The San Francisco call., 1897-05-21
He Had a Busy Day In
vestigating the Dur
rant Case.
A Witness Appears Who Saw
Him Meet Minnie Williams
at the Ferry.
Another Queer Story, This Time
From Man in Montevideo,
Colorado.

Governor Budd had another busy dav
in San Francisco yesterday, going over
the testimony in the Durrant case and
listening to Eugene Deuprey, District
Attorney Barnes, Chief OF Police Lees
and the woman, Mrs. Schwaitzer, who
asserts that she saw Minnie Williams and
Rev. J. George Gibson together on the
Alameda boat the day before the girls
lifeless body was found in the Emmanuel
Church.
The Governor last night SAID that this
woman adhered to her story with great
persistency.
When the Governor was asked when he
would proba bly, conclude his investigation
of the Durrant case he said he though he
would finish early next week, perhaps
Tuesday.
He remarked that he would 60 to Sac
ramento to-day. where much OF the evil
dence was filed, and there make a study
of the case. Next Tuesday he would
probably return to San Francisco, and on
Thursday he hoped to be able to decide
the after.
"Will you grant Durrant hearing
that is, grant him personal interview 2"
inquired the reporter.
Iulnk IL Is VeTy Tcplleu
the Governor. 'tHis statement can be
presented in writing"
In regard TO Mrs. Durrant, the Governor
said he had not talked with her and prob
ably would not. He said he had heard
everything that Durranl's counsel, Deu-
prey and Dickinson. had su omitted.
During he hour between and 6 o'clock
last evening the Governor was with Chief
Lees. Mrs. Schwaitzer's story was dis
cussed. The Governor again referred to
the positive assertion of the woman that
she saw the pastor and Minnie Williams
on the boat at the time mentioned in her
story. The Governor said he had consid
cred the Minnie Williams case in some of
its bearings on the Blanche Lamont case.
Budd holds it TO be his duty as chief
executive to make an investigation of this
character when an application is duly
made for him to examine the tesum ony.
Under the law, he Can pardon, grant
respite or commute a sentence. He de-
clined to foreshadow his decision in the
case now pending.
During his term of office he has COM
muted sentence and in one instance
granted a respite, but the sentence of
death was executed after the respite.
The death sentence has been Executed
twelve or fifteen times since the Governor
came into office.
Chief Lees is now in possession of an
OtneT SITOOS ilDk WHICH ne WILL
greatly aid in fastening the crime of Min
ME Williams murder on Theodore Dur
rant. This came to him as the result of
the publication of the gold brick" yarn of
Gibson being seen on the Alameda ferry
boat with Minnie Williams on April II,
1895.
A friend of Mrs. Eliza Witlee read the
story and called on the Chief to inform
him that Mrs. Wltee could give some i'm
portant testimony relative to the last trip
of Miss Williams across the bay. She
gave Chief Lees rough statement OF what
Mrs. Witlee had told her. and the Chief
was 30 much impressed with it that he
asked his informant to find Mrs. Witlee
and send her to his office. His visitor
lore The Chief with Mrs. Witlee, who told
a short but most interesting tale.
The murdered girl was well known TO
Mrs. Witlee. On April II, 1895, Mrs. Wit
tee took the narrow-gauge train at High
street. Alameda, to come 10 this City. At
Park street Miss Williams boarded the
train and sat near Mrs. Witlee. On the
boat Miss Williams was also in sight OF
Mrs. Witlee during the entire trip.
Mrs. Witee is positive no one was with
her young friend during the entire trip.
But she goes further, and is equally posi-
tive in stating that when Minnie left the
boat she was met by Theodore Durrant
and that the couple went off together.
She admits she did not know Durrant at
the time but recognized him some months
alter as being the man who met the young
girl at the Jerry landing on Good Friday
in 1895.
1t was in September of the same year
that her business of selling fruit called her
to the Prescott House at the corner of
Pacific and Kearny streets Here she saw
a large and excited crowd on their way
,oward tba Counrv JaIl She jnnuired tho
cause of the excite ement, and learned that
Durrant was on his way in the prison van
to the County Jail. She went to the Jail,
and the second man who got out she at
once recognized as the man who met Min
ME Williams at the ferry landing on April
IL. 1895. 1t was at this time that she
learned the mans name was Durrant.
Shortly after this she impaired her in
formation to Assistant District Attorney
PeixoIto, who made a note of it for future
use, should the Minnie Williams case ever
come to trial.