Morbid - Episode 415: Theodore Durrant "The Demon in the Belfry" Part 1

Episode Date: January 9, 2023

Theodore Durrant was the last person anyone would have assumed to commit a brutal murder, let alone two. He was well-known in town and well-liked. He served the town in countless ways; as the handyman for the church, the handyman to all his friends and neighbors, assistant superintendent of the church's Sunday School and all around friendly and giving man. But soon he would be linked to two absolutely horrific murders of two young women in town that he'd had relations with. Ones body would be discovered in the church that Theo seemed to love and the other? Well you'll have to wait for part two for that discovery.Daily Inter Ocean. 1895. "Another Body Found." Daily Inter Ocean, April 15.Dowd, Katie. 2016. "The tale of the 'Demon of the Belfry,' San Francisco's forgotten Jack the Ripper." SF Gate, October 31.McConnell, Virginia. 2001. Sympathy for the devil: the Emmanuel Baptist murders of old San Francisco. Westport, Conn: Praeger.New York Times. 1897. "Durrant Breaking Down." New York Times, October 18: 5.—. 1895. "Durrant is Found Guilty." New York Times, November 2: 1.—. 1898. "Durrant is Put to Death." New York Times, January 8.—. 1895. "Lunatic Tries to Kill Durrant." New York Times, August 6: 1.Peixotto, Edgar. 1899. Report of the trial of William Henry Theodore Durrant. Detroit, Michigan: The Collector Publishing Company.San Francisco Caller. 1895. "Clews Still Lead to Theodore Durrant ." San Francisco Caller, April 18.The Daily Picayune. 1895. "A San Francisco Jack the Ripper." The Daily Picayune, April 15.The Morning Oregonian. 1895. "Mysteriously Missing." April 10: 3.The Sunday Inter Ocean. 1895. "Murdered in a church." The Sunday Inter Ocean, April 14: 5.The Sunday Oregonian. 1895. "In a Pastor's Study." The Sunday Oregonian, April 14: 6.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, Prime members, you can listen to morbid, early, and ad-free on Amazon music. Download the app today. You're listening to Immorbid Network Podcast. Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of Wondries Podcast American Scandal. Our newest series looks at the Kids for Cash Scandal, a story about two judges who stood accused of making millions of dollars in a brazen scheme that shattered the lives of countless children. Listen to American scandal on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Weirdos, I'm Elena. I'm Ash and this is morbid and we're waiting on some chilees.

That's what I have for you today. We got chilies for lunch. We got a few recordings that we're doing back to back to back to back to back to back to back today. So we're like, let's just let's supplement our lives with some chili cheeseburgers because health and wellness. Honestly, shout out to Bridget. It's Mark Quatt, right?

Yeah, Mark Quatt. Mark Quatt, I always say it wrong, fuck my life. You know what, Bridget, from girl's next level podcast, go listen to it, it's fucking awesome. Yeah, if you're not listening, like what are you even doing with your business? Bridget has a name, like my last name, that like it looks crazy.

Crazy. And it looks like, whoa, how do I say that? And then you hear it and you're like, oh, I know. And I'm like a really big fan of hers as we all know and Holly Madison too. So I really didn't wanna fuck up her name, but I did. I think it's Mark Horne.

But anyway, I saw Bridget post a picture of the cheeseburger, so then I ordered a cheeseburger. So thank you for that, Bridget. Bridget. And again, go listen to their podcasts. Because they are too delightful human beings. Their podcast is awesome. It's just like, you know what? I was gonna say it's light, but it's really not.

It's not, it's actually pretty heavy. The thing is, it was really spent through, but the way they presented it is so light. Like you're just, I feel like I'm just choking. We get this a lot, that people feel like it's like you're just hanging out with friends. That's how I feel about their podcast. I definitely feel that way.

It's like a slumber party. And they're one of the only podcasts that I am like week to week minute to minute. Waiting caught up and just waiting for the next one. So, but you know what, they're great. I have three podcasts like that. You know what, let me just shout them out because love is love. Love is love. Love is love.

You know what, let's end this year out because love is love. Love is love. Love is love. Love is love. Love is love. You know what, let's end this year with some love because is everyone alright? No. The answer is no. Everyone's angry. Everyone's like, there's just a lot of shit. So let's end it on a good note. And 2023 is my wedding year. So, so let's get it together. Let's say goodbye to 2022. But no, my favorite three podcasts right now that I'm listening to, like week to fucking week. I'm like, I need it it give me it. It's oxygen watch what happens. Yes as always. Yes girls next level. Yep as always these days and Giggly squad. There you go. So fucking good and it's nice. It'll get you through your day I think when this comes out. I'm looking at the calendar right now. I think it's gonna be in January. I think it's gonna be in 2023. Yeah, oh my God, happy New Year everyone.

Happy New Year! They're like, New Year was like 80 days ago, but just... We are also nowhere near January right now, as we record this. Yeah. No. We're weeks away, but I don't even know what day it is to be like. Do you know what? In the future, happy New Year.

Ash. Happy New Year. You know what? In the future, happy new year. Ash, happy new year. You know what? Amina, happy new year. Happy fucking new year. I hope you're self. I hope all of your holidays were beautiful. And I hope you're ready to start this year and have a great one and feel good, be good, and do good. Oh my god, while you're listening to this, it's officially my mother fucking wedding year. There you go. Less fucking gall-bye, baby. Oh, and you know what? Before we get into this episode, I need to tell you guys a crazy story, my dream. Oh, yeah.

