Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-08

w nave imbued him with a horror of the
surgical treatment OF corpses and he
SVowed that no knife should ever touch
nc "esn. lie also requested that the
aSpe win which he was hanged BE- burn
CO. His wishes in both these respects
We're observed by the warden.
Eight other murderers are confined In
san Quentin. They were all prepared
10 Follow the same tactics for delay
ADOPTED by Durrants lawyers. hut now
'nat the courts have shown that Il Is pos.
sloie 10 hang murderer I'm California.
they have given up hope.
THE LAWS DELAY.
Notwithstanding the fact that the crime
Tor which Durrant to-day paid the pen
atty was committed in April. 1896 end
Durrant was convicted and sentenced TO
be hanged February p. 1896. his lawyers
managed to find enough legal loopholes
to postpone the execution until to-day.
burrant was sentenced three times. Fri
day, June II, 1891 was the second day
named on which he was TO have been
hung, but 10y taking the case TO the highest
state court and finally to the Supreme
Court Of the United states. he obtained a
reprieve Twice the case was carried be-
fore the highest court in the land. and
strong pressure was also brought to bear
on Governor Budd to commute the sem
tence.
DURRANTs CRIME.
William Henry Theodore Durrant cove
his life in exchange for the lives OF two
young women, who were members OF the
church TO which he belonged. While Dur
rant was convicted of but one murder un-
der the law. he was held responsible by
public opinion for the murder Of both
Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams.
and il is felt that his death expiates one
crime as much rs the other.
Durrant's crimes were peculiar in their
atrocity. from any point of view lie was
reared in a Christian home. and until the
time of his arrest was regarded as
model young man Of Industrious babits
who was trying 10 work his way through
a medical college. The only characteris-
tic that seemed marked in his nature was
his picty. He had been a prominent MEM
Der of the Emmanuel Baptist church for
several years. and for a year previous TO
his arrest had been assistant superintend-
ent Of the Sunday school. In this capa-
city he made the acquaintance of Blanche
Lamont and Minnie Williams both of
whom were destined to be murdered by
him in the church where they worshipped
together.
Blanche Lamont disappeared on April 3.
1893, and was never seen alive afterWard.
She left the home Of her aunt, Mrs. &. G.
Noble, on that day to go TO school. and
for ten days no trace Of her could be
found. Many members of Emmanuel
church assisted in the search for the
missing girl. and among others was Theo-
dore Durrant who had often acted as
Miss LamOnt's escort.
DURRANT SEEMED DISTRESSED.
He seemed greatly distressed on account
OF Miss Lamont's disappearance, and at
length expressed the belief that she rad
fallen into disgrace. This theory seemed
plausible TO the police. and a search was
made where IL was believed the missing
girl might be found. Durrant assisted in
the inquiry. which came to naught. Ten
days had passed since Miss Lamont dis-
appeared. and her friends had almost
given up hope of ever knowing her fate.
when discovery was made which led TO
the finding of her body
The ladies Of Emmanuel church were
engaged in decorating the edifice prepara-
tory 10 the celebration of the EasterDay
services when the mangled body of Min
ME Williams was found. almost without
clothing. in the library. A number Of
ugly knife wounds and some rags that
had been forced down the young woman's
throat told of the unequal struggle she
had made TO protect herself.
Miss Williams's body was discovered in
the afternoon, and late the same night
the first clue TO the murderer was OBJ
tanned. From some OF the young woman's
friends it was learned that she had been
seen the evening before with Durraat,
and although there was nothing else to
show that he had any connection with the
crime. the police decided to arrest MIN.
THEORY OF THE POLICE.
From the first the police associated the
finding of Miss Williams's body with the
disappearance of Miss Lamont, and
search was at once begun in the church
for her body. Men worked all night
tearing up floors and breaking down par
titions. and at 10 o'clock Sunday morning
the body of Miss Lamont was found. A
broken door knob and a turned bolt ex-
cited the suspicious Of the searchers. and
the door leading 10 the belfry Of the
church was broken down. Up the wind
ing stairs the policemen groped their way,
and at the third landing, lying in the
corner OF the darkened belfry the un-
clothed body of the murdered girl was
found No knife had been used to COM
nit the crime as was the case in the
murder OF Miss Williams, but the imprint
of FIVE fingers buried in her throat re-
vealed the manner i'm which the young
woman udl met HtT Qtdlli.
The news Of the discovery Of the second
body in the church had spread with in
credible velocity, and when Durrant, in
custody Of the officers. who had arrested
him. a,ghted from ferry-boat at the foot !
Of Market street in this city, he was met !
bv a dense crowd that was ominOus be- |
cause of its silence. The police were pre-
pared for an outbreak, however. and two |
Of armed men were present. !
was placed in a closed carriage, /
by fifty men armed with Win |
ehesters. and driven TO the city prison. |
Durrant then protested his innocence. as |
ne did 10 the hour of his death. but the |
evidence against him accumulated rapid |
v and on April 21st an information was |
iled against him by District-Attorney |
barnes. charging him with the murder
IF Blanche Lamont.
TRIAL A FAMOUS ONE.
The trial. which began on July 22d, and |
asted until November 1st. was one of the
most celebrated in criminal jUrisDru-
lence. Nearly 1900 talesmen were eX-
mined before a jury was secured and
.ix weeks passed before the taxing OF
ostimonv was begun. The evidence
hrouehout was circumstantial but Wheh
ken together formed a chain so strong
's 10 admit of no reasonable doubt The
,rosecition produced witnesses, VINO
raced Durrants movements on Aprl
a from the time he left Cooper Medical
,olleee until he entered the church win
tiss Lamont To all of this testimony
he prisoner entered a denial, and in re-
,,ttal nroduced the roll-call OF the coz
soe which showed that he was attene'
no q lecture at the hour when MISS