Arizona republican., 1898-01-08
END OF THEODORE DURRANT
A Baptist Turned to Catholicism
 for Final Comfort
Priests of His Religion Would
 Not Believe Him

His Death Was Painless as Those of
 His Victims, if They Wore His
 Victims, Were Not-His Father
 saw Him Die-Incid-nts of the
 Closing Hours.
 San Quentin, Cal, Jan. 7.-When William Henry Theodore Durrant died on the gallows this morning for the murder of Blanche Lamont he gave such an exhibition of coolness and nerve as has seldom been seen under similar circumstances. Hopeful all most to the very last minute that something or some one would inter vene to save him, he walked to the scaffold this morning and made h:s little speech protesting his innocence as calmly and with as distinct enun- citation as if he had been addressing an assemblase of friends on some or dinaryAt topic ,Nay. His face was ss':' s.s .ls Css :s; 3: ss' .s;;s s;; .::s: x: rock while he ko2EIaimed his inno- cence and professsd forgiveness for those who, he said, had bounded him to death.
 . There was no hitch or accident to snar the plans of Warden Hale in carrying out the sentence of the law. The moose was adjusted. the trap sprung, the stout rope held, and Du.- ant's dead body dangled at the end. The neck was broken by a fall of over five feet, and fifteen minutes later the murderers body was cut down and placed in a coffin.
 In spite of the exciting events of last night when Durrant was be- sieged by newspaper reporters and talked to his parents till h 80 .m., he rested easily during the night and shortly after o'clock he yoke and bade his guards good morning. War den Hale had provided a neat suit of dark material in honor of the occa- sion and these clothes Durrant quickly donned. He noticed the absence of a collar and necktie, however, and knowing full we'll the reason for their omission, he asked for them, ex- blaming that a turn-dOwn collar would not interfere with the moose. Then he sat down to a most excellent breakfast and ate heartily.
 During the early morning Durrant did not have much to say beyond ex- pressing a desire that no newspaper men should be allowed to see him. The request was complied with. Dur rant died protesting religion. But he died. accepting at the last moment. the comforts of the Catholic church instead of those of the Baptist faith, in which he was reared. Rev, MT. Rader, a Protestant minister, had ar ranged to ascend the scaffold with DurTant, but the minister would not say that he thought Durrant innocent and the condemned man declined to accept his services. Then it was that the once Baptist turned to the Cath olic church for consolation and cafled upon Father Logan, the priest who had frequently visited him in prison, to attend him. Father Logan responded promptly and he performed the last solemn rites of the church. Durrant remained in close consulta- tion with the priest and seemed to be deeply interested in the impressive ceremony.
 AS the hour of execution approached the prisoner appeared restless. His father and mother were admitted to bid him a last farewell. The elder Durrant grasped his son by the hand and the young man then turned to comfort his mother, who cried hys- terically. Durrant embraced her ten derly, and saying 'fThe hour has come for us to part" put her tenderly away. The grief-stricken mother was led to private room, where she remained until after the execution. The father, however, wert 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 all possible time for thu nsupreme court at Wash ington to taKS some action. Finally when word was flashed across the con- tinent that the sl 1eme court had de-