This is gonna fuck your shit up. Okay, so I've heard this thing where if you lucid dream, I don't know if you, I know some of you lucid dream because you sent us like listener tales about it. Yeah, one of you lucid our to our chat with Andrew from Me yeah, lucid dreaming I've heard this thing where you're supposed to or you're probably not supposed to ask people in your dream Like once you figure out that you're lucid dreaming ask the next person you see and anyone else you see what's the date and time and

I always thought these things are kind of bullshit and I thought they were maybe see, what's the date and time. And I always thought these things are kind of bullshit and I thought they were maybe just like everyone's personal experience and like it's a TikTok trend. Yeah, I was kind of just like, I don't know. But then I was like, I want to try that though if I can like remember to do it. But I figure I can never remember anything in my lucid dream. Like I can't remember to do something in my lucid dream. But usually did. But this time this past weekend I was lucid dreaming, and I had this dream that somebody was chasing me with a knife, and I like barricaded myself

in a bathroom, and then I realized I was lucid dreaming, so I was like, oh, he's not there anymore, and I opened the door, and he wasn't, because I was like, it's a fucking dream. I can, I can control this. His dream can. And he wasn't, but two women were. And all of a sudden in my head, I was like,

oh, ask them the date and time. So I was like, excuse me, ladies. Can you tell me what the date and time is? And they both turned around and looked at me. I was like, why would you ask us that? And I was like, I don't know. I just really want to know the date and time. And they were like, why?

Why do you want to know it? And they started yelling at me, getting in my face. Could not believe I was at it. It's like, I asked they were like, why? Why do you want to know it? And they started yelling at me, getting in my face, could not believe I was at it. It's like I asked them, I don't even know. Like it's, ask them something really personal about them. So I was like, I got that angry. So I like scooted through them because I was like, oh, get away from me.

You're terrible. And I was like, damn, and I came across John. And I was in like someone else's living room. And I saw John and I said, John someone else's living room and I saw John and I said John, what's the date and time? And he grabbed me by the arms which was terrifying in my dream. Because that's not a John move. Because that is not a John move.

And he got right in my face. It was like, what? Don't ask that. Don't ask me that. And he started yelling at my face. I've heard this story three times. No, I'm still as terrified as the first time. And I like to fuck around and find out.

So I saw a couple of people in the kitchen behind him and I yelled, hey guys, what's the time and date? And they got angry and started coming over with him and all of them were surrounding me yelling at me. And I woke up as that happened. Oh, Liam, it gets into my car and she goes, dreams aren't what we think they are. And I was like, something is up here.

Sit down, girly, what? There's a simulation happening and they get pissed when you start poking holes in it, something's happening. It's, but guys, I couldn't believe that that actually happens. Like, I thought that was bullshit. I fully thought that was bullshit. I'm not trying it, But they get mad at you.

Ask your dream people what the date and time is. I wanna see if anybody gets the date and time. Our friend Dave was saying though to be careful lucid dreaming because you can get nice night hair. Yeah, like walk yourself in a night hair. That's when you put yourself in a lucid dream. Right. If you're just accidentally lucid dreaming, then you're fine. Go fuck and ask people what the date and time is. But like be prepared lucid dream. Right. If you're just accidentally lucid dreaming, then you're fine.

Go fucking ask people at the date. But like, be prepared to be scared. Yeah, because that's a disheartening experience. Now I'm gonna start looking it up, though, looking more into it, because I was like, that was a wild experience. The government's coming for you. Like truly wilds.

They're coming for you. Yeah, there's a lot. But I just wanna let you guys know that. And with that, let's get into our case Hey there fellow podcast listener, it's Elena and Ash and we're taking you back to the days before Streaming services You back to the days before streaming services. Whoa. You know when you would come home from high school and it was only a few hours until that TV show, everyone was watching was about to come on.

Well, in 1999, that show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In our podcast with Wondery, the re-watcher Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we take it back to 1999. So get out your knee high boots and paste that poster of Angel on the wall. It's time to enter the Buffyverse. Some of you avid morbid listeners

already know what we've gotten store. Hey, wear your nose. Join us as we sway our way through Buffy's drama, action and romance, episode by episode. Slacy, follow the rewatcher, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and add free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app.

Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! Oh, hell! [♪ BGM playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in background, music playing in I don't know why I keep going into a place of connections to Jack the Ripper. I don't mean to. It's literally just happening, so I feel like that's telling me something. Like I'm going to solve the case or something. Perhaps, but Tobias already did. That's true. So maybe me and Tobias together are going to solve the case. Maybe.

I think so. 2020 let's manifest. I think so. 2023. Manifest. Manifest. So, this doesn't technically have like a connection to the Jack the Ripper case, but they, it was during the same time period kind of, and people were using that case with this case. So, it kind of connects. Okay. So, this is the case of Theodore Durant, the demon of the Belfree. That's disappointing, because Theodore is one of my favorite names.

Well, technically his full name is William Henry Theodore Durant, but I know that you also love the name Henry. Yeah, that's like my two future children's names. Yeah. So there's that. But this is a Wild's case. There's a book called Sympathy for the Devil, the Emanuel Baptist murders of Old San Francisco,

and it's by Virginia McConnell. I highly recommend you go read it because it's got a lot of good insights into this case and her particular insights into it and I thought they were very interesting. So I recommend you go find it. Also, I'm pretty sure and I will look for it. Hopefully I can find it. I think there's like, you can read it for free online, I think. I'll have to. Hopefully I can find it. I think there's like, you can read it for free online, I think. I'll have to see if I can find it. Also, you should name your band that

if you're a musician. Sympathy for the devil. We are Sympathy for the devil. Thank you, Cleveland. Hello, Wisconsin. I think that's great. But yeah, do that. This is another case, like I said,

that at some kind of weird connection to Jack the Ripper, in the sense that the fear from of weird connection to Jack the Ripper. In the sense that the fear from it was rooted in Jack's murder for pleasure way of living, because that was new. You know, this whole murder for murder sake was not something people were used to at this point. Usually it was for gain. So this is the story of Theodore Durant.

He was a Canadian immigrant to San Francisco, California in the late 1800s. He was a medical student known as a very kind, very giving man, and also was the assistant superintendent of the 21st Street Emanuel Baptist Church Sunday School. Shit. Yeah.

