He then continues.
Il am satisfied from expressions in the
public print. from letters received and
conversations had that public oplnion is
| changins Ia the Durrant case; perhaps
not to the extent of believing him en-
rirely innocent, but certainly 10 the effect,
and pronouncediy SO, Il at the evidence
Iupon which he was convicted ex-
tremely slight and uncertain, and above
all things that he did not have fair trial.
The American love OF fair play, even to
one accused of heinous crime, was so
shocked in this case that the people all
over the State as the day set for the exc
cution approaches are pausing and con-
sidering the above propositions"
Further along, referring to the trial. he
says:
THE public atmosphere was such that
for Juror on that panel TO have hung the
Jury, or for anv considerable number of
them to have refused to find q veroict of
| guilty would have resulted probably in
their being mobbed. believe it 10 have
been physically impossible for Durrant to
have committed the crime of which he is