The record-union., 1897-05-22
Durrant Soon to be Put in the Condemned
Cell at San Quentin.
Still Confident That He Will Not be
Put to Death.
Governor Budd Not Expected to Make
Any Decision Regarding the APP
plication for Clemency for Several
Days to Come.

SAN QUENTIN, May 21.-The con-
demned cell is being put in order for
Durrant, and in a day or two he will
take possession. 1t adjons the large
hall where the gallows are placed.
Mrs. Durrant had a brief talk with her
son this afternoon, and they discussed
the points which they desire the Gov
ernor TO consider in connection With
the application for executive clemency.
Durrant hopes and expects to secure a
personal interview with the Governor.
He affects to be confident That the
Governor will right the wrong" us he
expresses it.
BRYANT'S WILD STORY.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 21-Of all
the wild stories and alleged confessions
which have been aired in connection
with the murder OF Blanche Lamont,
the statement of ". It. Bryant, i'm
plicating Pastor Gibson as the murder
er, is unanimously regarded here as the
most improbable yet published, Abso-
lutely no credence has been given to it
by police, public or press. 1t is sup
posed that the inmate OF the Colorado
Soldiers and Sailors Home is either
demented or q crank, with an abnormal
thirst for notoriety.
A dispatch from the home to-day
states that Bryant still sticks to his
story-that the reason for his long ST
lence was Discrimination to return to
California. He says he cannot remem
ber the day of the week or in what
month the murder occurred, but that
he saw an account of it in the San
Francisco papers on the following day.
Miss Lamont was murdered in the af-
ternoon of April 3D., and her body was
not found until ten days later. and then
for the first time the story of the MUIR
der was published.
1t is not expected that the Governor
will make any decision regarding
Durrant's application for clemency for
several days. There is some talk of
a reprieve for the condemned man, but
it has been eveidently started by the
friends of Durrant. There appears to
be no foundation for the rumor Gov
ernor Budd has been quoted as having
said that he would not interfere with
the Judgment of the courts unless suffi
cient new testimony were adduced to
warrant a court in giving the murderer
a new trial or setting him free. No
such testimony has been introduced.
The several improbable stories advanc-
ed in behalf of Durrant have only serv-
ed to further prejudice his case and
increase the difficulty of his plight.
BRYANT'S STORY OF THE
MURDER
MONTE VISTA (Colo), May 21-
Bryant the new witness in the Dur
rant murder case here, this evening ex-
planned how he came to be in Emman-
uel Church at the time of the murder
of Blanche Lamont. He says he was
occupying furnished rooms at 219 Jes-
sic street, but not being able to work,
and being out of money, was turned
out and had no place to sleep. The first
night he slept on wood pile. The
second he went to Emmanuel Church,
thinking to find it unlocked, but it was
locked and he unlocked it with a wire
and went in to sleep for the night He
was awakened by a scuffiing noise and
heard sounds of suppressed breathing
Rising up and looking over the tops of
the seats he saw man take up a wo-
man and carry her in his arms with
one hand over her mouth to the south
corner of the church. Then he heard
groans and heard the man say: THAT
kills that evidence. thank God"
He slipped out of the church unob-
served, and stood in the shadows
awaiting the coming out of the man SO
that he could be sure that he was not
mistaken in the person. About 10
O'Clock the man came out and walked
past him, and he observed his features
carefully, and knew it to be the Rev.
Mr.. Gibson, the pastor of the church.
Bryant was born in Paris, France,
but grew UP in Kent, England. and
went to California in 1S41. He was
member of Captain H. l.. Streets Com
pany K, Second Regiment California
Cavalry, also an Indian scout
A prominent physician who has ex-
amined Bryant says he is sane at pres
ent, though he finds by questioning him
that he has had eDileptic fits, and that
this trouble was inherited.