Lastly, he was a vicious murderer who was able to blend into society and blend into the world of decency without issue. Weird. So he had a lot of layers. Yeah. But of course, with any case like this, there were people who thought he was... There was people who actually kind of couldn't... And still now can't determine whether he did it or not, he 100% did it.

Okay. Like, this isn't one of those cases where it's like, I don't know, maybe it was someone else, like 100%. He committed these it. Okay. Like, this isn't one of those cases where it's like, I don't know, maybe it was someone out, like 100% he committed these crimes. Awesome. He was convicted of committing these crimes, but like, people find any way to just go against what reality is at this point. So there's that.

But it's still a wild story. It went across the nation. It went overseas. Like, it was a big story at the time. So let's talk about this asshole here first. Like I said, his name was actually William Henry Theodore Durant. He was born on April 24th, 1871, also later. I think in part two of this case, I'm gonna talk about the trial and

he'll tell you, he doesn't even know if that's his real birthday except he does. So, okay, we'll get into it. Was he like trying to claim insanity or something? No. Not just being a dick. No, he was just being a dick. I was just saying that like, you know, he was trying to be very specific when they asked him what his birthday was and he was like,

well, by reports, it's this date, but you know, I was there as an infant. So I don't know. Well, like he was literally, it's one of those. His parents were William and Isabella Durant, and they had him in Hamilton, Ontario. After their marriage, they had Theodore, and two years after Durant's birth, or Theodore's birth, his sister, Ula Maude was born.

Ooh, that's a dope-ass name. It's a cool name. She went by Maude and eventually became a famed dancer. Of course she did, with the name like U Oolah Maud, which made her brothers later crimes even more shocking that she was like this famous dancer. The family had another boy in 1877, but he unfortunately passed away only weeks after birth

from infantile convulsions. Oh, that's terrible. Is that basically like a seizure? I think so. And I think his name was Edward. His name was gonna be Edward. Now apparently the derance were not like a seizure? I think so. And I think his name was Edward. His name was going to be Edward. Now, apparently the derance were not like a match made in heaven. They were not turbulent, really, but people just found their union very odd.

She was apparently very ambitious and very excitable. She was always on the go and sounds kind of like an extrovert. His father on the other hand was allegedly very quote unquote, drab and boring. Of course opposites can attract. I was going to say. But his father also had an unpredictable personality, not in an exciting sense, but in a scary sense. So people just were kind of like, I don't know about you guys.

But they had both met when they were working at the Charles and Hamilton shoe factory in Toronto. She left to be a homemaker once they had Theodore and he stayed working there. So according to Virginia McConnell, it seems, who wrote that book that I mentioned. It seems for the devil. It seems like William May, William the father may have suffered from bipolar disorder. Okay. That's what Virginia is surmising from her research. He had some unstable moods.

He, like I said, his behavior was a little unpredictable at times, and this may have been exacerbated by their son Edwards tragic and untimely death. Yeah, definitely. Again, that is not like a blanket diagnosis overall bipolar disorders. No. This is just what she is surmising from what she read.

Okay. That's all. Now, William traveled to England a few times for unspecified treatment for his, like what was going, what he had going on mentally, and was not present in the home a lot as the kids were growing up. Isabella, however, was there 24-7, and she formed a very strong bond

with her children, which means Theodore was there with his sister and his mom 24-7. Also, it seemed kind of like Isabella was like, sure, sure, you go or find here. It was kind of one of those things when the dad was just not really around. Yeah. He was doing pretty things, you know. Probably, like, I mean, there wasn't a lot understood back then about mental health. Exactly.

So it was probably annoying to her that he was going through mood swings. Exactly. So she was probably like, yeah, just get out. I got this. Right. So it became kind of she was the main caretaker. Now in 1878, William returned from one of his treatments in England, which we don't get any specifics for what these treatments were or what they are for.

It's just kind of like his treatment. Quote unquote. So he comes home from a treatment in England and told this family he was going to move to San Francisco where he believed he could get a better job and make more money. San Francisco, California. Is he taking them with him?

Well, he said he was going to, but not right away. He said once he got himself stable there, he would bring out the family. Okay, I can kind of understand that. Kind of set everything up, get a job, get a place to live. Yeah, I get it all set for you guys. But again, Isabella was left alone with the kids.

So in 1879, he eventually did bring them to San Francisco. So the next year, you brought them to San Francisco. For the wilder guts out. Sure did. But he was not able to hold down a job because of these, what he was going through. Okay. Like, because of his erratic moods, because of his erratic behavior, he just wasn't able to hold down a job. He had a lot of outbursts and, you know, it was kind of, it was left unchecked at this point.

So employers at this point and at this time were definitely not willing to deal with that or understand it. But they just weren't willing to know. But things got so bad that the whole Durant family had to move in with Williams' parents for a time because otherwise they would have just been without a place to live. Oh, man. Theo, however, was doing all right. He was popular with his peers and his teacher said he was a good student, never gotten any trouble. He especially excelled at things that let him get his hands busy and tinker with things. He liked mechanical stuff, technical stuff, electrical things.

He reminds me a little bit of peer-sutlet clip in that way. Yeah. In that manner, sure. But he eventually went to Cogswell Polytechnical College and took more classes involving engineering and electrical things. And he registered for the 1891 semester at Stanford University. Shit.

Unfortunately, likely due to his family's financial woes, he was unable to attend that semester. And it did bother him. So instead of letting it just stop him in his tracks, though, he did end up enrolling at San Francisco Cooper Medical College in 1893 and decided his love of tinkering and opening things up to explore would serve him well for a medical degree, which is not a bad idea. His mother really steered him in this direction with the hopes that he would be able to make money and raise his social standing, Yeah. Which was huge back then.

1890s, like social standing is everything. Yeah. Classes were very distinct back then. And he did, he did well in school. He received very high grades as a result. He was also known to take extremely meticulous lecture notes and he would share them with anybody if they asked. Oh, so he was a very nice guy.

