The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-01-11
DuRRANT DEAD.
The Murderer of Two Girls Dies on the
ScaffOId-Justioe at Last Overtakes the
Criminal of the Century.

Friday morning, he was apparently
greatly refreshed by his nights sleep,
which had been sound and peaceful
throughout the night. His last night
upon earth had been one of excite
ment as he had been visited by his par
ents, a minister and newspapermen
for some hours, and did not retire I'M
til midnight, half an hour after his
mother had left him.
At $3.50 a. M. Warden Hale visited
the death chamber for the purpose of
reading the death warrant to the con-
demned man, who listened to the we'll
known contents of that document with
respectful attention, no outward sign
of fear.
When it was finally decided that
Durrant should accept the Catholic
faith, his parents met Father Lagan
in the warden's Office. and accompanied
him to the death chamber, where the
prisoner was given extreme JUNCTION
and the Catholic service performed.
Durrant evinced the most lively inter-
est in the service. He then cOnversed
with his parents for a few minutes,
and shortly after 1O.o'clock babe them
farewell for the last time and prepared
for his march to the scaffold.
There was no scene at the gallOws
Mrs. Durrant did not witness the exc
cutiOn. She remained in a room in
the lower part of the prison and show
ed unmistakable signs of grief temp
cred with a logged desire to create the
impression that she was too proud to
weep.
At 1884 o'clock the frail door that
guards the threshold of the gallows
room swung open and the little party
conducting Durrant to the gallOws en-
tered. Father Lagan led, draped in
cassock and surplice and chanting the
prayers for the dying. Durrant, his
father, friend, Warden Hale and the
guards followed. The father and his
friend left the party and walked
around the galiows to the front,
while the condemned man and
his escort climbed the ID 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
broad leather strap that bound his
arms to his sides allowed his wrists
some play and his fingers wrested
| lightly on the strap. Five minutes
later when his body was swinging
like a pendulum beneath the trap, the
| fingers, now all blue and chilled look
ing, still rested where he had placed
them as he left the cell. Instant
| ly upon arriving upon the gallows the
rope was 1nOtted about his neck The
murderer held his chin high in the air
to make room for the stiff new line,
knOtted in the peculiar fashi on of the
hangman. By an unusual privilege
| the condemned man was permitted to
wear low collar, opening in front,
and a white satin tie. His face was
pale, but it was not the ashy pale
ness of terror 1t was the face
of a man who, knowing that he
has a mOmentous thing to do, is
resolved to do it like a man.
The rope about his neck and the
hangman turned to get the black cap,
when the erect head turned and Dur
rant whispered request to be allowed
to speak. 1t was granted. Then, with
! his feet on the trap, the cord about his
throat tied fast to the cross beam on
! the gallows, the holy water of his bap-
tism in the Catholic church on his
| head, he said these final words: 81 de-
| sire to say that although l am an limo
| cent man, innocent of every crime that
has been charged against me, 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 l am 60
ing to spring a sensation, / am not, eX-
| cept it is a sensation that | am an
| innocent man brought to the grave by
my prosecutors. But l forgive them
all. They will get their justice from
the Great God who is Master of us all
and there l also expect to get justice
| that is the justice of an innocent man.
| Whether or not the perpetrators of the
crime of which am charged are dis
covered, it will make no difference to
me now, but say this day will be a
shame to the great state of California.
l forgive everybody who has per Sc
! cuted me, an innocent man whose
hands have never been stained with
blood, and go to meet my God with
| forgiveness for all men,"
The guards, impatient for their task,
| for the suspense was harder on them
| than on the condemned, drew the sa BILE
! cap over his head. AS the descending
cap covered his face there was no
change in the expression of the man,
who almost in the same instant was
dead. Hardly was the cap adjusted
when the trap dropped with its loud
rattle, the only sound in the intense
silence. The body dropped, there
was the sound of the Juggling
of the rope as it drew taut
under the weight of the body, and
that was all. A vibration or two and
the body hung at the end of the hemp
i quite motionless. The elder Durrant
gazed steadily at the proceedings until
that moment then his head fell for
ward upon the shoulders of young
Smythe, Deuprey's clerk, and he buried
his face and the expression of his grief
from the sight of men.
The doctors gathered about the sus-
pended body, listened for the respira-
| L. L