The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-12
DURRANT'S DEATH DELAYED.
STATE SUPREME COURT GRANTS A
RESPITE.

Provision in the state Law That
sixty Days Shall EIapse Between
the Passing of the Death Sentence
and Actual Execution One of the
GrOunds-The Prisoner Visited by
His Mother and Newspaper Men At
ter the Granting of the Postpone
ment-He Falls on His Knees and
Gives Thanks to God.
San Francisco, Cal, Nov. 11.-William
Henry Theodore Durrant will not be
hanged at San Quentin tomorrow after
all, the supreme court of this state hav-
ing granted him another respite at the
eleventh hour. Up to 4 o'clock this after
noon, when the news flashed over the
wires from Sacramento that the court,
now in session there, had granted writ
of probable cause, and instructed Warden
Hale not to carry out the execution of
Durrant until further orders, there was
apparently no further hope for the con-
demned murderer of Blanche Lamont and
Minnie Williams, as his attorneys Messrs.
Dickinson and Boardman, had made a fu-
tile effort to secure another writ of habeas
corpus In the United States court and had
not even been granted permission to ap-
peal from that decision to the supreme
court of the United States.
Meanwhile however Attorney Duprey
hastened TO Sacramento and applied to
the state supreme court for a writ of
probable cause, for the purpose of staying
the proceedings against his client, upon
the ground that no official knowledge of
the action of the supreme court of the
United States in the matter of Durrants
appeal from the decision of the federal
court had yet been received that the SUI
perlor court had acted too hastily in sem
fencing Durrant to be hanged tomorrow,
as the. law required that he be given at
least sixty days grace; and, thirdly, that
the tendency of an appeal in the supreme
court affecting the condemned was of it
self sufficient cause for a stay of eXecu-
ton. The matter was partially argued in
chambers, and later argued before the full
court and taken under advisement.
Shortly afterward the court announced
it's decision, granting the writ applied for,
in which all the justices concurred.
San Quinten Prison, Nov. 11.-This has
been day of suppressed excitement in
and about the penitentiary. The prepara-
tions for the execution of DY'rant had all
been completed and the prison officials
were in readiness to carry out the death
sentence from which there seemed no fur
| ther appeal. The man alone was hopeful
that he might yet obtain a longer lease of
! life. He spent the greater part of the day
in reading, and had little to say to any
one. At $50 o'clock the news that the
supreme court had granted reprieve was
received at the prison in a message to
Warden Hale from Chief Justice Beatty.
Capt. Edgar, who opened the dispatch
in the absence of the warden, Immediately
| wrote a note conveying the information
| to the condemned man. The message was
| sent to the death cell by a guard.
/ Durrant quickly read 1t, and without any
| great display of emotion fell on his knees
and prayed silently for several minutes.
Mrs Durrant, the mother of the pris-
| oner, was a passenger on the $3.50 boat
! from San Francisco. When she reached
| the prison, the news was told to her. She
| was cheerful on the way over saying that
| she had put her faith in God and felt that
| he would not desert her. On her arrival at
| the prison she was informed that her SON S
life had been spared, and that she might
see him later. &&
'"Thank God" she said. Then she went
to hotel for rest and refreshments At
D. m she returned to the prison and was
admitted to Capt. Edgar's Office. where
her boy was waiting to meet her. The
death veil was removed and Durrant was
brought down to the office, and it will
| not again be placed over the prisoner un-
| less required by future developments in
the case.
Mrs. Durrant remained with her son in
close conversation for some time.
An Associated Press reporter was subse-
ouently admitted to the prison office, where
Durrant and his mother were seated on a
haA
expressed desire to make a statement to
the Associated Press, and in the course of
an interview said: Naturally, l was
greatly elated at the news of the reprieve,
although my first information, based on a
telephone message, was not positive. Soon
| afterwards, the news was confirmed. All
1 could do was to thank God"
WAS the reprieve a surprise?" was
asked.
mot exactly. All along have had per-
feet faith in my God. This afternoon
was visited by two Sisters OF Charity and
believe that their prayer and the pray
ers of all those who have interceded for
me, have been instrumental in bringing
about this result"
Then Durrant remarked that he could
not understand why Christian people
should beg him in letters to confess.
81 am innocent" he said, "and would
never confess to such a vile crime. Soon
er or later the truth will be known. /
have faith that the real perpetrator will
yet be discovered and punished. All of
these little stays bring us nearer it.
know that the Lord will sooner or later
set all things right 1 shall never give up
the fight because the Lord is with me-"
he added, embracing and kissing his
mother.
On Mrs. Durrants face was a smile Of
contentment,l but the son looked sad. His
eyes were dull. He earnestly repeated
many times that faith in God would save
him in the future as In the past
a'You may say am innocent" said Dur
rant in conclusion. II will never yield
and God is with me-"
After an hours private talk with her
son, Mrs. Durrant returned to her hotel
and Durrant was taken back to cell q,
in murderer's row, which he had occupied
before the death watch was set over him.