Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-07
The Doctor Impressed.


j belong to a race which can meet even
death without fiinching.
The Doctor Impressed.
So impressed was the penitentiary doc
tor with the attitude of the condemned
man that he declared: why, that fellow
II the man of the century. Any one who
thinks he is going to breakdown is sadly
mistaken. / have never seen any one who
approaches him. II is hard tc believe that
man with not more than few hours to
live. except by the most unforeseen inter-
Vention could talk of his doom and his con-
tlition with "a pulse. He Is in as fine
physical condition as man could ask
l have not had him weighed. but L think
he would tip the scales at a mark of oyer
lea. He is as particular about his ap-
p.srancc as il he were preparing to go to
his first party. l remarked that he had
had visit from the barber. to which he
replied: Yes, and he left his trade mark
on me- indicating a small cut on his lip.
He conscled himself by saying that 1t
would he all right in few days.
This vanity was shown again when
asked him about his general health since
he had been placed in the condemned cell.
The meat has been so good since l have
been here. he said. and i have enjoyed il
much that have probably eaten more
than Z should and it has brought out this
little rash about my mouth.
Like the BARRIERS slip. that, too he said,
would be all right in a few days.
story of the Crime.
William Henry Theodore Durrant, who
was hanged at the state prison at San
quentin today, gave his life in exchange
for the lives of two young women, who
were members OF the church to which he
ttlonged While Durrant was convicted of
hut ore murder under the law ne was held
resrt nsible by public opinion for the muir
Ger of both Biarche Lamont and Minnie
Williams. and 1t is foit that his death ex-
plates one crime as much as the other.
lurrants crimes We're peculiar in their
atrOcity, from ally point of view. He was
reared in a Christian home. and until the
tine OF his arrest was regarded as model
young man of Industrious habits, who was
trying to work his way through a medical
college. The only characteristic that SEEM
81 marked n his nature was his piety. He
had been a prominent member of the En-
"nuei Baptist Church for severed years,
and for a year previous TO his arrest had
been assistant superintendent of the Sun
Gay school. In this capacity he made the
acquaintance of Blanche Lamont and Of
Minnie Williams. both of whom were des-
tined, 20 he murdered by him In the church
where they worshiped together.
blanche Lament disappeared on April 3,
l>t', and Was never seen alive afterward.
Shc left the home of her aunt, Mrs. c. q.
Noble, on that day to go to school, ard for
ten days no trace of her could be found.
Many members of Emanuel Church assist
ed in the search for the missing girl, and
among others was Theodore Durrant. no
hdd OFTEN acted as Miss Lamonts escort.
Durrant Seemed Distressed.
He seemed greatly distressed on account
of Miss Lamont's disappearance and at
length expressed the belief that she Rad
Joined the ranks of fallen women. This
theory seemed plausible to the police and
a search was made among the places where
Il was believed the missing cirl might be
found. Durrant assisted n th.. inuuiry
which came 10 naught. Ten days had pass
ed stree Miss Lamont disappeared and her
trends had almost given up hope of ever
knowing her fate. when a discovery was
made which led to The finding OF Miss La
hlonts body.
Tho lanes of Emanuel Church were en-
gagged in decorating the edifice preparatory
10 the celebration OF the Easter Sunday
services. when the mangied body of Minnie
Williams was found, almost naked IN the
library. number of ugly knife wounds
aud some rags that had been forced down
the young womans throat told of the nm
equal struggle she had made to protect her
honor.
Miss Williams body was discovered in
tn" afternoon. and late the same night the
first clue to the murderer was obtained
from some OF the young woman'S friends it
was learned that she had been seen the
evening before with Durrant, and although
there was nothing else to show that he had
any connection with the crime, the police
decided to arrest him.
Theory of the Police.
From the first the police associated the
finding OF Miss Williams body with the
disappearance of Miss Lamont. and a
search was at once begun in the church
for her body. Men worked all night tear
ing up floors and breaking down partitions
and at 10 O'Clock Sunday morning the body
of Miss Lamont was found. A broken door
knob and turned bolt excited the sus-
piciOus Of the searchers. and the door lead
ing to the beifry of the church was broken
down Tip the winding stars the policemen
CROPPED their way, and at the third landing,
lying In the corner of the darkened beifry,
the naked body of the murdered girl was
FOUND NO knife had been used to commit
the crime. as was the case in the murder
of Miss Williams, but the imprint of five
fingers buried in her throat revealed the
manner IN which the young woman met her
death.
The post-mortem examination showed
that murder was not the only crime that
had been committed. The news of the dis
covcry of the second body in the church
had spread with incredible velocity. and
when Durrant. in custody of the officers,
who rad arrested him. alighted from a
ferrybnat at the foot of Market street, in
this city, ne was met by dense crowd that
was ornnous because of it's silence. The
N,
however. and two companies of armed men
were present Durrant was placed in a
closed carriage. surrounded by fifty men
armed with Winchesters. and driven to the
CITY prison. Durrant then protested his
innocence. as he did to the hour of his
death. but the evidence against him ac-
cunlulated rapidly. and on April 81 an in
formation was filed against him by District
Attorney Barnes charging his with the
murder of Blanche Lamont.
Trial Was n Famous One.
The trial. which began on July - and
lasted until November I. was one of the
most celebrated in criminal Jurisprudence.
Nearly 1900 talesmen were examined be-
fore jury was secured. and six weeks
passed before the taking of testimony was
begun The evidence throughout was cir
cumstantal. but when taken together form
Ell chain so strong to admit of no reas-
enable doubt The prosecution produced
witnesses. who traced Durrant's move
ments on April 3 from the time he left
Cooper Medical College until he entered
the church with Miss Lamont TO all of
This testimony the prisoner entered a de-
NAL. and In rebuttai produced the roll-call
Of the college. which showed that he was
attending a lecture at the hour when Miss
Lamont was murdered.
The prosecution disputed the reliability