The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-01-15
DURRANT DIED BRAVELY|
THE GALLONS MOUNTED COOLLY AND
CALMLY BY THE MURDERER
His Neck Was Broken and tho End Came
Quickly and Without Pain-..Ho Died
Still Protesting His Innoceuco...The Pa.
rents Take the Body to San Francisco.

Still Protesting His Innoceuco...The Pa.
rents Take the Body to San Francisco.
When William Henry Theodore Dur.
rant died on the gallows Friday morn
ing, at San Quentin, CAL, for the muir.
der OF Blanche Lamont, he gave such
an exhibition Of ooolness and nerve as
las seldom been seen under similar
circumstances, Hopeful almost to the
very last minute that something or
someone would intervene to save him,
he walked to the scaffold ana made his
little speech, protesting his innocence,
as calmly and with as distinct enuncia-
ton as if he had been addressing an
assemblage Of friends upon some ordi.
nary topic of the day. His face was
pale, his eyes were red, but his voice
was as firm and he stood as solidly as
rock while he proclaimed his innocence
and proffered forgiveness to those
who, he sail, had bounded him to
death.
There was not a hitch or an accident
to mar the plans Of Warden Hale, in
carrying out the sentence OF the law.
The moose was adjusted, the trap was
sprung, the stout rope held and Dur
rants dead body dsngled at the end,
The neck was broken by the fall OF five
feet, and fourteen minutes later the
murderer's body was cut down and
placed in the coffin.
In spite Of the exciting events OF
Thursday night, when Durrant was be-
sieged by newspaper reporters,
be talked to his parents I'M.
til 1870 pm. He rested easily
during the night, and shortly at.
ter 6 o'clock he awoke and bade his
guards good morning. Warden Hale
had provided suit of new clothes OF
dark material in honor OF the occasion,
aud these clothes Durrant quickly
donned. He noticed the absence of
collar and necktie, however, and
knowing full we'll the reason for their
omission, he asked for them, explain
ing that turn down collar would not
interfere with the moose. Then he sat
down to most excellent breakfast and
ate heartily. During the early morn.
ing hours Durrant did not have much
TO say, beyond expressing desire that
no newspaper men should be allowed
to see him. This request was complied
with. ~sr
Consistent to the last, Durrant died
protesting religion. He accepted, at
the last moment, the comforts of the
Catholic Church, instead OF those OF
the baptist faith, in which he was
reared. Rev. RAIDER, a Protestant
minister, had arranged to ascend the
scaffold with Durrant, but the minister
would not soy be thought Durrant in
nocent, and the condemned man dc.
clined to accept bis services, unless the
reverend gentleman protested belief in
bis innocence.
It was sad day not only for Dur
rant, but for eight other murderere,
who are confined in San Quentin and
whose fate depended upon the success
made by tho efforts Of Durrsnt's attor-
neys in his behalf. They were all pre-.
pared to follow the same tactics for de.
Law, but now that the courts have
| shown that it is possible to hang
| murderer in California they have given
up hope.
Durrant said: II desire that although
am an innocent man; innocent Of any
| crime that has been charged against
| me, I bear no animosity toward those
who have prosecuted me, not even the
| press Of San francisco, which has
bounded me to the grave. II any man
thinks I am going to spring a sensa'
ton that am not, except 1t is a
sensation that I, annocent man, am
brought to the grave by my persecu.
tors. But I forgive them all. They
will get their justice from the great
God who is master OF us all aud there
also expect to get justice, that is the
| Justice of on innocent man. Whether
or not the perpetrators of the crime OF
which / am charged are discovered, it
will make no diGerenceto me now, but
say this day will be shame to the
great State Of California. forgive
everybody who has prosecuted mean
innocent man whose hands have never
been stained with blood--and l go to
meet my God with forgiveness for oil
men,"