The San Francisco call., April 18, 1895, Page 5, Image 5

About The San Francisco call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

CLEWS STILL LEAD TO THEODORE DURRANT.
He Tried to Entice An
other Girl Into the
Church.
TOLD AT THE INQUEST.
Cries Heard in the Structure
the Night of Miss Wil
liams' Death.
FOOTPRINTS IN THE DTJST.
Impressive Scenes at the Funeral.
The Prayer Meeting— New
Theories.
The mystery that was born in the crime
stained church on Bartlett street, and the
monster who was its father are stili the
topics that crowd all others in the public
mind. Durrant is still regarded :>s the
central figure in the awful crime, but there
are many who believe that if he sinned he
did not sin alone. The police are still toil
ing indefatigably on this case that was
celebrated before it was twenty-four hours
old. The blood-st3ined tabernacle has
been searched from foundation to roof for
more evidence, but more was not found
there yesterday. Stalwart policemen
guarded the structure, and Pastor Gibson
and Janitor Sadcman went in and out.
Sademan had little to say, and the minis
ter would not talk. He tried to have the
police keep reporters out of the building,
and failing in the attempt refused to talk
to the newspaper men.
The policeman who sat at the door
thought with a sinking heart of the long
hours of the night that he would be com
pelled to spend in the deserted building,
and deplored the fact that the Police Com
missioners would not permit their subordi
nates to gather courage from the exhilarat
ing glass.
Among the important developments of
the day was the finding of a woman who
says she heard shrieks in the church at 10
o'clock on the night of Miss Williams'
murder. At that hour Durrant was at Dr.
Yogel's house, and if the girl was mur
dered then he is innocent of her death. A
policeman was found who measured the
footprints on the dusty floor of the belfry
where Blanche Lamont's body was found.
He said that the prints of a man's and a
: Xvmnan's shoes were found there, and the
prints of the former of a No. 8 shoe, and
that is not Durrant's size.
Minnie Williams' body was taken to
Laurel Hill Cemetery and placed in a vault.
Prosecuting Attorney Barnes will have the
coffin opened and the face of the dead girl
photographed this morning. Blanche La
mont's body was sent to Dillon, Mont., to
be buried there. The Coroner's inquest
was resumed, but was not concluded.
PILING UP EVIDENCE.
Some Strong Testimony Which
Was Given Against the
Prisoner.
W. IT. Theodore Durrant was not present
• •when the Coroner's jury was called to order
yesterday morning. Dr. Hawkins was a
little indignant, and at once issued a sum
. inons to appear and bring the body of the
. prisoner with him. The Chief at once
obeyed the order, and in a short space of
time the accused was in attendance in the
•custody of the Chief himself. He was
much more composed than on the previous
occasion, and listened to the testimony
with considerable interest. "When the
statement of Dr. Vogel in regard to his
proposal to Miss Turner was read the pris
oner was confused, and kept his eyes fixed
on the floor for a considerable time there
after.
The Rev. J. George Gibson was recalled
to the stand. Asked by the Coroner if he
had ever been in the belfry prior to the
murders, he answered emphatically "no."
Asked if he had been up there since, he
.answered, "Yes, on Monday, the 15th
inßt." He never heard or knew of Durrant
visiting the belfry, and never knew that
bloodstains had been found on the stairs.
According to his recollection Durrant had
been connected with the church since No
vember, 1892, and he became pastor in
Kovember, 1894. Durrant was assistant
superintendent of the Sunday-school.
The Coroner — Do you know anything
: further about the case?
Gibson — I would like to make an expla
nation. In my testimony yesterday I said
the clothing on the body had not been
touched before the Coroner's deputy ar
rived. I was mistaken. Mrs. None drew
the clothes down a little, and Dr. King
drew them down still further. I did not
know it was Miss Minnie Williams at the
time. I only met her three times in mv i
life, and the iast time was Friday, March J
22, last. On that occasion I saw nor in the !
iv-school room, but did not know she
Was there until she spoke to me.
Q— Were you very intimate with Theo
Durrant? A.— Not very.
Q.— ls there a sleeping-room in the
church? A.— No, sir; there is no sleeping '
apartment. There is a lounge in a room
of my study which can be made into a
bed, but I never used it and I don't think
my one else has during my term as |
I never had a confidential talk with Miw
Williams as has been stated.
After identifying the knife, rags used
as a gag and a piece of wood used to push
the cloth into the girl's mouth the rev
erend gentleman was excused.
Mrs. A. B. Vov of 1707 Howard street, to
whose house M"iss Williams went on her
arrival from Alameda, testified in sub
stance as follows: "I never knew her to be
called anything else but Minnie. The last
tune I saw her was on Friday, the 12th
inst. She left my house before 8 o'clock,
stating tnat she was going to Dr. Vogel's,
on the corner of Twenty - second and
Howard. She didn't say that she was
.going to Dr. Vogel's, and it is only surmise
.on my part that that was her destination.
I never heard of Theodore Durrant and
never heard Minnie mention his name.
