The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-31


 ' Theodore Durant enticed two girls Into the Emanuel Baptist church in San Francisco and murdered thcm. The mutilated body of Minnie Williams was discovered in the library of the church on April B, and the fol- lowing day the body of Blanche Lamont was discovered in the belfry of the church. It was evidently the work of the same murderous hand and Durant, was placed under arrest.
 The girls were members of the Eman- uel church, and were 21 years of age and pretty Both had been receiving at tcntions from Durant. who was the libra rian of the church. Miss Lamont had dis appeared on April 3, and dfligent search was being made for her. The last per son seen in her company was Durant Miss Williams was killed just 10 days later. Both girls had been stranged Durant was g years of age and resided in the neighborhood. He was a dental student.
 Theodore Durant was formally charged April IS. He at once made preparations to defend himself by appointing General Dickinson as his counsel. On April l9 t!.e coroner's jury investigating the case returned verdict charging Durant with the murder.
 The reason the coroner's jury first took up the Williams was that they felt they had the best evidence against Du- rant as to her murder, for they had found a pocketbook in his possession be- longing to Minnie Williams The prelim- mary trial of Durant begun April g and vas continued for several days, when murder was formally charged against him. The pastor of the church. the Rev John George Gibson, was a witness at this trial, and at one time the defend- ants lawyers tried to place the crime upon him.
 On April 20 Durant was arraigned for the murder of Blanche Lamont and it was for this crime that he was event. ually found guilty, and the murder of the Williams girl was only incidentally brought into the trial It was brought out that Durant had murdered the Will liams girl in order to coAceal the murder of Miss Lamont, for he believed that she knew something of the disappearance of her friend.
 The regular trial of the case was be- gun on July 22 1895. and was one ef the most celebrated in the history of criminal Jurisprudence. It was continued without interruption until November L Close to 1Do taesmen were examined before the required P Jurymen could be obtained. It was six weeks after July % before any evidence could be taken
 The evidence througnout was circum- stantial, but when taken together formed chain so strong as to admit of no reasonable doubt. The case was submit ted to the jury on the afternoon of No- vomber l and they were only out 20 min tues before they brought in a verdict of guilty. A few days later Judge Murphy sentenced the prisoner to be hanged on February 2l, 1896.
 Then began a fight for delay vigor- ously maintained for almost 20 months, net even ceasing with the execution of the death sentence. Durant appealed from the Judgment to the supreme court, but hin appeal was not perrected for many months. It was August l, 1896, before the bill of exceptions and the transcript of testimony reached the supreme court. The case was then placed on the calen- dGr for the following October.
 The supreme court affirmed the deci- sion of the superior court on March 8, 1s9., and within 10 days the prisoners attorneys filed petition for a rehearing. On the following April 10 Durant was