The Washington times., 1904-03-05
DURAND ASSERTS
HE WAS ROBBED
Story Told by New Orleans
Lawyer to Police.
HIS CLIENT IS SUSPICIOUS
Woman With Legal Business i'll the
City Complains of Actions Of
Her Attorney.

Captain Boardman this morning re-
ceIved repcrS of an alleged hold-up said
to have occurred about ) O'Clock last
night at Sixth and f Streets north
west. in which William j. Durand. of
New Orleans. says he figured as a vic
tim. The police place little credence in
the report
Durand Is a lawyer from the Crescent
City. He came here on Thursday after
noon with Mrs. Martha Morgan, a
client. 20 file brief in a case before
the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mrs. Morgan says Durand demanded OF
her SEQ as a retainer. Durand says he
was held up and relieved OF the 500 last
evening
Mrs. Morgan's story to the detectives
lead to Durand being summoned to Po-
lice Headquarters to give an account
Of himself. According TO Mrs. Nor
gan's story land grafters" in New
Orleans cheated her out of two of her
lots IN that city. and she employed sew
eral lawyers at various times to take
the case to several tribunals in Louisi-
ana.
Appealed the Case.
Finally she decided TO take the case
TO the Supreme Court of the United
States. employing Durand. and promis-
ing him 500. He demanded $500. she
says. and would not leave New Orleans
until she gave him a check for that
amount. They eft New Orleans on
Tuesday and arrived here on Thursday.
He went to the National Hotel and ST .
obtained a sms room at 412 Sixth Street
northwest
Yesterday the lawyer and client had
! a en-
where Mrs. Morgan was to sit and hear
the barrister plead the case to the judges
on the bench. She says she sat In the
court room from o'clock in the morn
ing until court adjourned. but he did not
put In appearance. She left a note at
his hotel yesterday afternoon. and about
O'Clock he stopped by her house to see
/ her. He informed her that he was in
! the clerks Office all the time she
was In the court room. and that was the
reason she did not see him After re-
maininS at the hCCse about a quarter of
an hour he left. saying he would con-
unue his work In court today.
Declared He Was Robbed.
About half an hour after leaving the
| house. Mrs. Morgan. who is a woman
about forty-five years old. and Of much
! learning. says the lawyer came to her
again. highly excited. and informed her
that he had been held up. My God, -
he is credited with saying. two bucl
negroes held me up right here at the
corner. and took all the mono; I had
III have to borrow money - get home
with" he continued. Mrs Morgan saws
he was for going home Immediately and
taking her papers with him. but she
said no. No settlement was reached
last night, and he went to his hotel
Becoming suspicious. she says. Mrs
Morgan went TO Police HEADQUARTERS
and entered complaint against Durand
When Captain Boardman heard her
story he sent a detective TO bring Du
rand to Police Headquarters There Du-
rand told the captain that a youna
woman held him up, and after tick
ing his ribs took $40 from him Did
| she get all you had?' asked the captain
| NO, replied the lawyer. Il had 500 de.
/ posted at the National Hotel with the
/ cashier. Later Durand Is alleged tc
/ have said that he did not have any more
/ money here, and would have to borrow
1 railroad fare.
Mrs. Morgan insisted to the police
/ that the man had not been held up
I but she was being held up by him al
/ present, and his tale Of the hold u
was a hoax to get more money from
her. She was referred to Attorney
/ Robert Hume. Of the local bar and
| the case will probably be Strengthened
/ out.