When she left my house she was dressed
in a blue skirt and a silk waist. She was
a splendid girl. One of the best I ever
knew."
Miss Florence A. Voy's testimony was
similar to that of her mother. The last
time she saw Minnie alive was a few min
utes before 8 o'clock on the 12th inst. Min
nie said she was g^oing to a Young People's
Society of Christian Endeavor social and
would a.sk to have her name taken off the
books. She owed a bill for dues, but while
It did not amount to much, still she came
to the conclusion that she could not bear
the expense. In answer to a question put
by a juror, the witness said Miss Williams
arrived at their house shortly before din
ner. They had that meal about 6:30 p. m.
K. A. Wolf, an accountant, i'Mi Twenty
thlrdxstreet, was the next witness. He did
not know anything at all about Miss Wil
liams. He may have met her, but did
not remember. The last time he saw Dur
rant was at a quarter to 12 last Friday, at
the corner of Twenty-fourth and Capp
streets. They were returning from the
party at Dr. Vogel's, and the witness re
| marked that he thought it would rain.
''I hope not," said Durrant, "because I
have to go to Mount Diablo at 4 :30 a. m.
with the Signal Service Corps."
Q-— "NVhat did you do after that? A.— l
took Miss Lord home, and then went to my
room and changed my clothes, preparatory
to going to the rancli. I wont to the cor
ner of Twenty-fourth street and Orange
alley, thinking" my horse would be there;
but, suddenly remembering I had not rid
den in, I ran toward the'ekctric line to
catch the last car. On the corner of
Twenty-fourth and Bartlett streets I saw a
man standing whom I thought was Theo
Durrant. I didn't pay any particular at
tention, as I was in a hurry, so I am not
positive it was Theo.
Q.— Where did you see Durrant first on
Friday evening? A.— At Dr. Vogel's. 2602
Howard street. I was at the business
moctingof the Christian Endeavor Society.
although not a member. Miss Marshall
! acted as secretary in the absence of Dur
rant. Dr. (iibson'was there when 1 arrived
and Durrant came after the business meet
ing was over and joined in onr amuse
ments. He arrived st y:.'sO 0r9:40 o'clock.
He was cheerful, and entered into the
spirit of the thing.
(^.— Did he enter the parlor at once
upon his arrival? A.— He did not. He
remained outside about five minutes.
One of the jurors wanted Durrant to put
on his hat and coat in order that \\ olf
| might identify him as the man he saw
' standing on the corner of Twenty-fourth
and Bartlett streets, but the Coroner said
it was not necessary.
Dr. T. A. Vogel, 2602 Howard street,
knew both Theodore Durrant and Minnie
Williams. The last time he saw the latter
alive was two weeks ago at a reception in
! the church. At that time she was mostly
i in the company of Miss Lord.
Q. — When did you last see Theo Durrant?
A. — At a meeting of the Christian En
! deavor Society at my house. Durrant was
! appointed secretary about three months
, ago. but he was not present at the business
! meeting. He arrived at the house about
9:30 v. y... and his face was then wet with
sweat and his hair was hanging down over
his forehead. He went into my office,
: washed his hands and brushed his hair
ami then joined the party in the parlor.
He did not seem excited and his clothes
w«-rt' not disarranged. After the meeting
j Durrant, I and some others went out to
: gether and at the corner of Twenty-fourth
; and Howard about 11 :30 p. M. we parted,
Mr. Wolf and Mr. Durrant going up
Twenty-fourth, while Miss Lord and I
went down Twenty-fourth.
Q. — Did Miss Williams get an invitation
jto the party? A.— l don't know. Mr.
! Durrant attended to that part of the busi
ness. As she was a member I think she
; did.
Vogel's statement made to the police
was then read to him. It was practically
the >ame as the foregoing, and he admitted
that it was correct.
The Coroner — Please pay attention to
this, doctor. The Coroner then read the
following:
Dr. T. A. Vogel, continuing his statement
; Sunday. April 14. at 1 p. m., said: That on
one occasion Mr. Durrant accompanied
Dr. Vogel's cousin from church about a
month asro. While in conversation Dur
rant broached the subject of Miss Turner
i being altticted with a female ailment and
suggested in a gentlemanly manner that
he would prescribe for her, and that he
! had some sure-cure medicine, which she
agreed to take. She took the medicine
and the effect was beneficial.
On a later occasion, one Sunday after
, noon after church, Durrant asked ber if
i she had ever been examined. She was
.-.hat surprised at his question and
; answered no. Durrant then said she
I ought to be and that he could do it. She
; told him indignantly that she did not
desire t<> he examined and that her folks
i could attend to that. He then told her
i there was no fear of detection as. he knew
! a good place in the church where no one
j would find it out. She was somewhat sur
prised at his statement and closed the
door of her house in his face, as hy that
time they had reached her home. Since
that time Miss Turner avoided his com
i pany.
