Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-01-07
THE PENALTY'S PAID
Difference in Time Makes Dur
rant Hang Before the Action
ofthe Supreme Court.
CHEMICAL WORKS BURNED
Senators Allen and Teller De.
liver Caustic Financial
Speeches To-day.
DAY OF GENERAL HANGING

-----
WARRINGTON, d. c., January T.
In less than three minutes after th
supreme court assembled to-day, L. I
Boardmsn, counsel for Durrani, aros
and made application for q writ {
habeas corpus. The court room wa
crowded to it's capacity, there being
dpath-iike stiffness during the resdinI
OF the petition Of the young man VIII
pleaded so hard for action that wonl,
postpone the execution OF Durrant
The court retired for consultation, an,
At 1890 denied the application.
SAN QUhNTIN Prison, CAL, Januar,
z, 10:17 a. MIR. and Mrs. Duran
have takan their farewell from theil
son.
1929 q. m--Durrant is being strap
ped and in moment the procession
OF death will be formed, Father Logan
saying the Catholic prayers of death
Absolute silence reigns in the gallows
room to which spectators have been
admitted. All eyes are fixed on the
door directly behind the gallows. and
opsns for the condemned man.
The procession flied 10 and no time
wa lost Durrant was strapped and
The hangman awaited he signal The
cond.mned declared his innocence on
the SO IF I'D. Calm. cool and dslb
crate, he died bravely. He was de-
clared lead five minutes after the drop
fell All night long. Mr.. and Mrs.
Durrant were restless over their sons
fate, and could not sleep. h slept
well, and ATE a hearty breakfast of
beafsserk and eggs, etc. When few
minutes before the execution, word
came that the supreme Q 'urt had de-
MED a writ of babeas corpus, Durranf
banched. heaved a sigh and expressed
resignation 10 fate.
DETAILS OF TIE EXECUTION.
SAN QUENTN PRISON, Cal, January
- The murderer OF Blanche Lamont.
the ioulest and one OF the most remark
able crimes OF the century, il expiated
Al 10 .35 this morning, Wm. Henry
Theodore Durrant, medical student
aud a nd, was launched INTO eternity,
according t6 due process of law, after
ona OF the greatest battles % escape the
gallovs 10 the history of America.
Consoled and supp ,rted by Father
Logan, the Roman Catholic priest, but
q f-w minutes befrr had ad ninistered
ex rene unction, the murderer, pale
bur still calm and with an assumed or
natural look of martyr on his face,
mounted the gallows. stepped on the
b"x and AT sited the end, as though hs
were watching dissection ia the
school which he attended before his
arrest.
Before the black cap was adjns'ed
aud after the d puties had finished the
work OF tying his legs, he sitinified his
wish TO say f-w words Stepoing to
the front of the gallows. the priest bs
his sidei Durrant spoke his last words
on earth. In low, qu,vering torea.
ilst as he might have asked bis anato-
mical dem nnstrator simple question,
he declared that he was innocent and
that the state was committing judicial
murder.
C,~clnding bis brief talk. he stepped
ba,k and took his place upon the trap
the rope W IS dropp,d over his head.
ths moose properly placed and tn
black cap dj,sted During this try
ing ordeal. with no apparant assump
tlon OF bravado. the murderer held up
wonderfully. N,t.a qniver OF legs or
arms or BODY, or unusua heavidg OF
the breast being disuernibla. A faw
cons ling words from the priest. the
word 'ready." swish, and the great
tragedy was ended.
As be had lived. or assumed to live
since bisincarceration, he died brave
iy and without any of the customary
s,gpa OF death on the gallows and no
declarasion that h. was saved and that
be was going to Heaven.