The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-13
DURRANT STILL LIVES.
Granted a New Lease on Life
by the Courts
SIXTY DAYS YET TO LIVE
The supssms Cert of California De.
si9ss That mis Sentence 20 Death
was too hasty aRd 0rantsd
Him the Respite Asked.

San Francisco. Nov. i2.-Wlllam
Henry Theodore Durrant was not
hanged At San Quentin this morning
after an. the supreme court Of the
state granted him another respite At
the eleventh hour.
Up TO I o'clock yesterday afternoon.
when the news flashed over the wires
from Sacramento that the court now IN
session there had granted a writ Of
probable cause and instructed Warden
Halten not to carry out the execution
Of Durrant until further orders. there
was apparently no further hope Tor the
condemned murderer Of Blanche La
mont and Minnie Williams, and a. his
attorneys had made a futile effort 10
secure another habeas corpus In the
United States court and had not even
been granted permission 20 appeal
from that decision 20 the supreme
court Of the United States
In the meanwhile. however. Attorney
Duprey had hastened 10 Sacramento
and applied 10 the state supreme court
for q writ Of probable cause for the
purpose Of staying the proceedings
against bis client on the grounds that
no oficlal knowledge Of the action a
the supreme court Of the United states
In the matter Of Durrant's appeal In
from the decision Of the federal court
had yet been received; that the su-
perior court had acted too hastily IN
sentencing Durrant 10 be hanged, az
the Law required that he BE- given at
least 60 days grace, and that the pen-
dency Of an appeal In the supreme
court afirming he condemned man
was Of itself sufficient cause Tor a stay
OF execution. Tie matter was partial
~ argued IN chambers and later
argued before the full court and iahel
under advisement and shortly afieI-
ward the court rendered lts decision
granting the writ applied Tor. IN VII n
an the justices concurred.
There WAS great suppressed excite
ment In and about the peniientlary
yesterday. The preparations for the
execution Of Durfant had all been COM
pleted and the prison officials were Ia
readiness TO carry out the death SEE
tence from which they thought no az
peal could BE- taken. The CONDEMNED
man alone was hopeful that he might
yet obtain a longer lease Of liie. re
spent the greater part Of the day In
reading and had little 10 say 10 any
one. Al $50 p m. the news thar The
supreme court had granted a rcrr'eve
was received At The prison on a mes
sage TO Warden Hale from Chief Ius-
tice Beatty. Captain Edgar Nowhous
opened the dispatch In the absence OF
the warden and Immediately wrote q
note conveying the information 10 the
condemned man The messare was
sen, 10 the death cell by a guard.
Durrant quickly read Il and with
out any great display Of emotion fall
on his knees and PRAYED silently Tor
several minutes
When Mrs Durrant. the mother Of
the prisoner. reached the prison tie
news wa told 20 her. She said that
she had put her faith IN God and fcli
that be would not desert her. tn,
death veil was removed and nurnnl
vas brought down 10 the once and Il
will not again b. placed over the pris.
er's head unless required by future de-
velopments IN the case
Mp. Durrant remained with her soI
IN close conversation for some time.
An Associated Press reporter va.
subsequently, admitted 10 the prison OF
hce. where Durrant and his mothel
were seated on n sofa IN each other
arms Durrant had expressed doslr'
10 make a statement. and In the ooursN
Of an interview said
Naturally ! was greatly claied a
the news Of the reprieve. although
my frat intimailon. based on a tele
phone message. was not positive. Sooi
afterwards the news was confirmed
All could DO was 10 thank God"
Was The Ieprieye surprise {,
youi Dursnt was asked.
mot exactly. All along I have IA,
perfect faith IN my God. This after
noon I was visited by two sisters O
charity and believe their prayers an
the prayers Of all those who have inter
eeded Tor me have been instrumental Il
bringing about this result"
Then DurrAnt remarked that h
could not understand Why Christian
people should beg him In etters, 20 con
fees.
Il am innocent" he said. AN
would never confess 20 such VII
crimes. Sooner OF later the truth vii
be known. ! have faith that the re,
rerpetrator viii yet be discovered an
punished. All q these little stay
bring us nearer 60 a. know that N
Lord will sooner or hter sri an thinr
right ] shall never give up the nrh
because the Lord "a with me- he adj
Cd, embracing and kissing his moihC
On Mrs Durfauts face was a smile
contentment. bat the son looked IA
and his eyes wcre DUH Ne carnosil
repeated many times that faith IN Go
would save him IN the future a. IN a
past
you may say ! am innocent sal
Durrant n conclusion. n viii ucy,
yield and God h with me-
, After az hours private talk with Id
son Mira. nurant returned to her hot
and Durrant was taken hack 10 his cc
in murderer row. which he has occl
pied before the death watch was 81
over him,
A C.Fgo on Tire.
r.,. r1.,rs. ", N,.I ~ n. nj