The Coroner — Is that correct? A. — Yes,
sir, except that she closed the door in his
face. She simply walked in and closed the
I door. I know "nothine atrainst Durrant
! except what I have told you. I entered
| the church before the deputy Coroner and
i saw the knife on the dead girl's breast. I
j don't Know whether I touched the clothes
or not. On the second occasion I saw the
i gas and the stick. He recognized the girl
.' by the dress and skirt and a mole on her
, nick : also by her teeth.
Q. — Were you ever out with Durrant?
| A. — Only on one occasion. When Blanche
Lamont disappeared I went with him to
' Mr. Noble to offer our assistance.
C. I. Hills, 203>5 Bartlett, saw a man and
i woman enter the Emmanuel Baptist
Church the night Minnie Williams wa.s
murdered. After stating that he knew
neither Minnie Williams nor Theodore
Durrant, he testified as follows: "On the
evening of April 12 (Friday} I came out of
i niv house at 8:15, and stood on the corner
I of" Bartlett and Twenty-third streets.
There was a man standing on the corner
opposite to me. He went down the road
I and met a short girl, and the pair started
I off as quick as they could walk. The
woman came from the direction of Twen
i ty-second street, and they met near the
i lamppost. The man had a dark overcoat
I on, which went to his knees or a little be
low; his trousers were neither light nor
dark— more of a dark— and I think he had
j a soft hat on. Tne hat, I think, had a
round crown.
"The couple seemed very friendly. When
they met he took her by the arm and they
walked rapidly over to the church, and
passing through the gate went down the
[alley. I waited there a few minutes and
I then went away. I don't know whether
{they could get "into the church from the
1 alley or not. I never was in the church
! until the police officers took me through
it. The woman was a small, well-built
person, and at first I thought it was my
! wife. I don't know what her clothes were
| like. Slit: wore a cape and her skirt was of
■ some dark material."
A. C. Williams, father of the murdered
: girl, was the next witness. The last time
j he saw his daughter was on Friday, April
| 5, at about 11 o'clock. She came over early
| in onler to bring him some flowers and keep
an appointment at Thors', where she was
to have her photograph taken.
Q. — What was your daughter's name?
A.— Her true name was Minnie Elora Wil-
Q.— Did your daughter ever speak of
Durrant?— A.— Yes, she spoke of him
| several times. She was on friendly terms
with him. They were what you might
call keeping company. His mother ob
jected to Minnie for some reason or other.
JAt a social given in Durrant's house
j Minnie and Theo went upstairs and had a
! pleasant chat, and 1 don't think Mrs.
i Durrant liked it. The escapade was an
! innocent one, for Minnie was as innocent,
and guileless as a baby. Later Minnie told
me that Durrant was not altogether
straight. A girl had told her something
that aroused her suspicion?.
Minnie's purse was shown the witness
and he at once identified it. He gave it to
her last December as a Christmas present.
Miss Miriam Lord of S4« Capp street said
she had known Minnie Williams for three
or four years. The last time she saw her
was when they went together to the recep
tion tendered the Rev. Mr. Gibson by the
Young People's Society of Christian En
deavor.
y.— What do you know about the finding
of the body? A.— Mrs. Nolte, Miss Berry
Miss Stevens and myself met in the church'
The door was open," as it generally is on a
Saturday. We went into the library and
opened the closet door to look at the books
We didn't recognize the body and were so
scared that Miss Stevens and I ran home
/«- do «T., k ,? ow anvthin S ab °«t the death
of Miss Williams," testified Miss Catherine
D. Stevens of "2726 Howard. "Mrs. Nolte
and I went to the church to see about the
decorations for Easter Sunday. Mrs. Nolte
is not a member of oar church and she
wanted to see our library. W r hen we got
into the loom she looked around and said:
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1895.
'It's a nice enough place, but it's funny
you've got no books.' I said, 'Here are
the books," and opened the closet door. I
then saw the body and did not stop an in
stant, but ran out."
Harry E. Snook of 2429 Mission, in an
swer to questions, said he had known Min
nie Williams about three months and The
odore Durrant about three years. He never
saw them in company.
Q.— What do you know about the finding
of the body? A.— The Rev. Mr. Gibson
and Dr. King came to me and wanted to
know what they should do in the circum
stances. I told them the only course open
to them was to notify the Coroner and the
police. I telephoned for them and then
went to the church. The body was lying
on the floor. One leg was bent under the
other, the dress was up to her knees, her
bodice was ripped open and a broken knife
was lying on her breast.
Q.— Could you tell if there had been a
scuffle? A.— l could not. There were
some marks, but not enough to account for
a struggle.
At this point Chief Crowley came in and
took a seat near the prisoner!
James Sademan, the lr>-year-old son of
the janitor of the church, was the next wit
ness. It was while he was cleaning the
church last Saturday that he noticed the
lock on the library door was broken. The
lock was put on so as to keep the witness
and others from meddling with the books.
The door was open about an inch, but the
closet door was closed.
(^. -Who have keys to the church? A.—
My father has a key and I use his. Mr.
