The San Francisco call., 1897-05-14
Hopeful That Something
Will Turn Up to
Save Him.
Amos Lunt, the Guard, Would
Torture Him With a
Redhot Iron.
Believes That the Murderer Is
Weakening, but He Shows No
Sign OF Fear.

SAN QUENTIN PRISON, CAL, May
13.-Less than one month remains before
the day set fol the execution OF Theodore
Durrant-June II. The time has now
narrowed down to weeks, and soon it will
be days, then hours-and death.
Durrant's prison life has been almost
without incident. Were it not for the
curious crowds that beg at the gates of
the prison for glimpse of the condemned
man, the fact that the murderer is con-
fined within the walls of the great peni-
tensiary would not be so glaringly evil
dent But D Durrant is already dead to the
world. He has requested that no visitors,
save his faithful father and mother and
his vigilant attorneys, be allowed to see
him, ard the prison authorities respect
his wishes.
Hope is not dead in his breast. His con-
fidence in the powers of his attorneys to
save his life even now has not relaxed.
He walks back and forth in the big prison
yard during the few hours the condemned
murderers are allowed TO breathe the pure
air. The exercise is the same each day.
Then into cell 81, facing the plaza beauti-
full with flowers, the murderer of Blanche
Lam ont returns. The great iron door is
closed with a bang, the bolts are slipped
and the guard turns the key in the lock.
The key is then taken to the main door OF
the prison, where Guard Kelly takes it
and locks it in the safe.
In large apartment beneath the cell OF
Durrant the members of the prison band
are locked. The mem bers practice from 5
O'Clock till after 7. Every note is heard
by the condemned man above. He has
said he does not mind it, in fact en- Joy 5
hearing them play because he loves music.
So day by day the time fits by.
Not the slightest trouble does the cele-
brated prisoner cause his keepers Not
an attempt at self-destruction has he
made, and the guards, who learn to Judge
men as no others can, say that the youth
full murderer will never take his own life
When he is led to the bar ber.shop to be
shaved he is accompanied by two guards,
who watch every move, The convict who
draws the razor across the features OF
Durrant is trustworthy, and were Du-rant
to make an attempt 10 gain possession OF
the razor to commit suicide the guards
are ready to thwart the attempt.
| If there is one man more than another
who believes the young medical student
guilty of the horrible murder of which he
is convicted, that man is Amos Lunt, one
of the guards. He will grasp the arm OF
Theodore Durrant at the door of the death
cham Der. and lead him up the thirteen
steps to the gaIlows. He is the man who
will place the moose around his neck and,
after pulling tight the knot, give the
signal that will drop the murderer into
eternity. Twelve times has he already
done this duty.
II believe" said Lunt, ''that Theodore
Durrant murdered both of those innocent
girls in cold blood. His face to me is that
Of the fiendish and horrible criminal that
l believe he is, and when place the rope
around his neck as / expect to do on The
11th of next June, I will do it with the
feeling that am assisting in the hanging
of man who is meeting death that he
richly deserves.
Hanging is too good for him." he con-
tinued. II could take him out on the
road, run a red-hot iron into his flesh and
hold it there until he tainted. l would
repeat it as soon as he regained conscious
ness. and keep it up until he died death
of horrible agony. That is the way he
should be treated. Think of the fiendish