The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-08-30
BY Walter S. Fulton

=
IS the FIRST article Of Euison's series
BY Walter
A YOUNG man. pale but collected. |
4 \ stood before the Judgment bar
for sentence In tho year 1895. In the
city OF san Francisco.
lie was William Henry Theodore
purrant. "a. convicted OF the murder
of Blanche Lamont. 81. The girls
nude body had been found on the I'D /
OF April IN the hclfry OF the Baptist
Emmanuel church. The murder was
especially asrocious and cruel. and had
aroused In the minds OF the people
sense OF horror and overwhelming /
bitterness The girls excellent char
acter enhanced the revengefui tend.
ency OF tho community.
Durrants social position added to
tho sensation. lilo was a brother OF
Maud Allan and conspicuous figure
In the clty's life.
From the moment OF his arrest.
tho defendant had protested his In.
nocencc. But his plea had been ut
terly crushed under the heel OF adj
verse sentiment. Able and eloquent
pleas OF counsel were OF no avail.
The Jury failed TO take into consid.
GRAFTON tho admirable character Of
the prisoner az the bar.
HE HEARS SENTENCE
WITH COURAGE
Now he stood up for sentence with |
courage and resignation. lie listened 1
to tho solemn words:
There to, be hanged by tho neck |
until you are dead. and may God
have mercy on your SOUR
lie was led away TO the condemned Z
cell. circumstantiai evidence had
convicted him. II was n strong
chain OF circumstantlai evidence.
moreover--strongcr than that upon
which many persons have becn
hanged.
Upon examination of irrespective
Jurors on their volr dire as TO wheth-
er or not they entertain such con.
scientious scrupies against capital
punishment as would preclude Thorn
from finding a defendant guilty OF
murder Of the first degree when the
penalty Of tho crime was death. We 1
frequently hear this response:
II could not vote for verdict OF
guilty on eircumstantiai evidence"
CIRCUMSTANCES
ALL AGAINST HIM
This attitude. OF course. disausii. I
fled them from duties "a jurors. II
Ia legal ground for challenge. But
Il would seem from a study OF court
reports that our annals OF crimtnol-
ogy arc replctc with instances jusu' |
flying the rcluctancs 20 convict .
prisoner on circumstnnsiai. evidence.
The Durrant case turned out 10 be |
striking example Of this kind.
The circumstances were soifdiy ar |
rayed against tho accused man.
These were the facts upon which he |
was convicted:
/. ON the morning Of Aprii
Blanche left for school and. never TO
turned home.
:. She had a meeting with Dur
rant before she Joined her classes
that morning. Several people saw |
them together.
9. Her body. nude and dccompos-
ling. wax found 10 days later on the |
top landing OF the bc!fry OF the Zap |
| list Emmanuel church. According 20
medical experts life had been extinct !
for approximately two weeks. max |
ing IL the date she left home for |
school. An autopsy Of the corpse re
veaied finger nail ineisious upon the |
left side and right side OF the throat |
strangulation was the cause Of
death. A search brought 10 light
the girls clothing and school books !
In secluded part Of the bclfry.
HAD KEY
TO CHURCH
4. Durrant had key TO the side
entrance of tho church. was familiar
with the building and premises. and
was frequent visitor.
s. He denied that he had seen
Blanche Lamont on the afternoon OF
the srd OF April. or communicated
with her since she entered her class
room Mt the morning session Of
school. To substnntiate his state
ment he presented an aiibi showing
that on tho afternoon OF the 3rd Of
April he had attended the medical
college. where he was n student. pro.
ducing several classmates as wit
nesses at the trial.
9. Mary vogci. who lived across
the street from the school which
Blanche was attending. testified at
tho trial that she saw Durrant a
| little after p. m. OF the afternoon
OF the Ord OF April in front OF the
school house. walking up and down.
apparently in waiting.
| 7. Minnie Edwards testified that
she accompanied Blanche Lamont
from school that afternoon and that
they were Joined by Durrant at the
corner.
SAW THEM
ON CAR
8. Alice Dorgan testified that she
saw Blanche Lamont and Durrant on
n street car on the afternoon OF the
Ord OF April.
.. Elizabeth crossett testified that
she saw the defendant on a street
car on Valencia st.. In company with
n young woman whom she did not
know.
10 Caroline LeaI,e. who lived op.
positc the church. testified that she
saw Durrant and a young woman
pass thru the gate into the church.
yard about 4:30 OF this afternoon.
il. George King. n member OF the
church. testified that AT 5 o'clock on
this afternoon he entered the church
and as he started TO play on the pi.
ano. the defendant came thru the
folding doors OF the rear and stood
| pazinp at him. that Durrant was