The San Francisco call., 1898-01-06

choking and throat cramming Then he went to the Endeavor meeting. spent the evening cheerily, went home with one of the young women and then. fearing that his deed was not thoroughly done, he returned to the church at midnight. He entered its sepulchral gloom, groped his way first into the kitchen of the church, broke open the closet, took one of tho case knives kept for use at socials, groped his way to where he had left the body two hours before, dragged 1t into the library room and there cut the wrists and stabbed the heart, and then with his hands threw the blood on the walls.
 Why was Miss Williams murdered? The generally accepted theory is because she was supposed to know too much about the disappearance Of her friend; Miss Lamont. Dead men tell no tales.
 Easter morning came and the detectives resumed their search in Emmanuel Church. They burst open the gallery steeple door. they mounted mounted star star arier f,ST seventy-fiye feet from the street, they found what was once Blanche Lamont. The mystery of many days was solved.
 On what evidence was Theodore Dur rant convicted of the murder of Blanche Lamont? Various persons testified that Girls High School on the afternoon of her disappearance; that they saw him join her as she came out; that the two rode together on the street cars to the Emmanuel Church; that they got off to- gether, entered the church about o'clock; that she was never seen alive ] o'clock that afternoon Durrant came down from the upper part of the church. evidently very tired and, and ,cofmpladining fnpd of Durrant found playing on the piano when he came down he explained that his faintness was due 10 some exhausting electric wires in the church, but at the | trial it was testified that the wires had been untouched for weeks.
 l Durrant's conviction was in the main ! if not entirely on circumstantial evidence. | As to possible or probable motive 1t had 1 been strongly contended that as a medi- 1 cal student he was of morbidly sensual nature and that he killed Miss Lamont that he might feast his eyes on her nude body; possibly, that he might have a | fresh subject for dissecting purposes. On 1 the other hand, Durrant's friends point | to his former character and manner of life as proof positive that he was a man incapable of such motives and conduct.
 The relations between Durrant and his | pastor, the Rev. J. George Gibson, have from the first of the murders been pecul- iarly unfortunate. The pastor has sell accused parishioner. This partly. perhaps 1 because of a rumor somewhat current al the time that Pastor Gibson knew more about Miss Lamonts death than he cared to tell. Indeed, in a letter. the Rev. MT Gibson, referring to MT: Deuprey, Dur. rants lawyer, said: What do l know MT. Deuprey has not the genius to find out Had he made friend of me instead of an enemy he would have succeeded better If he had only taken me into his confidence as he did the other witnesses of the Mission. how different his case would have been" Yet further, MT. Gib- sons assertions as first quoted are held to furnish not little reason why the Governor should commute the death sen. tence to imprisonment for life.
 Durrant a month ago wrote a letter to
 his pastor on the basis of the above as
 sertfon, but so far as Is known Mir. Gib-
 son has made no reply to the letter
 though it was printed in full in the daily
 The police have warned the Rev. Mir
 Gibson that he is in danger of assassina.
 ton. The theory is that some of Dur
 rants friends may kill him and then give
 out that he committed suicide through
 rennorse at having himself murdered
 Miss Lamont. The warning has been ac-
 cepted by the church. One of its mem
 bors armed is with the pastor by night and by day. and detectives attend al services of the church.
 have written Durrant, expressing nc
 opinion as to his guilt or innocence, but
 begging him. if guilty. to confess 1t anC
 not go before his Maker with a lie on hi: lips as well as the blood of murder or l his hands.
 Durrant has replied by autograph letter asserting his innocence. l hav' l again written the condemned man. anC
 expect a final declaration on the scaffol( if the worst should come.