Gibson has one and Mr. Durrant has an
other. I saw Mr. Durrant many times in
the church. He was there the" Saturday
before Miss Williams was kil-led. George
Kinrr was with hifn. Mr. Durrant was as
sistant superintendent of the Sunday
school.
Q.— Did any women come alone to the
church? A. — Miss Turner used to cone
there to fix flowers for the following Sun
day. When the body was found the
young ladies came out screaming. They
asked me if I had put a wax figure in the
closet and I said no. They then warned
me not to go near the place or I would get
a big scare. I didn't hear any noise in the
church that morn-ing at all.
Sergeant W. F. Burke told a straightfor
ward connected story: "Saturday last be
tween the hours of'l and 2 I received a
message that a Dr. Gibson was dissecting
a young wo lan in his office," said he. "I
thought it was some physician who was
holding an autopsy. I went along Bart
lctt street and saw a crowd arounctthe Em
manuel Baptist Church. I went in, exam
ined the body, saw the wounds and the
gag and noted all the circumstances.
"On Sunday morning I went to Mrs.
Durrant's house in company with Shanna
han and Josephs. We examined all his
clothing, and having orders from the Chief
took possession of his overcoat and hat.
Mrs. Durrant wanted to go through the
pockets first, but I said I would do the
searching. In the inside pocket on the
left side I found a purse, and opening it
found a car ticket. That is the purse I
found in the pocket."
The purse in question is the one that has
been identified as belonging to Miss Wil
liams.
Lila Berry of 512 Twenty-second street
was another of the quartet who discovered
the body. She described the broken luck,
the position of the body, and told how she
screamed, ran out and went home and told
her mother.
Clarence M. Wolf of 630 Twenty-third
street has known Durrant for five years.
The last time he saw him was between 6:30
and 7 a. m. last Saturday. "Durrant said
something about an article in the Examiner
about Blanche Lamont. I don't remem
ber what it was. When I saw him first he
was coming along the street."
Q. — Was he coming from the^church?
A. — I don't think so. I think he was
coming from the blacksmith's shop. He
seemed anxious to get his horse, as he had
to join his comrades at the armory.
William A. Frodsham, assistant in the
armory at 25 Page street, said he was at
the armory from 7:30 Friday night until
the signal corps left, and he did not see
Durrant except when he was going away.
The whole battery was drilling, but Dur
rant was absent. Still he might have been
there and the witness not know it.
At this point an adjournment was taken
until to-morrow at 9 a. m., when the in
quest will be completed.
STORIES OF SCREAMS
The Police Looking for Women
Who Heard Faint Shrieks
In the Church.
The police are trying to find the women
who on the night of Minnie Williams'
murder heard agonized screams that came
faintly from within the church.
The report that screams were heard that
night is one of the bits of evidence that the
police have but are not saying anything
about. This was one of the things fol
lowed by the detectives during the last
three days, but they do not appear to have
found anything of definite importance
concerning the interesting report. They
are still looking for the women who heard
the screams.
Dr. John Townsend, whose office is at
Twenty -first and "Valencia streets, re
ported this matter at police headquarters
last Monday. His information came from
a young lady living in that neighborhood
whose mother is one of his patients. When
he called at the house of his patient last
Monday the young lady told him that she
had heard a "woman who was a stranger
to her telling about hearing screams.
The young lady had stopped with the
crowds that collected on the street about
the church last Sunday, and conversation
was naturally lively in the crowd. People
did not wait for an introduction to thos«
around them before asking questions and
expressing opinions. In the little knot of
women in which the young lady happened
to be was a middle-aged woman who told
those about her that at about 10 o'clock on
the night the murder happened her servant
girl went out the back door and came in
quickly, saying that she heard screams.
The woman went out and at once heard
two or three sounds that appeared like
stifled shrieks of agony in the direction of
the church near by. Then all was still.
"To think," the woman had said, "that I
should have heard the screams!"
The girl who told Dr. Townsend of what
she had heard described the woman as one
of middle age, rather large, with a pleasant
face and wearing a plush cape. She in
ferred from what the woman said that she
had a son and a daughter.
Dr. Townsend reported the young lady's
story at police headquarters that day, but
the police have not found the middle-aged
woman.
Who the lady is who told this interesting
story on the sidewalk could not be learned
in the neighborhood last night. It is but
natural that vague rumors about screams
should get started, and one lady was found
who said that some strange woman had
told her that she had heard a girl say that
screams had been heard on Friday night.
The young lady whose story went to the
police is one of reliability and culture and
(here is no doubt that the woman she de
scribed told the story she repeated, what
ever it may or may not amount to.
Another interesting story is told by Mrs-.
