The sun., 1898-01-08
nrRRANT PUT TO DEATH.
nRhMATIC DECLARATION OF IN
voCEyCE ON THE GdLJOWS.
s,cetl tors Surprised By the Nerve and
n.slpe.s shown BIZ tho slayer or BIanche
,.,opt-iiiu speech on tho scanold
s.-,,.s Enort -ne niea y Catholic.


A.. rp,Scrsco, Jan. 7.-Theodoro Durrant,
a.. r.urdercr of Blanche Lamont. died on the
s.y,ovs today in San Quentin prison, as he
"a ,ad he would die, with the stoicism OF tho
c.,.dIan Indians whose blood ran In his veins.
M who have seen fifty criminals hanged de-
~. TINT ho surpassed them all In genuine
-. and GOODNESS. There was no bravado In
-, manner nor was his nerve aided by stimu-
lat. AS Is usually the case. When young Gold
.n,on. who shot down a schoolgirl In the street,
-, hanged hero several years ago, no had
al so much whskcy that he didn't know
Ss0r, he was and he actually reeled on the way
y" ,he pallows. Durrant refused to accept any
'.,mn,ant, as he was a believer in temperance.
n.,orr he was led to the death chamber his
IL. showed no increase and his hand was
aum and steady.
IN the gallows ho delivered short Grafton
-,.,nlv devoted to declaration of innocence;
-h.t made il noteworthy was tho care with
,hch It was declaimod. His speech had prob
NV bcen the subject of weeks of study and it
-,.do n profound impression. There was oven
an effort at oratory. for the declarations OF his
i,nocence were declaimcd, tho references to
,,ornity we're made In reverential tones and his
toruiveness of his enemies came In a subdued
,o;ce. His voice was clear and his effort to
and Il for his opening sentence was tho only
time that he faltered.
Durrant spent his last night in great excite
rent up to midnight, receiving his parents and
friends; but when all were excluded he fell
asleep and remained in ftful slumber till early
fbis morning. He was very particular about
the dress he wore and requested SOCKS OF
darker color than those of prison wear and espe-
cially asked for q collar and necktie, things
usually omitted in the garb OF the condemned.
In ha
Father Lagan, q priest connected with the
nrison His conversion was mainly due to
desire to secure a burial place, as the Protestant
Cemeteries refused to receive his body. He
seemed perfectly cool and showed emotion only
when he bade farewell to his mother, just be-
fore going to the execution room.
Athalf past 10 the procession filed into the BARE
Ehitewashed room where the g cray gailows s was
lain swo sae ycnnE Ms sn
wet with tears, but he was not broken in spirit
for he walked deliberately around to the front
Of the platform upon which his son was to be
executed. and secured a position from which
be could see every move that was to follow.
Tho father had hardy ySnb seehred his w POSITION
bent opened again, and the condemned man,
led by Father Lagan and supported on either
through the door alone, and when ho faced
the crowd that had come to witness his death
he threw his head proudly back in the manner
arrest He did not falter for an instant and
had already placed his right foot firmly on tho
lower step Of tho gallows when two guards
took his pinioned arms with the object of sup
porting him. He needed no assistance and did
not even waver when he Saw the rope and moose
that dangled from the &c, cross 1 tree The guards ards
Hangman Lunt placed the moose over his neck.
As the rope went about Durrants neck he
turned to Lunt, and in u tone that was audible
to those who stood near. said:
Don't put that rope on, my boy, until after /
talk" There was a shadow of a smile on his
AyxI haY, hn al hn sNn "A
added: "Well don't tighten 1t then"
Then came the first AN, and only show of strain
sound from his throat that told of lump which
had to be swallowed. 1t was over in second,
and In clear tones he said:
"Doyou wish me to say anythingi Well n would
like to say this: l have no animosity against
any one. not even against those who have per-
Innocent as ! am, l forgive them all. They
will receive their justice from tho Holy God
TO be to
boy, who has not stained his hands with crimes
that hive been put upon him by the press Of
When Durrant referred to the part in his
% grow angry sd and tried to make gestures with his
pinioned arms. Father Lagan evidently thought
he had said enough and sought to check him,
but his speech was not finished and going on,
he said; i. ~. boil, ,,r.,,n. ,c,,n,. uon,,.ou.
do not look upon them now as enemies. for
give them as | expect to be forgiven for every:
California will forever be blackened with the
crime of taking this innocent blood, and whether
or not they ever discover the commuters Of
fore the whole world, announce my innocence
for the last time; and to those who have in
sinuated that ! was going to spring a sensa-
Hon OF any kind, must say there Is no sensa-
ton other than that which 1 have said. Those
who wish to consider 1t sensation may do So
but am innocent of the crime charged to me-
Before knOWa i innocent
When Durrant finished speaking he stood and
placed himself for the final ordeal. The black
drawn, and tho trap sprung. The body re-
not a single respiration. The neck was broken
eleven minutes life was declared extinct.
Tho body was placed in q coffin, and a few
dead SON. She III threw herse on the co and
kissed tho face passinnately. Soon after the
coffin was remoyed to this city, attended by
several 0tPS to
WAsIISGroN. Jan. I'll p. Boardman, coun-
benen Or hs doSrs 5us 80
tice Brewers decision refusing a writ of ha-
fss his asss did waS not a1s I
Shisf Justice and justices Harlan and White
reach an understanding of the case as it stood.
Mr.. Boardrnan occupied half an hour in the
presentation OF his case and tho court retired
for consultation. They returned in thirty-four
minutes and Chief Justice Fuller announced
their decision. He said:
THE court has given tho matter most care
ful consideration, and We are unanimously
q the opinion that leave for permission to file
me- inc application for tho writ of habeas corpus
William Henry Theodore Durrant was hanged
IoI the murder Of Blanche Lamont, and IL is con-
9idsred certain that within ten days after kill
ing her he murdered Minnie Williams. The
bodies OF both girls were hidden in Emanuel
Baptist Church In San Francisco. of whose Sum
Gay school he was assistant superintendent.
Tho murders were committed in April. 1895,
and Durrant was convicted on Nov. ! of tho
same year; the persistent efforts Of his lawyers
preserved his life until yesterday.
ftndent at the Cooper Medical School. Blanche
lamont disappeared on April and on April 13
iIh the body OF Minnie Williams was found In the
library OF the church by women who had gone
tphere pN to decorate it, for the Easter services.
both girls were members of tho congregation,
ana the finding Of the body led TO q thorough
ssarch OF the building for traces of the missing
giri On the following day the searchers dis
SSoxered blanche LamOnt's naked body in tho
.psellry, where 1t had evidently lain from the
ume OF her disappearance.
Dlrrant had been seen with Minnie Williams
W the night she was murdered and various
circumstances were quickly discovered to con-
thect him with the death OF the Lamont girl.
M, MS trial attraeted wide attention and lasted