The record-union., 1898-01-07
LITTLE HOPE
FOR DURRANT,

CONTINUED from First Page.)
cents of his previous remarks: Il have
had offers of remuneration for a talk
with me from the East. l have had
three or four kilograms.
''Au of his words are of great value,
interrupted his mother.
No offer of compensation being made,
Durrant was promptly cautioned to talk
no more. He was willing to comply,
but his mother being called away for a
moment, he resumed in his former
strain
Il will make no reference to the
past. All will be made clear if not in
this world then in the next. l feel
that ] am perfect in Christ"
What will you say at the last?" was
a rather difficult question to ask, but
the answer was quick and in a. firmer
voice than he had been using:
L shall only proclaim my innocence
loudly, strenuously," answered Dur
rant Make this as strong as you
please. l will not falter at the end l
will ole bravely, knowing L am going to
better world. 1 thank God my hands
are clean, not stained with blood, but
the fair name of California will stand
stained with a crime that can never
be wiped out-the blood of an innocent
man-say boy"
AT this point Mrs. Durrant returned
to the side of her son, and said rather
sharply: There, you have said enough,
Theodore, too much already, 1 am
afraid"
That's all. mother" submissively re-
cd mn 10
said goodby and turned his head away.
SHOWS NO SIGNS OF WEAKENING
SAN QUENTIN PRISON, Jan. g.
Shortly before midnight Durrant pre-
pared to retire, telling Captain Edgar
that he wanted to get some sleep be-
fore morning. He shows no signs of
weakening, and all who have seen him
tonight agree that he will die game.
Captain Edgar still considers him a re-
markable criminal, and is firmly of the
opinion that he will go to the galows
bravely.
His mother remained with him until
11:30, and will see him in the morning.
No one viii be admitted into the pris-
on after midnight until the gates are
opened at Z O'Clock in the morning.
The officials are confident that Dur
rant will not attempt suicide, even if
he had the opportunity, which he has
not.
Nothing more is likely to be heard
from the condemned mans quarters
until after o'clock. Mr. and Mrs.
Durrant have gone to San Rafael for
the night, accompanied by Rev. Ed
ward Davis. 1t is not known positive
ly whether Mr.. Davis will appear on
the scaffold with Durrant, or whether
Rev. Mr. RAIDER will carry out his orig
nal intention Of acting as spiritual ad
wiser.
That Durrant will not commit sui
eide. those responsible for his custody
are certain, whether he ever contem-
plated such a thing or not. To estab-
lish to a certainty whether such a
thought was ever in his mind, an in
spection was made to-day of the per-
sonal effects taken from him when he
was first sent to the condemned cell,
TO determine if there was concealed in
them any subtle poison by which his
taking off would have been made easy.
1t is matter of criminal history in
this State that a condemned murderer
awaiting execution once defeated jus
tfce by absorbing poison from the leaves
of a book previously saturated with it
and presented to him by his friends.
Captain Edgar while expressing his
belief that Durrant has not at any time
contemplated suicide, nor given a
thought 10 the taking of his own life,
omitted no precaution to prevent a re-
currence of the incident.
Just prior to Durrant's removal to
the condemned cell. his mother pre-
sented to him a sachet bag made Of silk
ornamented with tassals and embroid-
cry, and a Bible bound in morocco, with
padded cover. When it was suggest
ed 10 Captain Edgar that possibly these
might be the hiding places of some
deadly poison he laughed, saying:
There is no poison in those articles,
Of that / am certain. Whether there IS
or not is a matter Of no concern or in
terest, as Durrant has no means Of
making use of it. even il it We're there.
have all Of Durrant's possessions in
my office. They will remain there un-
til they are delivered to his parents af-
ter his execution. No one will be al
lowed to examine them, nor to sub
ject them TO analysis. unless the War
den officially directs it to be done.
'Durrant has with him in his cell a
Bible and dictionary. These / pur-
chased for him myself after he was sent
to the condemned cell. and IL every leaf
and the covers of all the books given
or lent to him after he went into the
condemned cell We're saturated with the
most deadly poison known, II would
be of no avail to him. He would not
obtain possession of il. There is moth
ing IN the condemned cell with Dur
rant except what has been furnished
him by the prison authorities who are
responsible for his custody"