William Minear of 325 Twenty-fourth
street, who heard that Mrs. McGreevy,
wife of the police officer who lives next
door to the church, heard a sound between
8:40 and 9 o'clock that was like the break
ing open of a door in the church. This is
about the hour that the library door is sup
posed to have been broken open and Min
nie Williams murdered. Sirs. Minear's
story is as follows :
On last Monday I aan over to see Mrs. Mc-
Greevy, who is the only woman I know about
there, and Mrs. McUreevy told me that she
heart! a noise that Rounded like somebody
bursting opeu a door. It was about half-past &
or 9 o'clock, I believe, and she was in bed
then. The house is right next to the church,
and Mrs. Mcfireevv's bed and window is on
that side of the house. She said bhe didn't
know what it was, but somehow or other it
made Her nervous, and she broke out into a
strange perspiration. She said she didn't say
anything about it to her hii'tinnd, because he
would say that she was superstitious.
Mrs. McGreevy, however, last night told
a different story.
"That wasn't what I said at all," she
said. "I said that I heard something that
night that sounded like a knock and ap
peared to be a strange noise, but it was
after 1 o'clock in the morning and my
husband had come home. There is noth
ing in the story."
IN THE BELFRY DUST.
Footprints Made by No. 9
Shoes— Durrant Wears
No. 6.
It has been said, and again denied, that
when the officers found the body of
Blanche Lamont they also found footprints
in the dust on the belfry floor and they
measured them. A police officer who is
in a position to know, but whose name for
obvious reasons is withheld, said yester
day:
"The officers did find those footprints.
They measured them and found, as stated,
that they were made by a man wearing a
No. Bor a No. 9 shoe. As Durrant's shoe
is a No. 5 or 6 it will not lit the tracks, and
for that reason those fellows down at the
City Hall are subordinating that circum
stance. They know they have got to catch
and hang somebody for these murders. I
don't believe Durrant is the guilty man.
Don't use my name, though, for if you do
I'll lose my job."
THE FUNERAL.
An Impressive Sermon by the
Pastor of the First Baptist
Church.
At no time in the history of the First
Baptist Church was there such a congre
gation as assembled there yesterday after
noon at 2 o'clock to take part in the ser
vice held over the remains of the unfortu
nate girl, Minnie E. Williams.
Long before the appointed time a crowd
of men, women and children, all eager to
gain admittance into the sacred edifice,
assembled on Eddy street, and it required
the police to keep them from forcing their
way into the building. Finally one of the
doors was opened and the people went in
until every seat was tilled. Then the door
was closed and the announcement was
made that there was no more room. Still
that did not satisfy those who were on the
sidewalk and the street. Many women at
tempted to force their way over the railing
in front of the main entrance to enter by
the side. So persistent were they that the
officers were placed on the defensive and
were forced to push back the crowd.
When the funeral cortege, consisting of a
white hearse, containing the flower-covered
white casket came in the police had to
clear the crowd and open a passageway to
allow the pall-bearers to enter the church.
The pall-bearers were: Dr.Vogel, George
Underwood, Clarence Wolf, George R.
King, W. S. Bowker and Truman Cald
well. They placed the casket on trestles
in front of the altar. The church was strewn
with hundreds of callas.
Shortly after 2 o'clock the organist in
toned a sweet melody and the Rev. M. P.
Boynton, acting pastor, followed by the
Rev. .1. George Gibson appeared on the
platform.
Rev. Mr. Boynton read Psalm LIX, com
mencing, " Deliver me from mine ene
mies, 0 my God; defend me from them
that rise against me," and this was fol
lowed by the reading of the fourteenth
chapter of the gospel according to St. John.
The prayer that followed moved many
of the congregation to tears.
Mrs. King, mother of George R. King,
the organist of Emmanuel Church, ren
dered, "I am nearer my home to-day than
ever I've been before," as a solo, in a
most impressive manner, her son pre
siding at the organ.
Rev. Mr. Boynton then said:
This is a most unusual crime. It is to be
hoped that a lesson may be drawn from this
terrible tragedy. It is not my purpose to en
large upon the horror that has shocked the
city. There has been a fearful period ot terror
in "this dty. In the dead of night an unknown
fiend entered a drugstore and stabbed to death
the young man in charge. That crime, so
horrible, shocked the city to the very center.
An officer was shot down by a bandit on a
commonwealth highway. Who were their
murderers? The echo answers who ? A citi
zen from the interior visits this city and on
one of the public streets is attacked by two
highwaymen, and because, like the courageous
limn that, he was, he resisted and tcame
near paying with his life for having
made that defense; two men meet in a
crowded street, and having had a quarrel, one
is fatally shot down. A schoolgirl leaves Bcbool
and disappears. A search was made for her.
but no one could teli where she was. We know
now. Another young lady leaves her home for
the church to" which she belonged, but she
never reached her destination. Her remains
are here.
Every effort that can be made should be
made to discover and punish the perpetrators
of these horrible crimes, and no stone should
be left unturned in the effort to discover the
murderer. We should back the authorities,
and every citizen should make the officers feel
that he is their friend and help them in every
way.
There have been reigns of terror, but Pan
Francisco has her reiirn of horror. We hold
our breath and the heart almost ceases to beat
when we think of all this. Yet, while we con
template all this, we should remember those
who have been afflicted. We should remember
the mother of Blanche Lamont, the relatives of
Minnie Williams and the mother of the man
who is charged with these awful crimes and
pray ihatGod protect them.