Yeah. As we will see through this entire thing, this is not one of those like, yeah, like he wasn't really, you didn't really show any signs of what was to come. It's not one of those. It's like, oh no, he literally went out of his way to help people. That's weird. And like people knew him as a very kind, genuine, not at all weird, human.

Huh. Yeah, this is a very strange case in that sense. It's very weird. It's like he just, he must have been hiding some deep, dark shit. But I think something may have helped unleash it, but it's weird. This one's a weird one.

I'm interested. Yeah. So Theo had learned to work with what he had basically, but it's weird. This one's a weird one. I'm interested. Yeah. So Theo had learned to work with what he had, basically, both financially and fashionably. He was not a bridge troll, but he was slightly different looking when it comes to the beauty standards of that time.

Okay. I don't think he was ugly by any stretch. I'll let you know. But by the standards of the the time he was shorter than most but men he was five foot five, which does not translate into unattractive, but it gave him a little bit of a complex in his own mind. He had very wide set eyes, which were very noticeable. Okay. And apparently he had a notably misshapen head. Wow. Which I'm like, how do you even tell that with hair? Yeah.

I don't know about that one. I'm looking for a pic right now. And then they said he had like bigger lips, which I was like, that's like an attractive quality by today's standards. What's happening here? Like, and then you look at pictures and you're like, yeah, I wouldn't, it's a pretty normal look and do.

I just wouldn't even notice. Like I just be like, hello sir. Yeah. Like it wouldn't excite me, it wouldn't repel me, I wouldn't even notice like I just like hello sir. Yeah, like it wouldn't Excite me. It wouldn't repel me. I wouldn't I don't really see anything misshapen about his head I it's a very stupid, but it was very much Like stated that he had a misshapen here But instead of focusing on those things that may have brought his confidence down He really decided to focus on the sartorial part of his life. He was going to be a fashionista.

Same. He was impeccably dressed at all times. And he would actually put away clothing that was out of fashion or season. Same. And this was not easy to do on his budget at the time. Yeah. He didn't have all the sex or income, but he made sure he always had what was in fashion. It was always in season. He always was put together. Stacey and Clinton would be so proud. They would. He didn't put all of this on his parents either. He didn't because you're thinking like, okay, so his parents are having to pay for this fucking wardrobe of his.

But apparently he didn't want to do that because again, he was a weirdly nice sky for some period of time. He got himself a job at the morning call, which was a daily newspaper in the area. He became a delivery boy and he did other things around it and he saved all of his money. He gave some of it to his parents. And then sock the rest away to buy himself things like a bicycle and other things. He would eventually move on to work

at a lot of department stores across the city. He also did clerical work at the Mannheim Insurance Company. And he was known to be very handy, which again is very disconcerting when you hear what he eventually was convicted of doing. Oh great. He would use his skills to help out like his electrical, tinkering, technological skills.

He would use them to help out friends and family and neighbors. And he became known as the handyman who would help you out in a pinch for anything. You knew, you had electrical issues. Theo will come over for no charge and I'll help you out. That's crazy. Eventually, he actually became the volunteer handyman at the 21st Street Emanuel Baptist Church.

He would paint, repair anything around the church. He would build things for gatherings. He would build stages for the events. He was giving, he was around the church, he would build things for gatherings, he would build stages for the events, he was giving, he was kind, he was helpful, what the fuck happened? I don't know. Well, I can tell you what I think at least contributed to something snapping

that was already there. I had to have been something already there. Yeah. You don't do what he did and we'll obviously get into it without some kind of darkness being inside of you. So in the spring of 1894, Theodore contracted a quote near fatal case of viral meningitis, which is the inflammation of the lining of the brain caused by a virus or bacteria. It can be life-threatening.

It has severe consequences, especially back then. Nowadays, we have antibiotics and medical intervention that makes this just not what it was once, but this was a mixture of no medical advances in this area in horrific sanitary conditions because of the 1800s of it all. Yeah, there's always that of it. Yeah. And it would make this illness pretty fatal most of the time. Yeah, and it would make this illness pretty fatal most of the time. He contracted it, a very severe case of it, and his mother, Isabella, was the one to actually nurse him back to health, but he lost 40 pounds during the illness. Holy shit. And according to the previously mentioned source,

the quote, there was undoubtedly some neurological damage. Yeah, so boom. So that's what I think kickstarted. neurological damage. Yeah, so boom. So that's when I think kick started. Some of these thoughts he was having and some of these things he was doing. Because we talked about how by the standards of the day,

I guess, like he was shorter, he was like the wide set eyes or something like that. I don't know. He's not even that wide set. I don't think he's unattractive. I don't, I'm not like, woo, but it's like, no, I'm just like, you're a guy. Yeah, you're just like, you're a man. That's fine.

But apparently he had some kind of complex. I don't know if somebody had said something to him or what, but he had to pretend, and I do believe it has to do a lot with stature. I think stature had a lot to do with it back then. Like five to five, not that tall. And he wasn't like a big guy there. So I think then it was like important to be tall and really like statuesque. I didn't even know that. I mean Napoleon did like things didn't he did things? Well, he Napoleon complex.

That's what I'm saying. But you know, he did stuff. Well, that's the thing. It's not right, but it's, you know, it's not right, but it's okay. But it's okay. But I think he tried to make up for it, but with a lot of bravado and a lot of like, I'm like a god, I'm this like sexual, like, I'm sexually frowless. So, very much an opolean complex. And so, I think that that inflammation there, that meningitis definitely popped something off that made him feel more obsessed with that. Like it almost like kickstarted a lot of obsessive thoughts. Okay.

