The Portland daily press., 1898-01-08

duced pair Of darker shade.
Durrant surprised his guards when hi
breakfast was brought il by eating
heartily and with evident relish of steak
toast and fruit. After discussing his last
meal, Durrant read chapter from his
| Bible and then received o visit from
Captain Egder, to whom he expressed q
desire to deliver q short address from the
scaffold. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Dur
rant called at the prison and was all
mitted to the death chamber for a last il
| terview with her son. Their meeting was
an affecting one, although both strove tc
maintain their composure. Rev. Edward
Davis, who had publicly announced his
| intention to accompany Durrant upon
the scaffold was not admitted and as the
prisoner refused to see either Chaplain
Drahams or Rev. William RAIDER the
| Protestant clergyman, who visited him
recently it was decided both by the
prisoner and his mother that Rev. Father
Logan should be sent for. This was done,
and the priest at once responded and
| made the necessary arrangements for the
| introduction of Durrant into the Catholic
faith.
| At $50 Warden Hale visited the death
| chamber for the purpose of reading the
death warrant to the condemned man,
who listened to the we'll known contents
of that documents without outward sign
of fear.
! When it was finally decided that Dur
rant should accept the Catholic faith, his
parents met Father Logan in the Wartlens
offlce and accompanied him to the death
chamber where the prisoner was given
| extreme function and the Catholic service
| performed.
Durrart evinced the most lively interest
I, Will h
his parents for few minutes and shortly
after ten O'Clock bade them farewell for
| the last time and prepared for his march
| to the scatfold.
| At TO- 80 "a. m, the gates of the prison
| had closed on the last man who could
witness the hanging. The crowd had
gathered in the cold, bare room adjoining
the place Of execution, put not until near,
| ly 1890 did the iron doors that separated
the scaffold from the larger apartment
swing to admit the visitors.
When the spectators bad gathered in
the room silence fell upon them, but
soon the clanking of the door of the con-
demned mans cell was heard. At 1874
O clock the frail door that guards the
open and the Iitile party conducting
Durrant to the gallows. entered. Father
Logan, led, draped in cassocll and sur
piice, and chanting the prayers for the dy-
ing.
Durrant, his father friend, Warden
Hale and the guards followed. The father
and his friend left the party and walked
the condemned man and his escort
clim bed the thirteen steps that led to the
platform and the waiting trap. At last
Durrant stood upon the gallows. He gave
no signs of weakening. His light figure
was as erect as though it had been his
marriage morning. The broad leather
strap that bound his arms to his sides
allowed his wrists some play, and his
fingers rested lightly on the strap. Five
minutes later when his body was swing
ing like a pendulum beneath the strap the
fingers now all blue and chill-looking
still rested where he had placed them as
he left the cell.
Immediately upon arriving upon the
gallows. the rope was knotted about his
neck. The murderer held his chin high
in the air to make room for the stiff new
line, knotted in the peculiar fashion of
the hangman. By an unusual privilege
the condemned man was permitted to
wear low collar. opening in front and
white satin tie. His face was pale, but it
was not the ashy paleness OF terror. 1t
was tho case of a man who, knowing that
he has a nomentous thing to do, is re-
solved to do it like Iuan.
The rope about his neck, the hangman
turned to get the black cap, when Dur
rant whispered quest to be allowed to
speak. 1t was granted. Then, with his
feet on the trap. the cord about his neuk
tied fast TO the cross beam OF the galows,
he holy water OF his baptism in the
Catholic church on his head, he said these
final words:
~ desire to say that, although l am an
innocent man, innocent of every crime
that has been charged against me, bear
no animosity towards those who have
prosecuted me, not even the press of San
Francisco, which bounded me to the
grave. II any man thinks am going to
spring q sensation he is wrong, for l am
not, except IL is q sensation abat am an
innocent man, brought to the grave by
my prosecutors. But I forgive them all.
They will get their justice from the great
God, who is master of us all, and where
l also expect to get justice. that is the
justice of an innocent man. Whether or
not the perpetrators of the crime of which
I am charged are discovered it will make
no difference to me now, but l say this
day it will be shame to the great state
of California. l forgive every body who
has prosecuted me, an innocent man,
whose hands have never been stained with
blood, and I 90 to meet my God with for
giveness for all men ;"
His speech was full OF repetitions and
protestations of his innocence, and he
spoke in a low sing song tone, growing
slightly vehement as he declared that he
was not guilty of the crime for which he
had been sent to the gallows.
His father, who stood with Redeemed
eyes, though fearless, on the floor in front
Of his son, showed back the nearest by
ISLANDERS as though fearful that they
should fail in respect to one so near his
earthly end. But the crowd, though
breathless and curious, was not exultant,
and no sound of approval or the contrary
disturbed the speaker.
Durrant finished calmly with falling
intonation. The guards drew the black
cap over Durrant's head. AS the descend
ing cap covered his face there was no
change in the expression of the men.
Hardly was the cap adjusted when the
trap door dropped with it's loud rattle,
the only sound in the intense silence.
The body dropped, there was the sound of
the tugging of the rope as it drew taught
under the weight of the body and that
was all. A vibration or two and the body
hung at the end of the hemp quite hope
less. The elder Durrant gazed steadily at
the proceedings until that moment, then
his head fell forward upon the shoulders
of a companion and he buried his face
and the expression of his grief from the
sight of men.