The herald., 1897-05-15
4 WEAK MINDED SNEAK THIEF
INDUCED 70 MAKE CONFESSION
OF THE CRIME
OMcial Records Prove That the Story
Is Absolutely Without Founda-
tion-A Decision Promised
Associated Press Special Wire.

mont was today heard in the court OF
last resort. Governor Budd sat in final
judgment in the case and Eugene Deu-
prey, attorney for Durrant, argued elo-
quently for the life of his client. The
governor listened to the argument in
silence and only once did he show any
sign of being impressed. That was when
Attorney Deuprey asked him to compare
certain writing Of Rev. George Gibson
with the writing on the package sent by
the murderer to the mother of his vic
tim. The governor scrutinized the writ
ing closely and asked to be given the
|originals for comparison.
Durrant'e attorney had come prepared
to spring a sensation in the case by pro-
ducing a document purporting to be
confession by a San Quentin convict
named John Roseburg, that he was the
murderer of Blanche Lamont and that
Durrant had nothing to do with the
case. The alleged confession was devoid
of interest owing to the fact that the
governor had taken up the matter and
had positively s|ceratined that John
Rosenburg did not arrive in California
uutil ScNCn IlOAl dlLSl lAG VI liiiC W oo
committed.
Thus baked of his main argument for
pardon Attorney Deuprey confined
himself to minute resume of the testi-
mony produced at the trial and the ar
gument that public opinion created by
publications in the newspapers directed
lat Theodore Durrant rendered it i'm
possible for him to get fair trial. The
gist of his argument was that the wit
nesses' minds had become inflamed over
the newspaper accounts and the false
and vindictive publications in the press
led them to believe that Durrant was
guilty and their imaginatons did the
rest.
Deuprey declared that his case had
been injured by certain language of the
trial judge used toward him-when
witness had testified that she saw the.
defendant at a certain time and place.
he had suggested to witness that she
imagined that she saw him. He declared
| that Durrant had proven perfect
alibi and that had the jurors not been
so influenced and intimidated by public
opinion they would have found Durrant
innocent.
In conclusion Deuprey introduced a
number of letters asking for the commu .
tation of Durrant's sentence and a Pc
tition to the same effect signed by 500
citizens of San Francisco.
The governor said nothing during the
proceedings that would give an intima-
ton Of what he would do in the case nor
did he show that he was particularly
impressed by any argument that was
made or that there was anything new in
the argument
In past caees of the kind the governor
has refused to take into consideration
the testimony that proved sufficient to
the court and has instructed counsel and
petitioners to confine themselves to new
evidence or something outside the trial.
On this basis the only thing the governor
would consider would be as to whether
or not counsers contention was correct
and public feeling was wrought to too
high pitch at the time of the trial to
insure a just verdict.
That this was not so has not been
claimed by the Jurors, the judge or any
of those who conducted the prosecution
and the opinion seems to be that Dur
rant will hang on June 7th.
At the conclusion of the argument, the
governor answered that he would let
Attorney Deuprey know his final de-
cision by the last of next week.
HIS LAST PLEA
SACRAMENTO, May 14.-Durrant's
last plea for life was made today before
Governor Budd, Durrant's attorneys re-
lying chiefly upon the alleged confession
of a prisoner in San Quentin named
John Rosenberg. The alleged confess
sion of Convict Roeenb berg was to the ef-
feet that he had killed Blanche Lamont
at the instigation of a stranger, who
paid him 500 for the job. Before the
attorneys and reporters were admitted
to the executive chambers, Governor
Budd sent for the records in the case of
John Rosenberg. The records disclosed
that the prisoner was sent from Santa
Clara county on Saturday, April II, ten
days after Durrant arrived in San Quen-
tin. In the description of Rosenberg he
| Is credited with being feet inches
high, weight 145 pounds, vaccination
marks on the upper left arm, small dots
at the base of the left thumb. This tai
lies very similarly with the description
of Durrant. The Governor then had
Private Secretary Shields call up the
District Attorney of Santa Clara county
to see if Rosenberg had pleaded guilty
This action on the part of the Governor
would indicate that he suspected put
up job on the part of Rosenberg.
The alleged confession of Convict
John Rosenberg of San Quentin prison
that he murdered Blanche Lamont, is
utterly diecredited at San Francisco, nc
one placing the least credence in it. The
police pronounce 1t a baseless fabrica-
ton. The ship Hospidar, on which Res
enberg says he came hither from Ham
burg arrived, according to the records OF
the Harbor Commissioners, in Novem-
Der, 1895, but the police say she arrived
in June, 1895. In either case her arriva
was subsequent to the murder Of Blanche
Lamont, for which Durrant Is to be
hanged. She was murdered in April
1885, so Rosenberg could not possibly be
her murderer.
AN INSANE THIEF
SAN FRANCISCO, May 14.-Chief Of
Police Lees has proved that John Ros.
enberg instead of being Blanche La.
| monts murderer Is merely petty thie1
with an aptitude at lying and fondnes:
for eccentricities Instead of San Quen.
| tin, he should be in an insane asylum
When this city was wrought UP over tAs
Lamont murder Rosenberg wa sin Ham.