The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-20
LIGHT ON DURANT CRIME
REV. j. CUNNING SMITH REVEALS
SOME STARTLING EVIDENCE.
Saw Medical student Leave the San
Francisco Church Night Of
the Murder.

Rev. ]. Cumming Smith, pastor of the
Tabernacle Church, for the first time throws
light on the famous Durant crimes In San
Francisco. several years ago. which shows
almost conclusively that the young med
ical student murdered Blanche Lamont in a
Baptist church in that city. At the very
hour liked on by the police theory. when
Theodore Durant butchered the young girl,
Mr.. Smith, who was then a San Francisco
pastor, saw him come out OF a side door
to the church with an expression on his
face almost impossible TO describe. Mr..
Smith afterwards became Durant's spirit
ual adviser and this publication is the first
intimation he has ever given of what he
could have testified to at the famous trial.
That Theodore A. Durant was guilty OF
the crime of numbering Blanche Lamont Is
the firm opinion of Mr.. Smith. For several
years Durant was a prominent member
of Mr.. Smiths church. in San Francisco,
and he was captain of the Boys Brigade
In the church. About a year and a half be-
fore the murder for which he was hanged
Durant left Mr.. Smiths church and at
tended the Baptist church in which the
murders occurred. He was active in every
form of church work and stood high in
the community, but in spite OF this, Mr..
Smith believes that Durant committed the
crime for which he suffered the extreme
penalty of the law.
The crime of Durant aroused interest in
every part Of the country and in no case
has every technicality and possibility Of
escape by legal means been taken 50 full
advantage Of as in his case. His attorneys
succeeded in having the case transferred
from the state courts to the United States
courts and Ii finally reached the United
States Supreme Court. Every means was
exhausted TO save his life, but it was un-
availing. and he was finally executed in
the California penitentiary, at San Quentin,
on the first charge of murder, while there
was another charge of murder hanging over
his head should he escape conviction for the
murder of Blanche Lamont.
BECAME HIS SPIRITUAL ADVISER.
When Durant was first arrested he
turned from the pastor of the church in
which 1t was charged the crimes had been
committed to his former pastor, Mr.. Smith,
and he asked that he be sent for to act
as his spiritual adviser. The request was
complied with and from the time Durant
was first arrested until he was finally exc
cuted Mr.. Smith was an almost daily Wis
itor at his cell. The murder aroused the
greatest interest and Mr.. Smith visited the
church in which the crimes were committed.
He visited the church a short time after
the murders were discovered and saw the
blood stains on the beams and rafters OF
the belfry where the body was laid. At the
time he visited it the blood was almost
warm" said Mr.. Smith. He was thorough
ly familiar with all the details of this, one
of the greatest crime of the century,
SAW DURANT EMERGE.
Mr.. Smith knew Durant well from his fire.
| quent association with him in the work OF
his " church. Durant was convicted
largely on circumstantial evidence, and, ac-
| cording to the police theory. the crime was
committed at a certain hour. At the time
which 1t was the theory Of the prosecution
| that the crime was committed, Mr.. Smith
was walking by the church on the opposite
| side of the street. Suddenly, and without
any known reason. he stopped and looked
up at the church. He was thinking deeply
| and his thoughts had no relation to the
church across the street. AS he looked up he
saw Durant sneak out Of the gate and dowr
the street along the stone wall which IN
closed the grounds of the church. The
look which Durdnt gave me" said Mr.
| Smith, was one which frightened me al
the time, and one that / will never forget
1 IL NdS SUCH a LOOK DIS a. pet lux vi Cdl SlNCs
when his owner catches him In the act Of
stealing a piece of meat. He looked at me
steadily for a moment and then skulkeC
down the street and down a side street
| without speaking to me. That time wa:
the very hour, and almost minute, at which
1t was charged he had completed the murder
and disposition of the body, and at which
| re was supposed to leave the church.
know that he did leave the church at the
hour at which Ii was charged he did, anC
i am satisfied in my own mind that he com
mitted the crimes that were charged tC
him."
Durant. said Mr.. Smith, was a cold. an
alytical type or a man. From the time M
was first arrested until he was finally exc
cuted Mr.. Smith was lis constant attend
ant. The day after Durant was sentencet
to be hanged. Mr.. Smith visited him in full
expectation of having TO comfort him anC
offer him spiritual support. Instead OF find
ing a man in the depths of despair. he founC
made against him. "Durant," said Mr.
Smith. pointed out the strong points mad
again nsn,6 him py T the prosecuting prose ut attorneys
was a strong one. wasn't 1t? He argued
that a little too strongly to preserve tn
effectiveness of il. but il was a good point
Now this was a fine point against me tina
he might have made a little stronger, am
II would have counted more against me. bu
there is another point he only touched OF
that might have been made powerful
against me. 1t was a fine argument H
discussed the argument and the case as |
he was the least concerned man in the worl'
about it. Durant, to my mind. was
typical degenerate. That is all that coul'
be said about him. He seemed TO have m
feeling whatever"
Warden w. Z. Hale. who was in charg
of the prison at San Quentin, and who ex
ecuted Durant. made 1t the rule when h
took the position never to hang a man I'm
less he was personally satisfied that tn
man was guilty of murder. He was sum
moned to Washington when Durant's cas-
was pending in the Supreme Court, an
while East stated to a relative that he no
only had no doubt that Durant was guilt,
of the crime charged against him, but tina
from his personal Investigations he was sat
isfied Durant had killed many other girls.
II do not doubt it." said Mr.. Smith whel
told OF II. 'for ] never saw anyone who wa
so cold-blooded. The manner in which tina
crime was committed. the carrying of tina
girls body Up in the belfry and laying |
out In the same manner as a medical stu
dent would, were strong circumstance
against Dur1nt. Then to think of him climb
ing further up in the belfry and hiding tn
clothing Is awful. and shows what a cold
blooded and calculating fellow he was"
An immense amount OF none was spen
in the defense OF Durant, and 1t wa
ex-Nayor Sutro, of San Francisco. 1t wa
proven at the time that Sutro furnishe,
money for his defense. but IL was elaine
that Il was because of Sutro's admiration
for the voice OF Durant's sister, who's
musical education he had furthered fnan
cially. The charge that Durant was a so
of Sutro's Mr.. Smith hardly accepts. Will
he believes IL to have been probable tina
Sutro did furnish money for the defense.
FREIGHT ENEINES C0I