The San Francisco call. [volume], November 10, 1897, Page 14, Image 14

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

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

                
14
TO HEAR
HIS DOOM
ONCE MORE
Theodore Durrant Will Be
Resentenced by Judge
Bahrs To-Day.
SPECULATION ON THE DATE OF
EXECUTION.
It WiH Not Be Long, Say the Officers of the
Law, Although No Undue Haste
Will Be Shown-
The end is very near for Theoriore Dur
rant. The man who hns «wice been sen
tenced to pay the deatb penalty (or his
crimes at the Emmanuel Baptist Church,
nearly three years a:o, was yesterday
ordered to appear before Judge Bahrs, at
10 o'clock this morning, and for a third
time have ihe sentence of death pro
nounced upon him.
This time it is expected that a very short
shrift will be allowed the demon of the
belfry. Conjectures are rife as to the day
that will be fixed for the execution. The
hour when Durrant will pay the penalty
for the rnurde's of Bianche I.amont and
Minnie Williams in the little church in
tno Mission will not be known until the
Judge again sets the seal of death upon
him.
It is believed that his time is short, and
it is the opinion of many who have been
instrumental in weaving the chain of evi
dence that brought conviction on the
murderer that the execution will be set
for Friday next. In any event, it is said
by tnem that the limit of .Durrani's life J
v. ill not be beyond a week from that day. i
Jui^-e Baiirs was the jurist who passed j
the previous death sentence, and he is
consequently well acquainted with the |
curious merits of the appeals that have
leen advanced by the prisonet'sattorneysi,
as well as the wishes of ihe prosecuting J
oifictrs. District Attorney Barnes anu
the Attorney-General are anxious that the I
execution shall take place as soon as pos
sible, iti order to prevent Durrant's attor
neys from resorting to more frivolous ap- |
i eal~ to the federal courts. Under the
law Judge Bahrs may fix the time of deatb I
whenever lie pleases. The sixty-day period I
between Hie date ot sentence and the day
of the execution is not required in the j
present phase of Durrant's ca?e, for the j
original order of death ha? not been an- 1
nulled but stmpiy postponed by rea-im wf •
•he appeal for habeas corpus to tue United |
Slate' courts. The needs of the case
are simp.y that, tne prisoner b> brougnt
before (he court and nave the
OBy for death retixed without regard
to time limits. When Theodore Dttrrant
appears in court this morning Judge '
Bahrs could o-der that lie be Man Ted lru- ,
mediate. y npon his return to San Quenlin
prison, but of course no such haste will
be resorted to. The District Attorney is !
wiihnc to allow the prisoner a day or so i
to prepare for death, it is custotnarv to ■
fix upon Friday as an execution day, and !
forty-eight hours more may see Dar rant j
on his wnlk to the scaffold. If longer ;
time is allowed him the District Attorney
says that the end will come on the follow- I
ing Friday. Evidently Dutrant's chances
for life are fleeiuj; very rapidly.
The attorneys for iha prisoner expect to :
hove something to say in the matter oi j
the hanging of the;r client. They have
been laffen by surprise with the rapidity
with wnich tiie author. lies have thrown '
the coil about the murderer again, but
they are not iroing to stand idly by and \
■cc the execution carried out without a j
protest on their part. They will hold a '
conference this morning, as soon as the !
day of death has been fixed by Judge '
K;i ni-, :ma lormulate a campaign to gain j
lime, (leneral I)ickin-on intimates that !
tiiere will be smother appeal to the Federal |
court as soon as thp action of the court is j
known, and it is officially announced troni
other quarters mat this plan will be again
invoked.
A precedent for the proceeding is found,
so Dickinson says, in the case of Andrew
Lawrence, who was sent to jaii three
times during nis feacraruento trouble? last
winter and obtained his freedom on as
many apreals 10 the Federal courts.
The Durrant attorney- believed tnatthe
prosecuting atiorney would await the ar
rival of the transcript of the judement of
the Supreme Court lrom Washington !
before any definite action would be taken.
Barnes, however, circumvented this ex
pectation by invoking the aid of the wires.
On Monday evening he wired Attorney-
General McKeona to instruct United
States Attorney Foote of spread the re
mitti tur on the records 01 the local Cir
cuit Court, and he received the following
iatisfactory reply yesterday morning:
Washington, Nov. 9, 1897.