He then said that this was a time of
physical fear, and that the wife was
anxious to know that the doors were
locked and the mother, when she kissed
her babes good night, retired with tears in
her eyes and a fear that something awful
might occur before the rising of another
sun.
These crimes, he said, were the work of
the devil, who is so pywerful that no one
alone could combat him. The fact that
the crimes were committed in a house ded
catcd to God, he said, would not affect
religion one iota. He continued:
Now I have a word of advice to Rive. Young
women of San Francisco, you cannot be too
careful of the company you keep. Every
young woman should say: "I will not go any
where, under any pretext whatever, unless
accompanied by my father or my brother. I
will not enter anyplace where there are. not
others." If the> would do that they would
raise themselves in the estimation of the whole
world.
"I do not lay any blame at the door of
the girl whose" remains are before us. She
was a sweet Christian. She fought against
the attack made on her and in so doing
lost her physical life, but God has given
her her reward."
The preacher expressed the hope that
the lesson of these terrible tragedies would
not be forgotton.
The' sermon was followed by a prayer,
and then the remains were taken to the
hearse and the large congregation riled out
of the church.
The remains were interred in Laurel Hill
Cemetery, where the remainder of the
simple service was conducted.
The Rev. Mr. Gibson remained a silent
spectator during the service in thechurcn.
The body was placed in the vault at the
cemetery, where it will be photographed
for District Attorney Barnes this morning.
STILL A MYSTERY.
No Trace of the Blood
stained Garments of the
Murderer.
The floor of the room in which Minnie
Williams was murdered is spotted and
splashed with blood, but on the carpet in
the library, into which thn only door in
the little chamber of horror opens, there is
not the faintest trace of gore. The carpet
is white and red ingrain and any stain
upon it would be visible.
There is a little camp stool in the room
in which the crime was committed and it
is thought that the murderer sat upon it,
umi after removing his shoes stepped
across the blooi and the body to the car
peted floor of the library and thus left no
stain.
It was thought that perhaps the mur
derer donned one of the baptismal robes
used in the church when he fell upon his
victims, but none of the robes are missing
and none are stained. A physician who is
studying the case thinks that the criminal
thrust the girl into the room, undressed in
the library and then attacked her.
IS BRIGHTENING UP.
Durrant Chats Pleasantly With
Many People Who Visit
Him.
People who imagined that Durrant
would break down in a day or two did not
know the caliber of the man. Instead of
showing any sign of weakness he becomes,
if possible, more composed and certainly
more cheerful.
Yesterday he greeted his friends with a
smile and chatted with them as pleasantly
and volubly as if he had been in the
church library instead of a cell in the City
Prison.
He strictly adhered to his resolution not
to speak to any one unless the permit with
the name of the visitor was first submitted
to him. The caller was not admitted to
the prison if Durrant intimated tiiat he
did not wish to see him or her. In this
way a large number of men and women
hart to go away disappointed at not beine
able to obtain entrance to the prison.
Among his caller? were a lady and
her daughter, Mrs. Thompson and Miss
Thompson. When their permit was handed
to him his face lighted up and he expressed
an eager desire to see them. He was al
lowed to leave his cell to talk to them, and
their greeting was effusive. They talked,
laughed and smiled for about half an hour,
and Durrant seemed to brighten up won
derfully after they left him. Besides his
mother they have been the only lady
friends who have called to see him.
Several medical students and some mem
bers of the Emmanuel Baptist Church
were also among his visitors yesterday.
They shook him warmly by the hand, each
in turn, and it had all the appearance of a
reception by some distinguished personage.
To illustrate the devices adopted to see
him, a lady and gentleman called at police
headquarters yesterday afternoon. They
told Detective Seymour that they lived
near the Normal School, and they mys
teriously hinted that if they could see
Durrani they might have something very
important to disclose. The detective took
them to the prison and Durrant was led
from his cell so they could have a good
look at him. They shook their heads and
said, "That isn't .the man." Itwasonlya
ruse to see the prisoner.
Durrant stilt complains bitterly that
Pastor Gibson has not called to see him.
"Is it not strange," said he. "that a min
ister of the gospel, who would naturally be
expected to be the first to call and see one
in my position, has studiously held himself
aloof. I cannot understand his conduct.
"The police are bending all their ener
gies to convict me and they are entirely
overlooking the fact that Dr. Gibson waa
the last one in the church last Saturday
before the body of Minnie Williams was
discovered.
"I had a good start of the police and if I
had been so inclined I could easily have
got away out of the State before they
knew of the murder. Does my conduct
look like that of a guilty man ?"
Shortly after 8 o'clock' last night Durrant
was taken to the detectives' room opposite
the Chief's office by Detectives Gioson and
Anthony. The Chief and all the detec
tives were in the room. Durrant was taken
into an inner room by Detectives Seymour
and Handley. They made him strip and
carefully examined his underwear and
clothes for marks of blood, but none could
be seen. Then they carefully examined
his body for any recent marks or scratches,
but the only one was the abrasion on his
chin, which he said he got in the brush at
Mount Diablo, but which Drs. Somers and
Berry thought was received earlier than
that. After Durrant was taken back to
the prison the Chief discussed with the de
tectives the different details of the two mur
ders.
