The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-01-12
.DURRANT
HANGED.
Cool and Collected to the Last
IA Speech From the Gal
lows.
HE PROTESTS HIS INNo-
CENCE.

morsing for the murder of Blanche La
mon he gave such an exhibition OF
coolness aud nerve as has seldom been
seen under similar circumstances
Hopeful almost to the very last that
something or some Que would intervene e
to save him. he walked to the scsffold
aud made bis speech. protesting bis TO-
uocence as calmly and with as distinct
enunciation as if be bad been address
ing an assemblage of friends upon some
topic of the day. His face vas pale.
his eyes were red. but his voice was
firm and he stood as solidly as rock
when be proclaimed his innocence and
professed forgiveness Of those who. be
said. bad bounded him to death
There was not bitch 10 the plans Of
Warden aale in carrying out the sen
tence Of the Law The noese vas ad-
jussed. the trap vas sprung, the stout
rope held aud Durraut's dead body
dangled at the end The neck was bro.
kan by the fall of Eve feet and Is mic
uses later the murderer's body was cut
down and placed in the ccfin.
In spite Of the exciting events of last
night when Dnrrant was besieged by
newspaper reporters aud talked to bis
parents until 1880 p. NJ, he rested
easily during the night aud shortly
after 6 o'clock be awcse and bid bis
guards good morning.
Consistent to the last, Durraut died
protesting religion Hs accepted at the
last moment the comforts of the Cath
olic church instead Of those Of the Bap-
tis. faith, in which he was reared. Rev.
RAIDER, Protestant minister, had ar
ranged to ascend the scaffold With
Durraot, but the minister would not
say he Thought Darran. innocent and
the condemned man declined TO accept
his services unless the revereud gentle
mao professed belief in his Innocence
Then it was that the oEce ardent Bap-
tist tusned to the Roman Catholic
church for consolation and call
ed upon Father Lagan. priest who had
frequently Visited him in prison, to
attend him.
Father Lagsn responded promptly
aud performed the last solemn rites Of
the church Darrant seemed IL close
consultation With the priest aud seemed
to be deeply interested 10 the Tcere.
mony
As the hour of the execution arriv-
ed the prisoner became somewhat
restless His father and mother were
admitted to bid him . last farewell
Tie elder Durrant grasped his son
by the hand and che young man
then turned to comfort his mother.
who cried bystericallv. Durrant EN-
braccd her tenderly, saying "The
hour has come for us to part" and
put her gently away The grief
stricken mother was led to a private
room where she remained until after
the execution. The father, however,
went to the execution room, and,
supported by two friends, saw his
son meet his death.
Warden Hale did not attempt to
hurry matters, but allowed the su-
preme court to take some action.
Finally when word flashed across the
continent that the supreme court had
declined to interfere. che warden Or
dered the programme of the day to be
carried out
At 10 81 o'clock, Durrant, accom-.
panied by Father Lagan, appeared at
the door of the execution room. He
was followed by his father, friend,
Warden Hale and the guards. His
father and friends walked around the
gallows to the front, while DurraDt
and his keepers climbed to the gal
galIows platform. Instantly on ar
irving at the gallows his legs and
arms were pinioned ard the rope was
placed about bis neck The hang
man was aboot to ADJUST the black
cap when Durrant announced his de
sire 90 speak. Permission was given
and the doomed murderer spoke as
follows
81 desire to say that although I
am an innocent man, innocen. of
every crime that has been charged
against me, bear 30 animosity to-
wards those who have prosecuted
me. not even the press of San Fran
cisco. which hounced me to the grave.
If any man shinks ] am going to
spring sensation, am not, except
it is sensation that | 1am an innocent
man, brought to the grave by my
prosecutors But forgive them all.
They will get justice from the great
God. who is master of us all. and
there / also expect to get justice, that
is the justice of an innocent man.
Whether or not the perpetrators of
the crime of which 7 am charOed are