William. S. litirnrs. District AUnrnty, ><m
Francisco: United Slates attorney directed 10
tSits necessiin action.
Joskph McKknna, Attorney-General.
Attorney Fooie w.ll see to it at once
that a copy of liie reinittitur is sent him
by wire, and it will be entered on the rec
ords of the courts irunierliately noon i.s
arrival. This action will do away wiin at
least thirty days' delay, tne time that it
would take for the document to reach this
city.
As a matter of fact, it would not be
necessary to await the arrival of
this record, for ■ tornev-General Fitz
gerald has already wi:ed instructions from
Washington to have the prisoner resen
tenced at once, thus intimating thai he
wof.ld shoulder the respons.binty of any
departure from the usual lormal" proced
ure. These instructions were conveyed to
Attorney Barnes yesterday morning and
prompted him to appear Defore Judge
Bahrs at once and aslr that the prisoner
be resentenced.
The motion before the court was a for
mal one. Attorney Barnes lnforniea tlie
court tha' bis motion was taken under
section Vl'll of the Penal Code, providing
tbat where, for any reason, r judgment
ai death still in force and effect hns not
lieea executed, t:ie court shall, on motion
of tne District Attorney, fix a day when
it Drill inquire n any le-ai reason exists
why the juJument slicriM not be carried
out, and if the court iinds that no such
lepi.l reason exists it ehell then and there
!ix a day lor the carrying out of the judg
ment.
"I move, your Honor," said Mr. Barnes,
: ;bat your Honor do now make an order
directing the Warden of San Qui'iiiin
priion to bring this defendant. William
Henry Theodore Durrani, into court on a
day and at an Lour to be fixed by your
Homor, and that your Honor do make in
quiry into any lesal reasons thai may ex
ist lor the non-carrying out of tue sen
tence of death. :>
Ih« attorneys for the defendant were
not present, and the District Attorney
said he did not think it necessary to in
form them of the step he took. ■ The mai
ter was purely forma.". It was an ex-parte
motion, and it was not necessary that
Durrant suouid be represented.
Without comment Jua^e Bahrs granted
the motion, and tlie loilowing oruer was
drawn up a.vi signed by his Honor:
The People of the State of California v<
William Henry Theodore Durrani, dei'eudam;
murder. •
On motion of :he District Attorney and it
appearing to the conn that the judgment of
death heretofore pronounced against the de
fendant, William Heury Tneodore Durraut,
has not been executed, and that tlr; sumo re
mains in full force and eltect, it is hereby
ordered (hat the Warden of the Prison
of oan Quentin, California, in whose custody
The San Jose "Flier" Had a Narrow Escape at Millbrac Yesterday, Being Saved Only by the Presence of Mind
Shown by the Engineer.
said defendant is now held, produce and have
the body of said WiiliHin Henry Tneodore Dur
mn tin the courtroom uf Department 12 oi ibe
Superior Court ot the city ana conntv of san
Francisco, Btatf of California, at ih ■ New City
Hall in <atd cltv and county, on Wednesday,
November 10, 1897, at the bour of 11 o'clock
a. M of said niy, to en>'b!e the court tren and
there to mquir" into the facts and determine
whether any legal reason or reasons exist
neainst the execution of suvh judgment of
death, and if it be determined tnai no Irgal
reasons . exist why said jiKlement of death
should not be executed, to fix a day ior the
execution of the same.
Pone in open court t hi« 9th day of Novem
ber, 1H97. Gkokgk H. Bahks, Judge.
The District Attorney and the Jud<re
then went to the C >unty Clerk's oiTice,
where the order was filed and a copy of it
w;;s hatirteu to Sheriff Whelan to be
served upon Warden Hale at San Quentin
orison. Nothing then remained to be
aone until Durrant should be brought into
court this morning to be resentenced.
District Attorney Barnes said there
could be no doubt about the regularity of
the proceedings. The judgment and sen
tence of death against Durrant that was
pronounced by Judge Bahrsa lew months
ago still holds. "I am not even obliged
to eive notice to the prwmer's attorneys
to t>e present in court on Wednesday," he
said, "though I sh:Ul do so out of cour
tesy. I hove receded advice from the
Attorney-General and theie <s no further
need for delay.
