The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-08


the opening. There was a sound as of
stout rope drawn taut, and a broken
necked criminal swayed to and fro for
moment, then the body became motionless
The crowd surged forward, but the war
denis voice was heard to exclaim STAND
back" The doctors, however, were per-
mitted to go forward, where they felt the
pulse and finally decided that Durrant was
dead
BODY GIVEN TO THE PARENTS.
In just eleven minutes and twenty-eight
| seconds all signs of life had vanished and
the most noted criminal of the nineteenth
century was officially dead. The body was
allowed to hang for fifteen minutes, when
it was cut down and placed in black cof
fin provided by an undertaken from San
Francisco 1t is not yet known what dis
position of the body will be made, as Dur
rants parents have been so far unable to
secure accommo odations in any of the local
cemeteries for the body of their son. 1t is
very probable that the body will be Gre
mated.
AS soon as the drop fell the spectators
hurried out of the room and nobody re-
manned, except physicians and newspaper
men. Durrant, sr., went Immediately to his
wife, who was awaiting in one of the guard
rooms. and together they accompanied the
body of their son to San Francisco.
The prison officials were all enthusiastic
in their praise of Durrants S nerve Tt had
been feared by them that in spite of his APP
parent bravado that the condemned man
would break down at the last moment and
make scene. At one time, several days
ago. Durrant gave evidence of collapse,
but he managed to pull his nerves together
once more and proudly declined all offers
of stimulants to enable him to make a bold
showing on the scaffold. The criminal was
apparently proud of his race and avowed
that he would "die like a Durrant." Last
night, when the prison physician remarked
reassuringy that he would come to Durrant
in the morning prepared to give him stim-
ulants. the doomed mans significant smile
and easy measured tone told, if he had not
said a word, that he would scorn such sup
port or comfort. When asked if he felt at
all unnerved, Durrant held his arm at length
and triumphantly demonstrated that it had
no tremor. Then with an air which was
impressive even if grandiloquent, he said:
''If l have to die will die like a Durrant;
that is all. | belong to a race that can
meet even death without fiinching.'
So impressed was the penitentiary doctor
that he declared: why, that fellow is the
man of the century. Any one who thinks
he is going to break down is sadly mis-
taken. l have never seen any one who ap-
preached him. 1t is hard to believe that a
man with not more than a few hours to
live, except by the most unforeseen in
tervention, could talk of his doom and his
condition with a seventy-four pulse. He is
in as nh a q maj
ask / have not had him weighed but 1
think he would tip the scales at mark
of over 100. He is as particular about his
appearance as if he were preparing to go
to his first party. 1 remarked that he had
had visit from the barber, to which he
replied Yes, and he left his trademark on
me-, indicating a small cut on his lip. He
consoled himself by saying that it would be
all right in few days This vanity was
shown again when 1 asked him about his
general health since he had been placed in
| the condemned cell. The meat has been so
good since have been here he said and
1 have enjoyed it so much that have prob
ably eaten more than L should, and it has
brought out this little rash about my
mouth Like the barbers slip, that too, he
said, would be all right in a few days"
Durrants most urgent request of Warden
Hale 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 corpses, and
he vowed that no knife should ever touch
his flesh. He also requested that the rope
with which he was hanged be burned. His
wishes in both these respects were observed
by the warden. 1t was a sad day not only
for Durrant but for eight other murderers
who are confined in San Quentin, and whose
fate depended on the success made by the
efforts of Durrant's attorneys in his behalf
They were all prepared to follow the same
tactics for delay, but now that the courts
have shown that it is possible to hang
murderer in California they have given up
hope.