Durrant had just got back to his cell
when his mother, accompanied by a lady
friend and Attorney Thompson, called to
sec him. They remained with him till 10
o'clock, the hour for all visitors to leave.
Both mother and son appeared brighter
than on any previous occasion since his
arrest, and their parting was loving and
affectionate. Shortly afteF they left Dur
rant retired for the night.
A DOCTOR'S THEORY.
The Mutilation of Miss Wil
liams' Body Done After
Death.
Dr. P. H. Shank of 923 Valencia street,
who visited the small bookroom yesterday,
is inclined to believe that the blood upon
the walls and floor came from post-mortem
wounds, and that the murderer mutilated
the body after she was dead from suffoca
tion.
"The bleeding would have been much
more profuse," said he, "if the victim had
been stabbed and hacked while living, and
this small apartment would have been
almost saturated, as the several arteries
in the head, breast and arms would have
spouted a perfect cataract in every direc
tion.
"As it is, only one big splash of blood
and a number of spatters can be seen on
the floor, because the girl being dead and
the circulation stopped there would be no
more contractibiiity, or, in other words,
the heart would cease to pump the red
arterial blood from the body, and only the
blue or black venous blood would drip
from the wounds.
"And, moreover, the splashes on the
walls were evidently thrown there and not
ejected from the wounds in the body, and
for what reason I cannot imagine, unless
to leave the impression that it was the
work of a lunatic or footpad, or to make
the deed as mysterious as possible. The
fact that Durrant was able to appear at
Vogel's party after the murder, presuming
that he is guilty, with no perceptible blood
stains on his clothing, looks as though
there was no struggle on the part of his
victim, and in consequence the murderer
was able to stab and stab and wrench his
knife around in the wounds, that bled
comparatively little, and get no blood on
himself.
"It is within the bounds of possibility
that the murderer, after gagging the girl
with a portion of her underclothing, went
to the party at Vogel's, knowing that he
was due and there was no blood on himself.
It is within the bounds of possibility that
Miss Williams' assailant, after choking her
into insensibility (as he had successfully
handled Blanche Lamont) had left her, as
he thought, dead, either in the library or
little room. He was due at ¥ogel's, and
must appear there in case an alibi would
be needed. So he hurried to the dentist's
house, arriving there at 9:45, perspiring
and untidy. At 11:55 the party broke up
and Durrani, having left Elmer Wolf near
Emmanuel Church some time after mid
night, went — where?
"Who may say he did not enter the
building again, and tinding his victim re
viving, finished his work with the case
knife; or, finding her dead, he attempted
to carry her into the belfry. Having
broken the knobs of the door, he procured
the chisel from the pastor's study and at
tempted to break open the door. It re
sisted his efforts and he returned non
plused to his little victim in the room be
low. Then the brutal idea of mutilating
her body came upon him, and it was found
in that condition. Not knowing when
death actually came to the little girl, we
may assume that she had not been dead
long when he attacked the remains with
the dull caseknife. These post-mortem
wounds would bleed venous blood, as they
undoubtedly did, the streams flowing out
sluggishly as the body lay on the
floor of* the bookroorii. Then, still
intent upon his desire to make every
feature of the deed more the work of a
brute or madman than that of a courteous
gentleman, a member of a reputable col
lege and an omcer in the church, bedashed
the thick, coagulating blood on the walls
where it can be seen in clots. If he could
have gotten through the belfry door the
little, thin body of his second victim would
have reposed nude by the side of tier sister
in misfortune. But he had broken the
lock, and was caught like a rat in his own
trap, so he made what he considerd the
best of a bad bargain and hence the hur
ried work of the knife. Possibly the gag
was a part of this labor. In view of the
fact that he was physically able to choke
the little weak girl to death without an
effort, and morally able to use the knife,
as we have seen, why take all the trouble
of gagging if not for some special after
effect ? Until Durrant's bloody clothing is
found I must adhere to my theory that
he cut and gashed Miss Williams
when dead, and probably after the party
at Dentist Vogel's, because if otherwise he
would have been drenched with the warm
thin blood of his victim, and only a bath
and complete change of clothing, even to
linen, would have made him presentable
at the party."
ANOTHER ANALYSIS.
John McNaught Gives His Idea
of the Emmanue! Church
Tragedies.
The publication yesterday of Mrs. Dur
rant's appeal for a suspension of judgment
concerning her son's guilt or innocence of
the hideous crimes laid to his charge, did
not fail to have its effect on the public
mind. Calm, and almost dispassionate in
nature, it was a plain address to the justice
of the community, and asked for nothing
save that reasonable and impartial weigh
ing of evidence which is necessary in order
that justice may be done.