"We do not really sentence Durrant
again, but merely relix the date of his ex
ecution. There is no necessity to allow
the customary s.xly days, as he has al
ready hud sullicient time to prepare for
de.ah. The Court has the power to sen
tence him to be hanged within twenty
four hours if the Judge so chose, but no
such hasie will tie exercised."
"There was nothing piemature in the
j proceeding-; of this mornir.t." said Jml fee
I B:itirs. '"There is a statuie expressly pro
i viding for sucti emergencies, and ihere are
i cases in uoint. It is not necessary to wail
! for official notice from Washington. The
! judgment and sentence of death still re
, mam in foice and must be carried out ac
, cording to law. I suppose a remiuittir
1 will come from Washington in due course,
I but it w.ll probably not arrive until af.er
j the sentence is carried out."
Eugene Deuprey, one of the attorneys
for Durrani, oaid yesterday that when
his client came up for re«i>r. tence in com
pliance to the order uf Judjje Bahra be
would hoid that Durrant was entitled to
another sixty days between sentence day
and the day of execution to prepare lor
death.
General Dickenson, wlio is associated In
the defense of the murderer, said that
they had not given up hope ol saving the ir
client trom the gallows. They had not
exausted all tneir resources, and there
were yet many ways ol preventing the
death of Durrani on ib* scaffold, oral
h?ast of postponing it. Neither of the
attorneys for th« defense would state
what they proposed to do 10 postpone the
execution.
Mother Visl s Son.
SAN QUENTIN PRISON, Nov. 9.— The
same old farce that was enactea rive
months ago, when Durrani was thon in
TITE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1897.
the shadow of the gallows, is now being
repealed. Mrs. Durrant called to-day on
the doomed son. The mother assured her
son she would be at his side on the scaf
fold, and the condemned murderer
thanked her in a lormiil way.
Outs;de the prison Mrs. Durrant wora fl
wreath of smiles. She was continent ihat
Theo would not be hanged, and if he
was, "I will be by his side." she said.
iJurrant is breaking down under the ac
cumulation of dangers that coniront him.
He is sleeping to-night in the care of
Chief Jailer Satler, who was his guardian
during his lone term of incarceration in
the County Jail at San Francisco. The
prisoner is quiet and reticent. He de
clares that he reahzsfl that his end is
near at hand, and awaits the ordeal with a
"trust in the Lord."
Durrani's Last Appeal.
SACRAMENTO, Nov. 9.— Before the Su
preme Court to-day was argued the last
uppeal standing in the way of the re
sentencing of Theodore Durrant for the
murder of Blanche Laniont. The appeal
was one brought by Durrani's attorneys
after the second sentence passed on him,
and was based on the claim that ad
ditional punishment was being Inflicted
upon him by the court in ordering bim
closely con fined in San Quentin prison
pending execution and in the Warden
having cropped his Hair short and having
gart>ed him in prison stripes.
Louis P. Board man appeared for Dur
rant and C. N. Post of the Attorney-Gen
eral's office for the people. It is expected
that a decision will be arrived at soon
*fter the receipt of the remittitur in the
case of the appeal seined yesterday by the
Supreme Court of the Uniied States.
Need Not Walt.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.— An Associ
ated Press report says the California Stale
authorities have asked the Department of
Justice to hasten the mandate of the
United States Supreme Court in Durrant's
case. This is unnecessary, The ('all cor
respondent learned to-nipbt, from high
authority; thatilie Supreme Conn rip
cided in the ease of Jugiro, the Japanese
murderer, w;iO was electrocuted in New
York, that it was not necessary lor the
lower court to await the raaniiate. bin
that the trial court could resentenee him
immediately after the appeal was de
cided. Therefore, it appear* that the Cali
fornia Slate am h-jrities an=. in error in
awaiting the mandate in Durrani's case,
but snould resent ence him immediately.
Jones ■>> the Cold.
Ilu Jones of the law firm of Janes <fc O'Dnn
• nell has returned from a visit from New York
1 City, and though he was at.sent Dut n mouth
i he found quite a ctiange in political affairs in
j thisciiy. When he left he considered him
sef b member of the Democratic party, but lie
I tiuds himself outside tne official organization
CRASHED INTO THE CARS.
because, as he says, it appears that he is not
pure enough tor one wine of thu piirty and
mitt be Is Mnpecierl of beinc too good ior the
other faction. Incidentally Mr. .lone.s re
marked thai Judge Van Wyck's big victory in
JCew Yoru has nin<ie the people of the Empire
Slate look on him hs the logical candidate of
tiie D.juocratic party tor President in 1!)<X)
TO STUDY THE BIBLE.
