The San Francisco call., 1897-04-18
FEW WILL SEE
DURRANT HANGED
A Very Limited Number
of Invitations to Be
Issued.
Prison Directors vestigate the
Story of the Dead
March"
Eve Convicts Gain Their Liberty en-
Par ole-Testing Coal for the
Ju.emill.

The State Board of Prison Directors met
ct San Quentin yesterday and labored
late into the afternoon TO transact the
business of that penal institution. AS a
result five convicts were made happy by
being liberated on parole. Others were
made unhappy by having their petitions
for parole denied or their credits taken
from them. A considerable amount of
the business was routine.
Before closing the session the directors
summoned Theodore Durrant, the con-
demned murderer of Blanche Lamont, be-
fore them to Investigate published report
TO the effect that the prison band had ma
liciously played the "Dead March" near
Durrants cell for the purpose of offending
the condemned. The leader of the band
stated that the band did not discourse the
somber musical prod uction, but that it
was probably an overture that was not
recognized. Durrant was called before
the board. He stated that he loves music
and that he was never offended by any
music played by the convict band. That
settled it.
The Warden informed the directors that
be is in receipt of scores of applications
for permission 10 witness the execution of
Durrant. If all should be granted the
prison buildings would not hold the crowd
vitaticns TO be issued must be N ade, and
ne wanted the advice OF the directors.
The directors were not long in reaching a
decision, and that WAS instructions to the
Warden not TO issue any invitations ex
Cept TO those permitted by law to witness
The execution. The Warden will be ad-
vised, later on, by the directors as TO who
the favored ones will be.
Warden Hale reported that the Tiburon
cross country road between San Rafael
and Giburon, being constructed by con-
victs at the county's expense, is progress
ing fast and favorablv He said that
President and General Manager Foster OF
the San Francisco and Nortn Pacific Rail-
Ioad had offered to loan lot OF rails and
ties to be used for the construction of the
county road. By the use OF a track the
road material can be carried from place
TO place rapidly, thus facilitating the con-
structlon OF the road. Warden Hale
asked il the new law relative to the
Warden furnishing Chiefs of Police and
county Sheriffs with photogra phs and de-
scriptiOns of second-timers who are dis
charged means that ne must furnish ali
such officials with tne same or that he
must 10 so only upon application. The
board decided that these photos shall be
furnished on application. The Warden's
report upon the condition of the iutemill
and grainbag situation was as follows:
Grain bags sold, IFS ,37s; shipped, 1s1 ,47s;
man Rufactured to ill orders, 452, 300. This
will cover the output Il the jutemills, at an
average OF 1880 per day up 20 and including
May 20. Raw Jute on hand: In warehouse.
6l0 bales. Ihl~ VIII run the mills about
three weeks: Jute contracted for to arrive
per sailc- from Calcutta 6OOO bales per
steamer, 1000 bales; total. 1000. OF these
1000 axe expected TO arrive on steamer Doric
due April 30; per ship tarsdoc, out 106 DAYS
aud 400 per snip Annie Maud, out tfty-nine
days.
Secretary Ellis read the report of Expert
Accountant l.. ". Wadham Tor the past
quarter, which was as follows:
To the President and Directors of the State
PIlsoH at San Quentin, CdL-GENTLEMEN: Here
with you will lind the report of my examina-
ton OF the books and vouchers, also the quar-
terly report of the transactions OF the business
for the quarter ending March 81, 1897. April
l counted the cash in the vault belonging to
the general fund, also the cash belonging TO
the prisoners confined IN San Quentin and
found everything correct, accounting for every
dollar received. have checked the cash en-
tries to the quarterly report, checked vouch-
ers to cashbook, checked journal entries to
the ledger, and am pleased TO report that l
have found vouchers for all receipts and dis
bursements on file and properly numbered
agreeing with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Cash IN general tund-Cash in bank SOL
259 81.
and vault $3742 16.
have balanced your handbook and find il
TO agree with the balance in the bank. The
available funds for the balance OF the forty
eighth fiscal year are as follows, viz:
General appropriation fund, $36, $50; State
prison fund, SIC, ,209 09; jute revolving fund,
$84 493 50; cash IN bank, $21,570 AZ; cash
in vault, $6S9 03. Total, $I59 592 50; less
249 81
l have checked trial balance of general
ledger ana the prisoners ledger and find
everything correct Respectfully submitted.
l.. W. WADHAM,
Expert for the Board.
r. D. Perry, secretary of the India
famine relief committee, appeared before
the board and asked for lot of lutte
bags IN whica to put the grain and corn
that is coming from the East in bulk His
request was indorsed by Mayor Phelan
and the Chamber of Commerce by letters.
Mr.. Perry said that there is lot of grain
now IN the warehouse at Port Costa that
must be bagged at once.
Chairman Fitzgerald stated that all OF
the bags that can be made for this season
have already been sold TO the farmers at
low prices and that the board has no au-
thority to dispose of the States property
for charity or other purposes. Mr. Fitz-
gerald suggested that there are people of
this Nation particularly in the Mississippi
Valley, who are sadly in need of all the
assistance that can be afforded
Director Wilkins presented a claim on
behalf of Marin County for Sl481. ex-
penses incurred in the trials of Robert
Kelly. who last May stabbed Convict Wal
ter Arrison to death in the cell building,
Kelly on his second trial before the Supe-