The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-08
DURRAhT PAYS THE.
LAWS PENALTY.
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next train carried two detectives to-
ward the mountain, and. after complet-
ing their Journey by stage, Durrant
was found late In the afternoon and
arrested. But the news that he was
charged with the murder OF Minnie
Williams was not first impaired to him
by the officers. message was flashed
on the rays Of the sun by the hello
graphers in this city who were taking
part In the experiments Of the signal
corps, and Durrant knew that he was
TO be arrested before the officers ar
rived.
While these events were taking place
on MT. Diablo. sixty miles away,
discovery had been made in this city
which filled the streets with men and
women crying for vengeance. From
the first the police associated the find
Ing Of Miss williams body with the
disappearance of Miss Lamont. and n
search was at once begun III the church
for her body. Men worked all night
tearing up floors and breaking down
partitions, and at 10 o'clock Sunday
morning the body of Miss Lamont was
found IA broken door knob and
turned bolt excited the suspicions of
the searchers. and the door leading to
the belfry of the church was broken
W
licemon CROPPED their way. and at the
third landing, lying in the corner OF
the darkened belfry, the naked body
of the murdered girl was found. No
knife had been used to commit the
crime, as was the case In the murder
of Miss Williams, but the imprint of
five fingers buried In her throat reveal
ed the manner In which the young
woman met her death.
tn,,,
ed that murder was not the only crime
that had been committed. The news
of the discovery OF the second body
In the church had spread with incred-
tD!e velocity. and Mt 6 o'clock, when
Durrnnt, In custody OF the officers,
alighted from u ferry boat at the foot
OF MARKET street, in this city he was
met by n dense crowd that was ominous
because Of its silence. The police were
prepared for an outbseak however
and two companies of armed men were
present. Durrant was placed In
closed carriage surrounded by fifty
men armed with Winchesters and driven
to the city prison. Durrant then pro-
tested his innocence. as he did to the
hour Of his death, but the evidence
against him accumulated rapidly, and
on April 2lst an Information was filed
against him by District Attorney Bar
mes. charging him with the murder of
Blanche Lamont.
notwithstanding that the crime for
which Durrant to-day paid the penal
" was committed in AnrIl 1895. md
Dirrant was convicted and sentenced
to he hanged February 2lst. 1886. his
lawyers managed to find enough legal
loopholes to postpone the execution un-
IN to-day Durrant was sentenced
rhree times. Friday, June nth, 1897,
n :
was to die, but by taking the case to
the highest State court, and finally to
the Supreme Court OF the United
states, he obtained n reprieve. Twice
the case was carried before the highest
court In the land and strong pressure
was also brought to bear on Governor
budd to commute the sentence.
Durrant was never tried for the muir
der OF Miss Williams, but the evidence
of his guilt was as conclusive as In the
Lamont case. Miss Williams lived in
A'neda, and on the afternoon she was
murdered Durrant was seen to meet
her at the ferry and board a west
Mound car. She came to this CITY for
the purpose of attending an entertain
ment TO be given by the church in tho
evening, and It Is supposed that when
Durrant met her he made an appoint
ment before going to the entertain
w
went to the home OF a friend i'm this
city. and ut I:30 o'clock started for
the entertainment Half an hour later
she was seen standing in front of
Emanuel Baptist church talking 40
Durrnnt. She was never seen again
alive. At $3.50 that night Durrant ar
rived at the residence of Mrs. Voeel.
wTiere the entertainment was being
given. with flushed face and n highly
il
shown to toilet room in order that
ne might wash his hands and later
asked that the person who directed him
should say nothing about the Incident.
When he was arrested at Mt Dlnblo.
MISS Williams purse was found In his
oVercoat pocket. Durrant snid he
found the purse on the sidewalk while
going home from the entertainment.
tie was seen in the vicinity of tho
church at II o'clock that night, and it
Is supposed that he went back TO the
'sErnry where he had strangled Miss
Williams and finding her breathing
teehly, cut her wrists and forced part
1t her clothing down her throat The
theory Of the prosecution has ALWAYS
been that Durrant murdered Miss VIII
lia,ns to conceal the murder OF Miss
Lamont. The two young women were
ncIuaintances, and Durrant suspected
That Miss Williams believed he knew
something about the disappearance of
Miss Lamont.
Eight other murderers are confined IN
san Quentin. They were all prepared
% follow the same t3ccica for DELAY
adopted by Du-art's lawyers hut now
that the ca0ir:s have shown that 1t Is
possible TO hang murderer In Callfor-
MIA they have given up hope.
Washington, d. c.. Jan. almost
Nature makes the cures