A Literary Society Formed
in the Bush- Street
Temple,
Intelligent Speaking and Reading of
Hebrew Will Porm a Portion
of the Work.
A meeti'ip was held at the Bush-street
' Temple last evenine at which preliminary
j steps for the formation of a literary
society were taken. The meeting was
j presided over by the Kpv. Isidore Myer,
I who briefly explained itsobj-ct.
"It is luy desife." smd Jr. Myer, "to
form a literary society among the youne
people of the concreganon. Weekly
meetings will be he'd at wnich short ad
dresses on Jewish history will be civen by
, good speakers, and we will real careiully
from forae book of the Bible. This will
be followed by the reading and discussion
j of original papers from members of the
■ society.
"It is my desire to tai:e for our subject
| the Hibie, or what is more Con.nionly
j known as t lie Old Testament, for as a
i liierarv work it ranks above all other
| book . Moreover it is particularly desir
able to study the Bibie at this time, as it
I is now commanding an unusual amount
! of attention and study among the people
10l all creeds. Atone time it was recardei
' in an almost superstitions ruannr»r, but
! since then a reaction ha* set in, and now
! both Jews and Christians are beginning to
study it as it was never studied beiore,
with ibe result that as de from its value
; as a religious work it aiso has an unex-
I celled literHry value. The lyrical por-
I tions of it alone have never been equaled
by any poet in our a«e."
The membership roll was then orene i
i and about thirty young people signed. It
| is intended fit st to take Dessau's transla
| tion of tue Bible, after which i* will be
I studied in the original Hebrew. As many
I members ot the congregation cannot read
' Hebrew Dr. Myer bas decided to open a
I class in which all who desire to learn will
be taught eramitoiisly. Meetings of the
socieiy will be held Tuesday evenings
and the Hebrew class on Thursday.
A literary society and Hebrew class
I similar to this were very successfully con
j aucted by Dr. Myer "in Montreal last
winter.
Cuke your cold witli Low's horehound
cou-ii syrup, price 10c, 417 ban6ome st. •
DERAILED
BY AN OPEN
SWITCH
Serious Accident at Millbrae
Averted by an Engin
eer's Coolness.
CARS BROKEN IN KI.\MI\G-WOOD.
The San Jose "Flier" Ran Off!
on a Siding and Was With
Difficulty Stayed.
PASSENGERS WERE BADLY SHARE*' IIP. j
The Track Strewn With Wreckage.
A Purse Presented to the Loco
motive-Driver.
AN open switch nearly caused a seri
ous wreck yesterday morning at
the station at Miilbrae. The morn
ine "User" from San Jose ran iff on a
siding, and before the train could be
brought to a standstill the locomotive was
badly damaged and two freightcars were
broken into kind .ing-wood. The passeu
gen on the train were badly shaken up,
but they nil fortunate y escaped injury.
T:iat the accLicntdid not prove more se
rious was due to the coolne-s of Engineer
John McCarthy, who >tood at his post
and heroically worked to stop the train
when he discovered that it had left the
main (rack.
The railroad company has for some time
past bad a fore • < f labo ers »t work r pair
ing the roadbed between Miilbrae ami San
Maifo. In some plnces the track has been
raised anil in others lowered, so as to
reduce the grade between those points.
In ihe course of the repair work it was
deemed advisable to nut in a new switch
about 100 yards below U>e Millbrue sta
tion, ro as to aliow tne up trains in case
<>f necessity to take the siding. There are
two sidetracks in front of t lie depot, and
the west in; is penerallv used for run
ning off fre:gutcars. It is but seldom that
either of the sidetracks are used by pas
senger train* going either to San Jose or
returning from there. The up and down
trains am not supposed to meet at Mill
brae, and never do unless one of them is
delayed.
The ban Jose "flyer" is due in this city
at U o'clock every morning, and stops are
only made at the principal way stations.
