The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-11
TO HANG DURRANT
IS LEGAL MURDER
Judge {. M. Norman, of Little
Rock, So Asserts.
NINE DISTINCT REASONS
Why Condemned Man Should Be
Es Given Another Trial.
i : / BLkNTHER VERY INTIMATELY
s.
wing Been His Attorney in Trial
in Little Rock. ;.
wing Been His Attorney in Trial
in Little Rock.
THE COURT SHOULD HESITATE
Before Pronouncing Sentence on the Condemn
ed Man, and Investigate the Confession
Made by Blanther-Judge Condemns
Circumstantia Evidence in Case.

I1AILle IlOCh tAih.s DtC. W uu6C 4f1s
Merriman, of Little Rock, who was per-
sonally acquainted with and represented
J. Blanther alias Forbes, as attorney in
this city, insists that Blanther and not
Dumant murdered Blanche Lamont and
Minnie Williams in San Francisco, and
that the execution of Durrant will there
fora be a judicial murder. A few days
ago the story was sent out from Atlanta
to the effect that Blanther was in that
city at thu time the girls were murdered.
Judge Merriman scouts the idsa.
Judge Merrfman today made the fol-
lowing statement:
Through the publication of the card
by the Associated Press, in which
stated that believed i'm the innocence of
Durrant for the murder of Blanche La
mont and Minnie Williams. l have re-
ceived many communications from all
sources on the subject Now the SUI
preme court of California has refused the
appeal of Durrant and decided that he
must hang, and having am abiding fabh
i'm his innocence and feeling that the
country should have an insight of the
facts that have arrayed themselves be-
fore me and confids need me that judic-
ial murder is about ITO be committed:
Nine Reasons
First There can be no doubt but
that the written confession is in the
handwriting of Blanther, for no effort
has been made TO contradlc. this propo-
sitlon and examination by experts has
esta blished 1t.
Second. Blanther confesses that lne
murdered Blanche Lamont and Minnie
Williams.
Third. The entire evidence in the
conviction of Durrant has been wholly
circumstantial, and no possible question:
has hinged upon the confession of
Blanther that he and not Durrant COM
mitted the deed, for which the later is
about to be executed.
Fourth. That he told me during his
troubles here that .he name of Forbes
was but an alias, that he had assumed
1t for reasons best known TO himself,
and that his life had been an eventfuI
one. This, coupled with The statement
of his wife. Agnes Cameron, in public
print, convinces me that he spoke the
truth
Fifth. That the trial of Durrant
seems to have been a forced one by
some power behind The scenes, that the
| PlOcStutiiS ollOiiPCJ 40 iotdOly blLtCIi
In conducting 1T, but failed to establish
single fact by direct evidence.
Sixth. That he has esta bhshed ttait
Blanche Lamorlt was murdered on the
night of May 3, 1895, which has been
throughout the ltriaE am unIwaria nta Bile
assumption, but according ito sclne ghe-
cries she was murdered ON the same
night as Minnie Williams, May IL, or
OF, ic
abs lutte reason to assume that the girls
were murdered I'm Emanuel church. and
it is a reasonable assumption that they
were murdered elsewhere and their bod
les carried to fthe church as part of the
programme.
Seventh As to the Atlanta Dispatch
thnt Blanther was seem In that city be-
tween the 18TH and 2Cth of April, this
may all be true, and ne may have ar
ranged for-h his purchasing agency to be-
lieve that, but does eInybody know or
has anyone venttured to say when he
1sG, Atlamta. Thirteen days INTERVIEWED
between April 80 and May 13, ait which
ratter date Minnie Williams body was
discovered. At the time stated Blanther
cn.ghlt have been seen i'm Aitlan.a anh ait
the same time have done his bloody
work and have had al day or two to
spare If he was working under a stip-
ulated PLAN and prompted by "a reward
for prompt and speedy action, as has
BEEN intimated by man named Austin.
"EfgspJh The theory of the state with
out anything to back 1T was thaa one Of
the girls was killed ON May esnd the
other ON May 49, Blanther says he killed
them both ait THE same tdme, which Is al
more reasona BILE presumption, when the
whole case dis founded upon presumption
alone.
"Nin.h. If Blanther was in Atlanta at
the time indicated. he probably went
there to perfect plans to return to Sam
Francisco ait once, as soon as he had
established premises upon which to base
an alibi, acting upon the advice OF
some party in whose employ he was to
consummate the dastardly deed. He
might have left Atlanta on the 4th on
Continued on Fifth Page.)