The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-01-13
DORRANT FACES DEATA WITH
WONDERFUL OALM.
Convicted Murderer Of Blanche Lamont
Protests His Innocence To the Last.

When William Henry Theodore
Durrant died on the gallows at San
Francisco, Friday morning for the
murder of Blanche Lamont, he gave
an exhibition of GOODNESS and nerve
such as has seldom been seen under
similar circumstances. Hopeful almost
to the very last minute that something
would intervene to save him, he walk
ed to the scaffold and made speech
protesting his innocence, as calmly
and with as distinct enunciation as if
he had been addressing an assemblage
of friends upon some ordinary topic.
His face was pale, his eyes were
red, but his voice was firm, and he
stood as solidly as a rock while he
proclaimed his innocence and pro-
fessed forgiveness to those who, he
said, had bounded him to death.
There was not hitch or accident
to mar the plans of Warden Hale in
carrying out the sentence. The moose
was adjusted, the trap was sprung, the
stout rope held, and Durrant's dead
body dangled at the end. The neck
was broken by the fall of four feet and
five minutes later the murderer's body
was cut down and placed in the coffin.
Warden Hale allowed all possible
time for the supreme court at Wash
ington to take some action. Finally
when word was flashed across the con-
tinent that the supreme court had
declined to interfere, the warden
ordered the program of the day to be
carried out. At o.34 O'Clock Durrant,
accompanied by Father Lagan, ap-
peared at the door of the execution
room. He was followed by his father,
a friend, Warden Hale and the guards.
The father and his friend walked
around the gallows to the front while
Durrant and his keepers climbed to
the gallows platform. Instantly on
arriving at the gallows, Durrant's legs
and arms were pinioned and the rope
was placed about his neck. The hang
man was about to adjust the black
cap when Durrant announced his
desire 10 speak. Permission was given
and the doomed murderer spoke as
follows:
81 desire to say that although 1 am
an innocent man, innocent of every
crime that has Deen charged against
me, bear no animosity toward those
that have prosecuted me, not even
the press of San Francisco, which
bounded me to the grave. If any man
thinks l am gong to spring sensa-
toni am not except it is a. sensa-
ton that l am an innocent man
brought to the grave by my persecu-
tors. Blu, l forgive them all. They
will get their justice from the great
God who is master of us all, and there
l also expect to get justice that is the
justice of an innocent man.
"Whether or not the perpetrators of
the crime of which | am charged are
discovered, will make no difference to
me now, but say this day will be
shame to the great state of California.
l forgive everybody who has perse-
cuted me, an innocent man whose
hands have never been stained with
blood, and l go to meet my God with
forgiveness for all men,"
Durrant had scarcely ceased speak
ing when the black cap was placed
over his face. At the same instant
hangman Lunt raised his hand, the
trap was sprung, and with rattle
Durrant's body shot through the open
ing. There was sound as of a stout
rope drawn taut, the body swayed to
and fro for a moment and then be-
came motionless.