A stop is never made at Miilbrae, and
when the train came up to the station,
yesterday morning, it was traveling at a
rate of lully twenty miles an hour. The
workmen who w -re changing the switch
got out of the way, bit in their hurry they
neglected to close it. The open switch
leu to the west siding and the enpine had
passed over it belore Eugineer McCarthy
realized that his tram was in danger.
About two hundred yards ahead of him
was iin open car l.mded with iron waier
pipes. He at once threw on the airbrakes
and reversed the lever, but it was too late
to avert a collision. The pilot of the en
gine struck the rear of th« car with suffi
cient force to almost thrown from the
track. One of the iron I'ipes fell to the
side of tne track in such a position that it
cut off the steps of i he passenger car.
The putting on of the airbrakes was the
first intimation the passengers hnd that
tney were in d;»:iger. Some of them
jumped from tneir seats anU ran toward
ths doors, but the crashing of the engine
into the car threw them buck. Then
when itie iron pipe commenced tearing
off the steps they became wildly excited.
The cooler-headed ones advist-d the other.s
to remain quiet, us they would not benefit
themselves by setting out on the plat
lorm.
'i ho pilot ot the engine threw up the
rear of the open cur until the end was
routing on the he.idlighi. The engine
had not yet lo*t its sfeed and kept on
down the track, shoving the upturned
car ftttead of it. To add to the excitement
of the moment the tender oi the engine
struck some obstruction and jumped tne
r;iiis. Tne Dumping ot the tender wheels
over the ties added to the excitement,
and the piissen^ers ocgan to lose all hope.
They ruomen ariiy expected that tlie cars
would be teie.-coi.ed and thut certain
death was staring them in tiie iaee. About
200 yards further down the Mding from
where the opan car stood were tliree
Ciosed freight-care. The train was losing
its si>eed, but McCarthy knev that n
would not come to a stop belore driving
the oj-eu car into the others. Theie was
but a second or two between the two
crashes. The open car struck the rear
part of the tirst car and crushed it like
an eggshell. Tue train shivered and then
came to a stop.
The passengers lost no lime in getting
out of me cars. The track behind them
was strewn with pieces of wreckage from
the broken Ireighicars, and the front of
the locomotive looked as if it h:id run into
a stone wall. The rear part of the tirst
car struck was still resting over the pilot,
and the forward part was jammed into
tne boxcar.
When the passengers realized that but
for the prompt action oi tn«> ■ nsjineer in
reversing the lever and applying the air
brakes those in the forward coaches
might have been killed,, they raised a
parse and presented it to McCarthy.
When he tried to back out from the
wreck he found that his engine had been
so badly damaged that it wan useless. A
dispatch was then sent to headquarters to
remove the wreck, and the up tiain, which
came along half an hour laser, hitrhed on
to the passenger coaches and brought
them to this city.
OPINIONS DIFFER.
I>r. Bovard Keail* a Reply to Dr. Urmy's
Paper on the Millennium.
At the Methodist Ministers' Union Dr.
Bovard read a paper reviewing Dr. Urmy's
paper on the 25th of Jast montli on "The
Millennium."
Dr. Urrny held that this was the final
dispensation, nnd that we would not see
anymore of Jesus Christ on earth. The
judgment, he said, is coming on, and we
are already in the pathway of eternal life.
Dr. Bovard in his paper said: "Then
must De a future judgment and a final
coming of the Loru Jesus, not to reign
upon the eanh, but to close the present
era. We recognize s present coming oi
Christ, a spiritual subject taught pre-emi
nently in the gosoel of John. There is
also a present judgment, in which Jesus
Christ is judge. But this gospel of judges
does not contain the doctrine of a final
judgment. I hold also that eternal lite is
msLowed upon us under the present dis
pensation, bui it is germinal and notconi
pee. On the whole, I think that ihe
conclusion of Dr. Urmy's is too sweerintr.
Most of the ministers present agreed
with Dr. Bovard.
The 101 l -wing ministers took part in the
discussion: Rev. Mr. S:mmon«, Key. Mr.
Mills, Rev. .Mr. i'earce, Rev. Mr. Ham
mond, R<->v. Mr. Harris, Rev. Mr. Wilson,
Rev. Mr. PacK and Rev. Mr. Urniy.
