The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-07

parents for q few minutes and shortly
after 10 o'clock bade them farewell for
the last time and prepared for his
march to the scaffOld
TO THE GALLONS.
At 1924 O'Clock the frail door that
guards the Threshold of the gallOws
room, swung open, and the little party
conducting Theodore Durrant to the
| galIows, entered Father Lagan led,
draped in cassock and surplice, and
chanting the prayers for the dying.
Durrant, his father, a friend, Ward
| en- Hale and the guards followed. The
father and his friend left the party and
walked around the gallOws to the front,
While the condemned man and his es-
cort climbed the 13 steps that led to
the platform and the waiting trap.
At last Theodore Durrant stood upon
the gallOws. He gave no signs of
weakening. His slight figure was as
erect as though it had been his mar
riage morning. The broad leather strap
that bound his arms to his side, allow
ed his wrists some play, and his fingers
rested lightly on the strap. Five min
uteS later, when his body was swing
ing like 4 pendulum beneath the trap,
the fingers now all blue and chilled
! looking, rested where he had placed
them as he left the cell. Instantly up
on arriving at the gallOws, the rope
was knOtted about his neck. The muir
derer held his chin high in the air to
make room for the stiff new line, knot
ted in the peculiar fashion of the hang
man. BY an unusual privilege, the
I
low collar, opening in front, and
white satin tie
His face was pale, but it was not the
aShy paleneSS of terror. 1t was the
face of a man, who knowing that he
has a momentous thing to do, is reso1v-
ed to do it, like a, man. The rope about
his neck, and the hangman turned to
get the plack cap when the erect head
turned and Durrant whispered re-
quest to be allowed to speak. 1t was
granted Then with his feet on the
fT-cr Ta r-6 a h iad IA Gf
to the crOssbeam on the gallOws, the
holy water of his baptism in the CathO-
lie church on his head, he said these
final words.
I desire to say that although I am
an innocent man, innocent of every
crime that has been charged against
me, I bear no animOSity toward those
that have prosecuted me, not even the
press of San Francisco, which bounded
me to the grave. If any man thinks
am going to spring a, senSation-I am
not, except it is a sensation that am
an innocent man, brought to the grave
by my prosecutors But forgive them
all. They will get their justice from
the great God who is master of US all
and there 1 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 dis
covered, it will make no difference to
me now, but 1 say this day will be
shame to the great state of California.
I forgive everybody who has prosecuted
me. an innocent man. whose hands have
never been stained with blood, and 1 go
to meet my God with forgiveness for all
men,"
On the arrival of the first train from
San Francisco the open space in front
of the prison gate rapidly filled with
people, including many of those who
held invitations to the execution as well
as others attracted by curiosity. Among
the thrOng were many physicians and
several officials of various counties.
DR. w. NJ. Lawler. prison surgeon Sc
lected the following physicians to as
sist him at the scaffOld: DR.. J. T. Jones,
San Rafael; Dr. G.. Wickham, San
Francisco; DR.. J. F. Morse, San Fran
cisco, and DR.. RHEIMS, San Francisco
Among the first arrivals was Rev.
RAIDER. He stated that he would not
see Durrant if the Rev. Edward Da-
Wis was to be present and he was at
once notified that gentleman had decid-
ed not to attend Soon afterward the
Rev. Father Lagan drove up from San
Rafael in his own buggy mud bespat-
tered and unasSuming. He was met
by Warden Hale and was at once ad
mitted within the gates. Then the
suppOsitiOn that Durrant was about to
change his faith became a certainty.
He professed the Catholic religion and
died within the church.
So many persons pressed for ad-
mission that the warden found it neceS-
sary to publicly announce that under
no circumstances would anyone with
out a proper card be admitted.
At 1925 d. m, the gate of the prison
had closed on the last man who would
witness the hanging. The crowd had
gathered in the cold bare room adjOin-
ing the place of execution but not until
nearly 1870 sharp did the iron doors
that separate the scaffOld from the
large apartment swing to admit the
visitors.
The ceremony was very simple. The
audience had no sooner entered the
room than a silence fell upon the gath
ering. The door of the~cOndemned cell
clanked and in a fraction Of a minute
thereafter Warden Hale entered closely
followed by Father Lagan and the pris-
Oner led between two guards The
priest stepped aside and Durrant, in a
voice emotionless and apparently un-
effected, made a short speech. There
was no sincerity in the mans words.
They were cold and passiOnless.
There was no scene at the gallows.
Mrs. Durrant did not witness the exc
cutiOn. She remained in room in the
lower part Cf the prison and showed
unmistakable signs of grief tempered
with a dOgged desire to create the i'm
preston that she was too proud to
weep.
Durrant died protesting to the last
his innocence of the murder of Blanche
Lamont and Minnie Williams. He
maintained to the very end the same
marvellous GOODNESS and nerve which
chara cterized him throughout his long
imprisonment and many trials and
demonstrated that he was indeed the
criminal of the century.
His farewell words were spoken in a
very subdued, but clear voice which by
its calmness and freedom of passion.
or emotion, caused many heads to turn
away and many eyes to fill with tears
He forgave his enemies with no trace
of concealed resentment and proclaim
ed his innocence with the calmness of
one asserting an indibutable truth He
was the least effected of any of the
many people who witnessed the death
scene and even after the fatal drop
he did not QuiVer, or give other evil
dence of having suffered pain. His
last words were: I am innocent"
EARLY WORK AT WASHINGTON