I can see that. Yeah. It's the only thing I can point to, to be honest, and it's the only thing anybody can. It's like there's nothing else. That's what it's, I mean, that's what it sounds like from everything you're saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. illness doesn't equal murdering people. So it's like you can't point to just like, well, his father had something going on this. Like, I think they're had to have been something. Yeah. So the next year on Wednesday, April 3rd, 1895,

this was the next year after he had like recovered from this illness, the family of 21 year old's Blanche Lamont, and this is 21 year old, by the way, barely family of 21 year old Blanche Lamont. And this is 21 year old, barely out of teenager. I know what's gonna happen now that you've specified that. They were beginning to panic a bit on this night because she had not returned home after that afternoon, she had a violin lesson.

And it wasn't like Blanche to disappear without notice. Blanche had moved to California recently from Montana, and she had been a schoolteacher in Montana, but she was in California taking courses to further her education. All right. She was staying with relatives in California. So she had last been known to be with her friend,

Mini Edwards, who was questioned, and Mini told investigators that she indeed was with Blanche that day that she went missing. And together they have left classes and we're waiting together for a street card to come. All right. And if you look up like what we can post some pictures because I have this really old Asbook that I found that is called report of the trial of William Henry Theodore Durant. She is holding it right now. It's like leather bound. It's this cool old ass book.

But in it, they have a lot of pictures of like the street car and all that stuff. I'm interested in that. So we'll try to post, I'll make sure those pictures get posted with this. Yes. But it's interesting. So they were waiting for the street car together.

And as they waited, Minnie said she was talking, they were talking together, just chitchatting about what they were gonna do. I think they were making plans together. And as they waited, Minnie said she was talking, they were talking together, just chitchatting about what they were going to do. I think they were making plans together. And she said, a man came up behind them and clearly knew Blanche. And she said, he tipped his hat towards her. All right. And then offered to carry her books for her. So this is the 1800s version of flirting, basically. And they all got on the street car together, but many said she went on the inside of the street car

and these, she let them sit on the outside, which again, when we post the picture, I think it'll make a little more sense. Okay. Part of a street car is like outside seats where you're just like sitting, almost like a trolley. Or like even like a hay ride, or like you can sit in the middle,

or you can sit on the edge of that. Yeah, and like the outside of it was literally like you're facing out into the street and it's open. Yeah, okay. And you're sitting there. I could then it was like a fully covered inside. So many said she sat on the inside because she wanted to let them just, she was like clearly they know each other. She's she's being a good gal pal. Yeah, she was like they seem to like each other.

Like I'm just gonna give them space to catch up. She's got to mind her own. Like good for many. She was just trying they seem to like each other. Like, I'm just gonna give them space to catch up. She's kind of lined her own. Like, good for many. She was just trying to be a good girlfriend. Now, several other witnesses corroborated many story and remembered seeing this man because apparently at this time, it was not allowed for women to be in the company of men

at the school. Oh. So, many carons were out there taking notes this day. Scandalous. And weirdly, not one of them could give a physical description of this man. So they weren't taking like proper notes. Yeah, so I'm like, I don't know, you weren't doing your job. To his gossiping. A woman named Elizabeth Crocett told investigators that she got onto the street car and saw one

Theodore Durant sitting on the seat next to a young lady and they seem to be enjoying each other's company. Elizabeth recognized Theodore because he was friends with her grandson Jim and she liked Theo. She thought he was very kind, very helpful, very generous young man. In fact, she knew him to be such a gentleman and so helpful that she was older. And so she was just about to approach him on the street car and ask him to be her hero and help her get off the street car at her stop. Oh. Because she knew he would.

Yeah. She was like, absolutely, he would do it. But she said before she could get to Theo, Theo and this young lady, she didn't know, got off together at the 21st Street in Valencia and started walking together in the 21st Street in Valencia and started walking together in the direction of the Emanuel Baptist Church. She was able to say all that.

So the woman, there was another woman who lived across the street from the Emanuel Baptist Church, her name was Caroline Leake. She told investigators that she also knew Theo very well because he was the church's handyman. And also was the assistant superintendent of the church's Sunday school. He passed out the hymn books at the services, was an officer in the young people's Christian and Debra society, and served as Usher on most Sundays. Damn, Theo is doing it.

The most. She also said she saw Theo out her window that day when when what was her the Elizabeth Croset what Elizabeth Croset said that they had got off the street car. Caroline leaks that I saw her at Theo out my window and that he was with a woman that she didn't recognize and they were walking towards the church. I'm trying to keep this all noted, but now I just have Melissa Etheridge stuck in my head. Good, there you go, come to my window, you know? But she was certain of this

because she also had a Karen moment and thought it was very imprudent for this young husse of a lady to be walking into church with a man alone. They're going into church, she got like, come down. She was so bothered by this that she sat by her window to watch and see if they when they came out together.

Wow. She said she sat for a long time, but they didn't come out. What a creep. Yeah. So what we have is we have made just to give you a quick little rundown. We have many Edwards who is Blanche's friend. One, they were standing at the bus stop, the street car stop, Theo walks up and says, hey girl, hey, and they start flirting. Direct quote. They get on that street car, many kind of sits away, but she sees them get on the outside of the street car.

We got Elizabeth Croset who knows Theo very well, saw Theo in the presence of Blanche. She didn't know his Blanche at the time, but later said yes, that was Blanche. Didn't know where I said they seemed to really like each other. It was really cute. She was going to ask the owner of the letter off to help her off the street car, but he had left on the stop for the church. Then we got Caroline Leake who knows the O knows them very well seems to take a liking in him as well, because knows every fucking thing

that he's ever done. Caroline And she's looking out her window. She sees Theo in the presence of a young lady who she later said, yes, that was blanched, blanched, LeMont. They were entering the church together and they did not come out. I'm nervous about this church because every time you keep saying the church's name, your eyes do this weird thing. That says to me, Ashkel, remember that church. Remember that church? This was the last anyone saw of blanchilise. Yeah Ashkel remember that church. Remember that church?

This was the last anyone saw of the Lancholasse. Yeah, I had that feeling. She entered the Emanuel Baptist church with Theodore Durant and she never came back out. Okay. So immediately the following day she was reported missing. Since this story included, and remember, the 1800s of it all, since this story included the salacious bit that she was last seen alone with a man.