Barry 'Oil Not S.;rvp,
The campaign committee of the Sullivan
branch of t lie local Democracy met In the new
headqnarters at 850 Market street last night
and spent several hours in the discussion of
matters relative to thp special election for
freeholders. Nothing definite was ngieert on
and the committee adjourned to meet agait.
next Saturday night, when the vacanoifs
caused by the resignation of several members
of the genera! committee will be filleil.
Tne latest member to resign from the cum
minet? is James 11. Barry, who »ays that while
lie is still against tie political bosses, he can
not serve, as ho has always made it a rule to
decline such portions
THE CITY GUARDS SHOOT
It Is to Be Held at Shell
Mound on Thanksgiving;
Day,
The Eeunion and Prise Competition
to Be Followed by a Banquet
on December 6.
The members of the City Guard. N. G.
C, are malting activo arrangements for
their annual reunion and prize shoot to
be held on Thanksgiv ;ncr day, the !!;"> h of
this month, at Shell Mound Park, Berke
ley.
A notice, neatly printed and arranged,
was issued ypsterdav afternoon, and will
be immediate y sent to all the honorary,
ex and active members of the guard. Ex
tracts are a3 follows:
In accordance with the time-honored cus
tom of tne Oily Guard, toe annual prize shoot
of the company will take place at Shell Mound
Par», Berkeley, on Tii»nkspivinK «lay, Tuurb
dav, November 25. 1807, between tne hours
ol Ba. M. and 4 p. M. All members, particu
larly houorary mum hers, oJ ihe company are
earnestly .requested to .participate iv the
shoot.
It is needless here to discuss at any great
leneth the purpose of the>e anniiAl shoots.
Suffice be ii to say that it iheir *oie purpose
«- the mere winning of prizes then discon
tinuance would b'» » matter oi no great mo
ment, but tney have a far tit-eper signiiicauce
than this. Tbey m*iitu tiie unitii.g of the p«st
with the prcseu:, the brlneing iu'.o toucn
with the present active members th >se ol liie
post who, though severe* in body from the
company. «ro lieverihelfss present in spirit.
It is expected mat t:je cominsf shooting
"bej" win uk the most successful thus lar
Kivou by the company.
Send in jour prizes as soon as posMble.
Tury can be left wi;h LifU euant Ram to, 8
Ku«rny street, or if word issout there pnz s
wnl be called for. Co.mjiittek.
Lieutenant Albert F. Ramm. luati uetor-
Sergeant Artnur 11. Cliff rd, Wil: iaiu H. aieb
erst, Patrick K. Eagen, KdwaraW. Jensuu and
the old vet., Lew R, Townsend.
The City Guard was organized in 1854
in this city.
One Fined, the Other Not.
Judge Conlan presided yesterday in Judyc
Joachimsen's court to disposa of pressing
ca.-cs. as the latter Judge is sick. The charge
against Jesse G. Gobey, saloon-keeper, of run
ning a banking gnme in the sMhj-. ■ of a nicke,-
Iti-tne-slot mnchiue was dismissed, but L.
Klchtor. chanted with the same offense, was
fined $5. The case 01 Harry Kewhollwas con
tinued till to-morrow.
NEW TO-DAY-DRY GOODS ;______^^^~~-<
LADIES'
SKIRTS!
We direct special attention to an
elegant line of LADIES' SILK SKIBTS,
which we are exhibiting this week.
These skirts are in Boman Stripes, Plaids
and Checks; also in Plain Colors and
Blacks.
We will also show a Very Large and
Complete Assortment of LADIES'
MOBEEN SKIBTS, in Plaids, Blacks and
Colors.
In connection with the above sale of
Skirts we will show a full variety of
I
Ladies' Silk Waists,
Both Plain and Fancy, in the very latest
styles.
TELEPHONE ORANT IS4,
111. 113, Wo t 117. 119. 121 POST SlKjccT,
ORATORIO AND OPERA
"Elijah" Cp^ns ihe Music Fes
tival Season at Metro
politan Hall.
"'Lucia" Presented by the Italian
Company at the California
Theater.
The second semi-annual season of thp
Californi* Music Festival Assncintion
comjiienced last nipht at the Metropoli
tan Temp'e with the singing of the ora
torio "Elijah."
The chorus was a l«r^e on", comprisine
singers from the Oakland, Son Josp and
Marysville Oratori i societies and the Jlar
monv Choral Club of thisciiy.
