The Ravalli Republican., 1898-01-12
announced his desire to speak. Per-
mission was given and the doomed
murderer spoke as follows:

.hullOllllCcu his QcSlFc TO speak. Icr-
mission was given and the doomed
murderer spoke as follows:
81 desire to say that although |
am an innocent man, innocent Of
every crime that has been charged
against me, K bear no animosity to-
ward those who have prosecuted me,
not even the press Of San Francisco,
which bounded me to the grave. If
any man thinks ! am going to spring
a sensation am not except it is. the
sensation that l am an innocent man
and brought to the grave by my
prosecutors, But ! forgive them all.
They will get their justice from the
great God who is master Of us all,
and there ! also expect TO get JUS
| ticc that is the justice Of an inno-
cent man. Whether or no the per-
pctrators Of the crime Of which | am
charged are discovered it will make
4 no difference to nc now, but | say
! this day will be a shame to the great
| state Of California. / forgive every
4 body who has prosecuted nc, an in
| nocent man whose hands have never
been stained with blood, and 60 to
meet my God with forgiveness for all
men,"
The words were delivered slowly
and distinctly and without emphasis.
The eager crowd of spectators group
cd closer to the wooden framework
that they might not lose a word Of
what was being said. Not a sound
could bc heard except the even tones
Of the man about to die. .-
Durrant finished quickly and had
scarcely ceased when the black cap
WAS placed over his face. At the
same instant IIangman Lunt raised
his hand, the trap was sprung and,
with a rattle, Durrants body shot
through the opening. There WAS a
sound as of stout rope drawn taut
and brokcn-ncckcd criminal sway
cd to and fro for moment. when
the body became motioncss. The
crowd surgcd forward, but the war
dcns voice was heart TO eXclaim,
"Stdnd back" 49,"
ThcldoCtors, however, were per-
mittcd to 90 forward where they felt
the pulse and finally decided Dur
rant was dead. In just / minutes
and % secnnds all sIgra of life had
vanished and the most noted crimi-
nal Of the nineteenth century was
officially dead The body was allow
ed to hang for Is minutes, when it
was cut down and placed in a black
coffin provided by an undertaken
from San Francisco.
1t is not yet known what disposi-
tion Of tho body will be made as Dur
rants parents have been so far un-
able to secure accommodation in any
Of the local cemeteries for the body
Of their son 1t is very probable
that the body will be crcmatcd.
AS soon as the drop fell the spec
tators were hurried out of the room
and nobody remained except the ply
sicians and newspaper men. Dur
rant, ST., went Immediately to his
wife, who was waiting in one Of the
guard rooms, and together they ac.
cpmpanicd the body Of their son &c
to San Francisco.
The prison officials were all en-
thnsiastic in their praise Of Dur
rants nerve. 1t had been feared by
them, that in spite of his apparent
bravado, the condemned man would
break down at the last moment ant
. make Il scene. Atone time, scvcra
J days ago, Durrant gave evidence o
a collapse. but he managed to pul
I his nerves tOGctfef once more, ant
proudly declined ali offers Of stimu
lants TO enable him to make bolt
showing on the scatruld. The crimi
I nal was apparently proud Of his race
and vowed that he would die "likc
Durrant."
, Durrant's most urgent request o
: Warden Hale was that no autopsy b,
held On his body. The prisoner
! medical training seemed to have en-
bucd him with horror of the sur
, gical treatment Of corpscS and he
vowed that TO knife should eve
, touch his flesh. His wishes in boil
, these respects were observed by th'
y warden.
, Canyon Ferry Postmaster arrested.