No! They assumed she ran off and aloaked with him. Where are my pearls? Now this, this sounds crazy, because you're like, this random man that like, yeah, she knew him, but like she's just running off and aloping with him. Right.

This wasn't completely out of left field, because the Owen Blanche did know each other. Many was a new friend of Blanche's. So what many didn't know was that the on Blanche had dated pretty seriously. Oh, okay. And then he was saying like this guy came up. I didn't know who he was, but they seemed to kind of know each other. They did.

Many was a new friend. She just didn't know that they had dated. They had history. They dated pretty seriously, pretty seriously in the sense that it was like three months of dating, but back then it was like, we might as well propose now. I was gonna say that's a whole courtship.

Exactly. And before this event happened, it was like months earlier, he had proposed. Oh shit. And she had told him, it's not a no, but it's not a yes, I would like to slow things down. Okay, fair.

So she said I'd like to slow things down. I'd actually like to call this off for right now. Just let me have some time. Okay. I would, but like, maybe just let's see what else is good. Like, I just want to slow it down. That's all. I want to take a step back from this relationship.

I'm not sure if this is what I want. So she had basically called it off. She had technically rejected his proposal, but people took this like, I just want to slow down. We'll see what happens later as like, well, maybe she changed her mind and just decided to alope with him. Okay, I can say that for sure.

It's just people reaching us like, hopefully nothing bad happened there. Yeah, yeah. So that for sure. It's just people reaching us like hopefully nothing bad happened there. Yeah, yeah. So that Friday there was still no sign of blanch and that happened on a Wednesday. Is she? And no one had heard from her either. And now it was starting to get to be a scary situation. They were trying to keep this from turning into tabloid gossip and getting more salacious. So the family kept a lot of the details quiet and weren't telling a lot of people besides investigators. They just didn't want to ruffle any feathers here. And the investigators were just quietly working to find her. This led to Theodorant actually stopping by the relative's house,

where Blanche lived. He stopped there on that Friday and dropped a book off to her sister, Maud. And dropped the book off and said, I promised Blanche I would let her borrow this book. Can you give it to her? And her sister was like, she's not home. And at that time she was missing, but she didn't want to let them know that. Of that because they were supposed to keep it quiet. They were quiet. And he was like, oh, where is she? And asked questions and was like, but seemingly, like, mod was like now looking back on it, it almost seemed like, oh, really? Like, she's not home.

Weird. Like, he was enjoying the path that her sister had to play. So it's like, and to me, this is a perfect way for him to just use this. I was like, I didn't know she was. I didn't. I even brought her a book. Right. I loaned her a book on Friday. That's how much I didn't know that she was missing. So the next week was when everything came public, because the family couldn't keep any of the secrets any longer. Now they just wanted everybody to know because they just wanted to find blanche. So they opened up everything and now police actively were speaking to anyone blanche may have been

with or dated at any point. I'm confused because they interviewed a lot of former suitors, but not the one man who she was seen with that day. You don't know. They didn't interview him. They really focused more on this man named Tom Vogel, who was a doctor that she had dated. Okay. Now Vogel pointed this out and said, Theo was with her that day. Like several people are saying he was with her that day,

but even her family was like, no, that's not possible. Like, theodore had nothing to do with this. And they literally said, no, not possible. How sad is that? Because I'm getting the sense that I fio did this? Um, that's, you know what, that's how much of a front he was able to put on and have people buy. At this time, um, to hit her sister, Blanche's sister, mod Lamont actually posted ads in the classified sections of the newspapers in the area that said, Blanche, no matter what has happened, come back to me.

Oh, and she never got a response. My heart. By this time news was flooded with the details of this case so far, they had printed the details. Now they were finally printing details of Theo being the last one to see be with her. Here we go. And now about their relationship that they had. So gossip started formalling, but it was mostly just

kind of like harmless gossip at the time. No one actually believed Theo had anything to do with Blanche's disappearance. It was more now people were teasing Theo about it because they were like, this is bullshit. Like that's so crazy. So they'd be like, oh Theo, did you really do that? And he's like, oh, well, no.

Like, and they were like, of course not. Ah, yeah, I hate that. Nine days after Blanche went missing, another woman connected to Theodore Durant was supposed to be showing up at a party. Who's that? And this party, well, the party that she was supposed to go to was Tom Vogel's party.

Oh, shit. There was a lot of like inner hanging out here. Well, class. Exactly. And she didn't show up to this party. This woman was Marion Minne Williams. I know there's a lot of the same names too. They sound like, you know, 1800s.

And again, this is not to be confused with many Edwards who was Blanche's new friend. No, this is Minne Williams. Minne Williams had met Theo through the church where she was working as a, quote, domestic worker. So she was a maid. Yeah. She was vivacious and brought a lot of life into anywhere she went. In fact, she too, like Theo had come from Canada. And when she first moved to California, she settled in Almeida. And she got work as a maid for Clark Morgan, who was the former head of the California Casket Company.

Shit, that's a call. She was apparently not a great maid, but they kept her because the family adored her so much. Oh. And came to think of her as such a happy presence in their home that they were like, I don't even care that she's not that great of a maid. I like to think that's why the pub that I worked at

kept me for so long. That's not a great way to express what what I'm fun, but you're great. Yeah. But she was that kind of person. She was just like a really awesome person. Right. Now, after she had taken on a job at the church in San Fran, that's where she met the year.

He had just gotten out of a relationship with a woman named Flora, who was in a much higher social class, and was actually engaged to her for a small period of time, but they had broken things off too. Oh. And he showed a great interest in many when she showed up. So he was very interested in her, but then quickly showed her that he was very interested in having a sexual relationship. But that times they were a different and unmarried, it was forbidden. Yeah.