The principal characiers w?re di trid
uted among Madnm* GeneTra Johnstone-
Bisiiop (widow). Miss Anna Miiier Wood
(ani;el), Rhys Thomas (Obadiafa) and S.
Homer Henley (Elijah). Henry Breiher
ick was the orcanist, Mrs. L. J. Murdock
the pianist, and James Hamilton Howe
conducted.
The rendition of the oratorio was suc
cessful only in spots. Madame Johnstone
was suffering from a throaial disorder
that seemed to make it difficult for her to
sing in pi'd), and several of the soloists'
ensembles were loese atid straggling.
The choru-t was fairly well balanced,
lacking most in sure- throated tenors. It
sang with good volume and considerable
precision, considering the length of time
for preparation, but it missed many of
the tiner liehts and shades of the mu<ic.
In fact the performance was duller than it
would rinve been under the baton of a
more spirited ana magnetic director.
Mr. Howe seemed n>>t to consider the
immense operatic— there is nu other wnrd
for it— possibilities of "Elijah." His
reading had luue nerve and no excite
ment.
However, those chorus numbers that
practically >ing themselves— and there
are several oi these in "E!jh" — w.-re
~ung willingly and well. i'ne "Lift
Thine Kyes" trio v^a.- delightful, and
Mine. John^tone-Bishoo so far recovered
herse.f in the second part a-s to sin«
'•Hear Ye. Israel," with true intonation
and potent dramatic effect.
Mis* Woori was conspicuously success
ful in "0, Rest in the Lord." Her work
nil throiiirii wan rehab!", cv n if not sen
sational in any way. Mr. Thonius was in
one of his most barytone moods, and
sometimes slighted the top tenor notes.
Below those he did well, particularly nj
"Then Shall the Righteous." Mr. Hen
ley's Elijah was neither ponderous nO r
bud. .His worst moments were when he
sang lou lest; In the lignt*r passages he
was fcympatheiic ami plausible.
These 'ouis." "tfs" and "ands" are not
a critical com promt*? ; they characterized
the performance. The soloists were not
at their best, and the conducting was not
brilliant.
The procrammes for to-morrow after
noon a:id evening, wnich are ot a misc»l
laneous nature, wul b« less exacting and
probably better iniprpreted.
The opera it the California Theater lan
ni^ht was "Lucia" :! nd the performance
was reniarkanle only for ihe exrellent
ensemble singlnp. Ttie sex;ec was en
tliuaiastirally given and received and the
CASTOR I A
For Infants and Children.
Thsfae- y?
«ittril© /TJ' ;« ..
j rinales were sung with magnetic surge
I and rhythm.
Cleopatra Vicini was cast for the title
i role, which she sane witn ne:it technical
facility, even if her tone and acting were
at times monotonous. Coilenz was not
h;m«elf in Edgar. Us vocal and histn
omc exagper»'. ions were in excess of any
thing he lias done in that line before.
Abramoft was a pleasant surprise in the
chsi. He sang easily and well and will, it
)s said, supply the Italian company with
his basso during the remainder of the sea
son.
To-morrow night will mark the second
j performance ot "La Boheme" and a
crowded house. Vallini has made up a
tempting y popular programme for his
orche-<ir'il concert, which occurs on Sun
day tupht.
Heiden's Jury Could Not Agree.
In the case of John Heiden, charged with
robbery, In Judge VVallace's court yesterday.
i lie jury failed to apree and was discharged.
The defendant vril! r>-» tried n^nin.
| NEW TO-DAY.
| 31ES. ELLA MMKVY,
Writing to Mrs. Pinkham.
She says: — I have been, using- your
[ Vegetable Compound and find that it
does all that it is recommended to do.
I have been a sufferer for the last four
was persuaded to try Lydia E. Pink-
ham's Vegetable Compound, and to-day,
I am feeling like a new woman.—
Mrs. Ella McGarvt, Nee be Road
Station, Cincinnati, O.
STEEL OAK
RANGE, CHIFFONIER,
$30. $12.50.
ZT'XTH.ISriTTTH.E:. V
CAR.F3STS. J
BEIDDHNTGrS. /
LARGEST i^TO '<
West p s rT^ c -
CASH OR EASY PAYMENTS.
J. NOONAN
Above Sixth.
Telephoiie, south 14. Open Evening*