It is indeed time to review the case with
the most considerate care. Notwithstand
ing the amount and th>' variety of circum
stantial evidence which has been piled up
to prove Theodore Durrant the murderer
of Marion William? and Blanche Lamont,
there has been nothing made public so far
to justify that conclusion. On the contrary,
there is much in the evidence to prove his
innocence and make it certain the police
are on the wrong track.
The awful horror of the tragedy has suf
ficed to excite the puDlic mind to such a
degree that everything connected with it is
seen through the medium of inflamed
emotions. As a consequence rumors,
theories, suppositions and extraneous mat
ters of all sorts have been magnified and
mixed up with the known facts of the case,
until the facts have been lost or distorted in
the confusion and public opinion has
grown out of the medley of exaggerations
and perversions rather than out of the
truth that has been confounded with them.
The facts that are known are these.
Marion Williams left the residence of Mrs.
Yoy at 1707 Howard street ostensibly to go
to the residence of Dr. Vogel at 2W2 How
ard street at about 7:30 on Friday evening,
and next morning her body, outraged and
mutilated, was found in the library of Em
manuel Baptist Church on Bartlett street.
All the conditions of the body, the clothing
and the room, give evidence that she went
into the building alive and that the mur
der took place where the body was found.
A search of the building on the succeeding
day discovered in the Delfry the body of
Blanche Lamont, which also showed un
mistakable evidence of outrage and murder.
On this simple statement of facts the
first inquiry is, How Miss Williams came
to visit Emmanuel Church that evening?
It was more than two blocks out of the
road from Mrs. Voy's to Dr. Vogel's. She
did not go out of her way and walk that
distance for nothing. Some purpose she
evidently had, and as no other purpose is
at all intelligible, we are forced to the con
clusion that she went to meet some one
with whom she had an engagement.
A man answering the description of
Durrant was seen near the church talking
to a woman answering the description of
Miss Williams aboat 8 o'clock, and the
two were seen to enter a gateway leading
to the rear of the church. Who was that
man? It is proverbially difficult to prove
a negative, and the logicians say it is im
possible. Nevertheless there is abundant
evidence to prove the negative in this case
and make it morally certain the man
Minnie Williams went to meet waa not
Theodore Durrant.
We have sworn testimony to these three
points: First, Miss Williams not only dis
liked Durrant, but she hated him and
feared him ; second, she had on the day
previous positively refused to meet him
and had told her friends of the refusal;
third, Durrant so far from having any en
gagement to meet Miss Williams that
evening, was seen hanging around the
ferry depot for upward of two hours that
afternoon looking for a chance to meet her
as she came over on the boat from Alaineda.
How then can it be assumed that she went
over to the church to meet Durrant? Such
an assumption would require us to believe
that Miss Williams deceived her friends
when she said she disliked Durant, and
that she spoke falsely when she had re
fused to meet him that evening. Further
more we would have to assume that Durrant
having an engagement with a girl at a par
ticular place would spend the greater por
tion of the afternoon looking for her some
where else. Such assumptions cannot bp
entertained. Miss Williams is reported by
all her friends to have been a straightfor
ward, honest girl. Nobody doubted her
word when she was alive, and there is no
reason to doubt it now.
Who then was the man she went to meet
in front ol Emanuel church? Here we are
thrown into the dark region of conjecture,
but there are two bits of testimony in the
case that give some light to
illumine it. One of her most inti
mate friends testifies that Marion
had a secret. There was a man whose
name she would never tell, but whom
she described as about 40 years of age,
with whom she had some sort of relation
that troubled her. That there was nothing
evil in the relation is assured by every
known fact of her pure young life; but it
was a relation sufficiently perplexing to
cause her uneasiness. This man's name
she never told to any one. The import
ance of this becomes clear when we recall
that the trip to the church was a secret.
She told her friends she was going to Dr.
Vogel's; but she went two blocks in an
other direction, The secret man and the
secret meeting are two straws that float
together in the same wind, and that wind
does not blow in the direction of Theodore
Durrant.
Consider next the known circumstances
of the murder. The crimes were of an ab
normal character. There are just two
classes of criminals who outrage women
and murder them. One of these is the
low, brutish criminal whose lust and
ferocity are tempered by an intellect hard
ly sufficient to lift him above the level of
a gorilla. The second is the man of in
tellect whose intelligence is distorted by a
species of sexual madness growing out of
some perverse diabolism of nature. All
criminal history attests that only these
two classes of men, the brute and the tiend,
commit crimes of this kind. Abundant
evidence in the cuse makes ii certain the
crime was not committed by a brute. It is
then the other class of criminal we must
look for.
The abnormal man is not known to hia
fellows, but the normal man is. Theodore
Continued on Eighth Page.
HAIL
TO THE
CHIEF!
Though it's only a cigar it de-
served the enthusiastic recep-
tion it got.
Even though a man has lots
of money in the bank he is clad
to buy at 10 cents what has cost
him perhaps double before.
"ROBERT MANTELL" is
hailed as the chief of Havana—
for its fine quality and low price.
SEE THAT TAG?
MT-8 OM KVC*Y MANTEI.L CKT/I*,
5