Forbidden. And honestly, many was of a lower social class than he was. So there was several things going against this whole thing. And many was a respectable woman of the time and wasn't going to give in to his crazy desires. So after they dated a bit, he got bored. And that's when he moved on to blanche. I see, okay, okay. So many, what people think is that many was a maid. He had just dated someone named Flora who was way higher class than he was. Yes.

So reports came out that he had very much tried to have a sexual relationship with Flora as well, and she was like, no, no, no, I'm not married to you. Right. And so he looked at that as like, okay, well, she's not because she's a respectable higher class lady. But many is just a maid. Like what is she talking about?

Like what the, and it's like that's literally what he was thinking. Like she's lower class than me. So men are trash. And when many didn't, he got annoyed. It's true. Men are homeless. This man's a trash. That's for sure. And when many wouldn't do it, he got annoyed. It's true. Men all this, this man's a trash.

That's for sure. And when Minnie wouldn't do it, he was shocked and probably a little shamed because he was thinking this was gonna be easy. And then he decided to move on to Blanche. He was pretty much in the same class as he was. Okay. A lot of class shit happening here.

So he moved on to Blanche. And so at the time of Minnie's disappearance, she was actually Minnie was interested in pursuing Tom Vogel. Oh wow, this is wild. I know, this is very... This is like a rectangle. It's very much like Peyton's place.

So what's that? Wow, it's like an old show. I probably should have... Melrose, please. I know what that is, but I didn't watch it. But okay. But you know, it's like a scandal of shit. Sure.

It's like, dinner pump rules. Okay, let's play that. Yeah, there it is. I was like, wait, I know I know something relevant. So, that's literally it. So, this is why that evening that many did not show up at this party. She had put on her fanciest dress and got her hair done

because she was meeting Tom Fogel at his party that night. And do you think he was interested in her? I think he was. I do too. I'd like to think he was. She had to take a train and then a ferry to San Fran that was together.

Oh, she was committed. She was committed. Witnesses later came forward to say that they actually saw Theodorant at the San Fran ferry terminal. Imagine that that and he was clearly waiting for someone. Charles Dodge, who was a fellow student with Theo and a friend from the Cooper Medical School, actually talked to Theo at the Fairy Entrance. In fact, he reported that he made a joke because of the recent headlines and said,

Durant, what have you done with that girl you made away with? I, and he was obviously talking about Blanche. Yep, yep. And another man named Frank Sadman actually stopped and talked to Theo at the ferry entrance. He was the janitor for the church or one of the janitors for the church and knew Theo very well. Sadman told police that part of their conversation, including the included theo telling him

that he was at the ferry because he was looking for blanche. What? He told him he had, quote, received a clue that she will be leaving the city and going over to East Bay. Okay. Like, what do you do? Like, sir, do you have her body?

That's everybody with the, so he was basically being like, I heard something that said that she was going to be leaving on the ferry. So I'm here to try to intercept her. So I can bring her to her family. I'm a hero. Yeah. Even after this interaction with a witness, yet another man who was he was friends with, of Sotheo, and his name was Adolf Holm, which, sorry about that name, bro, who was another friend from school. And he saw him walking with a very short young woman. And this woman was wearing what he referred to as a turban around her hair and a cape.

Okay. Many Williams had left her home for the party, for the party, for the party, that evening wearing those two things. Because she had gotten her hair done exactly. She didn't want to mess it up. Perhaps the most damning witness report was from Alexander Zenger. He lived down the street with an eyesight of the church.

So he was kind of like Caroline Leak there who was across the church. He was just like one over from her busy body And he was a regular parishioner there. He had recently heard gossip, and maybe this is why Caroline was like, they're going in there on attendant, because he had heard gossip that young people were sneaking into the church late at night to like, fuck. Fuck in the church. So, y'all, I know that, Jason. I know that's a sin.

Before the land of Jesus, what are you doing up here? That is not good. And he was not about to let this happen under his watch. I don't even think I let that happen under my watch. He was peeking out that window and he saw Theo and Mini enter that church around 8 p.m.

Theo is with Mini in the church. Mini, in the church. He, too. In the church. He had taken her from that ferry terminal. They had walked to that church and he was entering with her. And he's got out that church. She has had relationships with both Blanche and Mini. Now, he was on, again, like I said, he was on his own carambolish at watching like a hawk.

So he said he watched the whole time. And an hour later, at 9 p.m., he saw Theo exit the side door of the church and not many didn't leave. So did anyone go to that church and say, let me check that out. No. So at 9.30, only a half hour later, Theo showed up at Tom Vogel's door where the party was because he was invited to the party. Oh, I know. These are all friends party. Tom said Tom Vogel said that Theo looked a little disheveled and frazzled. Uh huh. And that Theo told him he was sorry. He was late, but he quote had trouble catching his horse at the armory. I bet. Vogel noted that he was

a little weirded out. And he also said he noted that many Williams never showed up to the party and she had planned to attend. And he wanted her to be there. He did, I think. I know. And her family said she never made it home either. Now, we have another missing young woman and nothing had moved in Blanche's disappearance at this point. Then the following day after many went missing, April 13th, Blanche's aunt, her aunt, TriFena Noble, I believe. That is a fast ass belief. Yeah, there's some cool names in here.

She received a package in the mail. Now again, this is the day after many went missing, April 13th. When she opened this package, there was one page of newsprint from the Examiner newspaper and it had the name George R. King and Professor Shoe Stein on it. Okay. Now, I don't know why, but she opened the newspaper page and inside was another sheet of paper that was folded like an envelope, kind of. And when it was opened inside were three rings, all having belonged to Blanche.

Ooh, I don't like that. Yes. So Detective Edward Gibson was called to check this evidence out, obviously. And he had seen this as a very bad sign for Blanche's recovery alive. He wouldn't have time to mull this over though for very long because the exact same day, many would be found. Oh, a woman named Lila Berry was waiting for some women

to arrive at the Emanuel Baptist Church. They were gonna be doing some kind of function. And while she was waiting, she and some of the other women decided to pass the time reading. So Lila went into the closet of the church library to show a woman named Mrs. Nolte where the books were kept. And when they opened the door, they were met with a gruesome scene. Oh, no. There in front of them, many Williams was on a table, spread completely eagle, clearly deceased.

