The Portland daily press., 1898-01-08
DURRANT dies At LAST.
Criminal Of the Century" Expiaties
His Crime oa (1alOWS.
HIS INNOCENCE TO
THE VERY LAST.

THE VERY LAST.
Mates Speech With the Moose About His
| Neck-His Father One of the Witnesses
10 the Execution-Young Man Receives
| Last Rites of Catholic Church.
San Quentin, Cal, January 7.-When
| VIM Henry Theodore Durrant died on the
4 gallows this morning for the murder of
4 of ooolness and nerve such as seldom has
been seen under similar circumstances.
| Hopeful almost to the very last that some
thing would intervene to save him, he
walked to the scatfold and made a speech
protesting his innocence as calmly and
with as distinct enunoiation as if he had
been addressing an assnblage of friends
upon some ordinary topic His face was
pale, his eyes red, but his voice was firm
and he stood as solid as rock when he
proclaimed his innocence and professed
forgiveness to those who, he said, had
I
hitch or accident to mark the execution.
The silence was broken by the fall of five
| feet and fifteen minutes later the murders
er's body was cut down and placed in the
coffin.
/ In spite of the exciting events Of last
night when Durrant was beseiged by
newspaper reporters and talked to his
parents until II 80 p. m, he rested easier
during the night and shortly after six
O'Clock he awoke and bade his guards
gond morning. Warden Hale had pro-
vided new suit of dark material and
these clothes Durrant quickly donned.
| He noticed the absence of collar ard
neck tie, however: and knowing full well
the reason for their omission, he asked
for them. Then he sat down to breakfast
md ate heartily. Consistent to the last he
| died protesting religion But he died, &C.
eepting at the last moment the comforts
| OF the Catholic church instead of those of
Ethe Baptist faith, in which he was reared
| Rev, Rader, Protestant minister had
arranged to ascend the scaffold with Dur
rant, but the minister would not say that
| he thought Durrant innocent and the
tcondemned man refused to accept his
services unless RAIDER professed belief in
his Innocence. Then 1t WAS that the once
ardent Baptist turned to the Catholic
lchurch for consolation and called upon
Fa5har Logan, priest. who had frequent
lly visited him in prison, to attend him.
Father Logan responded and performed
| the last rites of the church.
AS the hour for the execution ap-
preached the prisoner became somewhat
restless. his father and n other were ad-
mitted to bid last farewell. TheSelder
Qurrant grasped his son by the hand and
the young man then turned to comfort
his mother, who cried Historically. Dur
rant embraced her tenderly and saying,
Fsthe hour has come for us to part put
her gently away. The grief stricken
mother was led away to a private room
where she remained until after the execu-
tion. The father, however. went to the
execution room and supported by two
friends, saw his son meet death.
Warden Hale allowed all possible time
for the Supreme court at Washington to
take some action. Finally, when word
was flashed over the wires that the court
declined TO interfere, the warden ordered
the programme to be carried out. At TO- "a
O'Clock Durrant, accompanied by Father
Logan appeared at the door of the execu-
tion room. He was followed by his father,
a friend, the warden and the guards. The
father and his friend walked around the
gallows to the front, while Durrant and
his keepers climbed to the gallow's plat
form. Instantly on arriving at the gal
lows Durraut's legs and arms were
pinioned and the rope was placed about
his neck. The hangman was about to ad
Just the black cap when Durrant an
nounced his desire to speak. Permission
was given and the doomed m murderer made
a brief speech, protesting his Innocence.
Not a sound could be heard except the
even tones of the man about to die. Dur
rant had scarcely ceased speaking when
the black cap was placed over his face. 1T
~ 4v,e To tha and
Durrant's body shot through the opening
The crowd surged forward but the war
den warned them to keep back. The
doctors yyere however, permitted to go
forward, where they felt the pulse and
finally decided that Durrant was dead. In
Just eleven minutes and twenty eight
seconds all signs of life had vanished.
The body was allowed to hang for fifteen
minutes, when 1t was cut down and
placed in black coffin. 1t is not yet
known what disposition of the body will
be made,
AS Durrapt's parents have failed SO far
to obtain permission to bury the body In
any of the local cemeteries, 1t is presumed
that 1t will be cremated.
After the body had been taken down
Durrant's father wentsimmediately to his
wife, who was awaiting in one of the
guard rooms and together they accom-
panied the body of their son to San Fran
cisco. Durrant's most urgent request to
the warden was that no autopsy be held
on his body. The prisoners medical
training seemed to have imbued him with
a horror of the surgical treatment of
oorpses, and he vowed that no knife
should ever touch his flesh. lie also re-
ouested that the rope with which he was
hanged be burned. His wishes in both
respects we're observed by the warden.
Eight other murderers are confined in
San Quentin whose fate depended on the
success of the efforts made by Durrant's
ATTORNEYS in his behalf. They were all
prepared to follow the same tactics for
delay, but now the courts have shown
that it is possible to hang murderer in
California, they have given up hope.
A SPEECH FROM GALLOWS.
Durrant Insists That He Is lnnocens OF the
Crime.
San Ouentin Prison, Cal, January r.