There was blood all over the floors, the walls, the books. They panicked. Yeah. And sent for Reverend George Gibson, which seems like his name should have officer in front of it. Yep. But nope, they got the pastor. They called the pastor.

He's not legal, guys. Like, we got to call the legal people. We got to call the legal people in here. So Reverend Gibson did the sensible thing. And when he saw the body, he called the golden, nope, he didn't, he called the golden gate undertaking company and asked them to please remove the body secretly from the church

and not let anyone know about it. Why? Because he didn't want to scare parishioners. I think it might come out that she was found there because here we are today. Yeah, so then the under taker came and was like, Oh, this is a literal murder seeing you actual idiots and he called the police.

Like the under taker was the one that was like, No, I'm not just gonna remove this body. That's illegal. So it's like the worst game of telephoto. Like are you fucking kidding me? So he called the police. He was like, what the fuck? He also called Tom Vogel because he was the closest doctor, which would act as a temporary corner here,

even though they actually have a corner. Holy, it's like very scandalous. It is. Yeah. Vogel was obviously shocked to see this woman with many Williams. Just so terrible for many too, that like he was the one who had to do it. They reported initially that she was lying spread eagle with her party dresh pushed up above her knees and a knife handle was broken and lying on her chest.

Okay. When the corner actually came and made his report, he said after a more thorough examination, this was a brutal slaying. They had found strips of cloth shoved down many throat. What? The strips had been torn from her own undergarments, and they found a sharpened stick that had been used to forcibly shove the fabric down her throat. Oh my God! They actually found that the stick had been pulled from a table that she was lying on, and the killer had had to sharpen the stick with a knife before using it to push the fabric down many throat.

Oh my God! There was a deep laceration on her forehead that went down to her nose and was bleeding extensively. There was lacerations on multiple parts of her body, but her wrists were cut and her hands were almost completely. It's so deeply they'd almost been severed from the arms. Holy shit. Both of them. Yeah. She had also been stabbed several times in the chest, with such force and rage that the

knife had broken and the blade was still in her chest. Oh my God! The handle was left lying on her chest. Also, it was a butter knife. What? She had been stabbed with a butter knife. That hard, that the handle broke off. And hard enough to penetrate her heart

With a butter knife. Do you know the force you have to use? So he was little but he was strong And it's like the force you have to use to get a butter knife through someone Even a dull scalpel won't cut through like flesh unless you give it a good Like pop. Yeah, like that's but a butter knife. Wow scalpel won't cut through like flesh unless you give it a good like pop. Of course. Yeah. Like that's but a butter knife. Wow. It was also discovered unfortunately that many had been violently raped before and after death. Oh my god. Her cause of death though was thought to be asphyxiation from those pieces of fabric being

shoved down or so. She she was alive when that happened? Yep. And it was probably to keep her quiet. Initially, he placed her time of death at around midnight the previous evening, but this was what the initial examination, but after an analysis of her stomach contents, he actually revised to that time of death and said, actually'd say about 8.30 p.m. the previous evening. I don't know if we want to go back really quick. I do. But our little pal who was watching out to see if people were fucking in the church,

he saw the mentor around 8.30 a.m. at nine. Yeah. 8.30 p.m. is a perfect time for that to have happened. And then he must have, he like cleaned up in the church somewhere. Yeah. And then he himself up, I mean. Yeah, he must have.

Now, when they searched the area, they quickly knew this person had to know their way around the church. That room was not known to everyone. And the piece of the table used in Sharpen was not something that people would know was there to pull off. Also, the knife he used was one of the church's kitchen knives. So he knew that was- So he had to go into the kitchen, find that, and be able to use it. So news spread quickly that there was a murder in the church. So the power, calling the pastor didn't, didn't really work out for them. And it put, they put together that there was probably a connection to the missing, the disappearance of Blanche Le Mans. Definitely. Some papers were very typically 1800s and said in

headlines that the body had been, quote, hacked to pieces with adult table knife. Nice. Well, that is pretty true. Yeah. To be honest, like, that's a pretty salacious headline. Yeah, I don't think we need to put that out there. They also said that the assailant had evidently possessed all the ferocity of Jack the Ripper. Okay. Now Blanche and Minnie, again, they both had dated Theo and they knew each other. They were acquaintances.

Oh wow. They ran in the same circles. What? Yeah. The media also pointed to the connection, obviously, with Theo to be like, aha, I think we have our guy. And everybody spotting him with these women.

All the witnesses and many zone friends pointed fingers at Theodore and were like, I don't want to believe he did it, but that's the only fucking thing I can think of. Well, and then was Tom Vogel, like, yeah, he showed up to shovel this fucking look frantic to my part game, that to investigators. And according to one article, Theodore quote, had written to many yesterday asking her to meet him in San Francisco. Oh, bitch, you put that in writing. Yup.

And she did. And it says that it was the Sunday Oregonian or Oregonian or probably Oregonian, Oregonian, right? Yeah. That makes sense. In 1895, it said, but she did not look upon his advances with favor. I mean. Because she was like, your bitch.

Yeah. And he probably got mad at her. Well, who broke off, she broke off their engagement? I think it was one of those, like, I think it was like a mutual thing where she was like, I'm not going to sleep with you. And he was like, well, I'm bored now. And she's like, then you can get some. So she was probably like, fuck you.

Yeah, you're like, you're a fuck boy. And then he's like, well, I'm bored now and she's like, then you can get some. So she was probably like, fuck you, you're like, you're a fuck boy. And then he's like, me, me and San Francisco, she's probably, and then, because then he immediately went to Blanche. So she was probably like, okay, asshole, like no. I wonder, oh my gosh, she must have been scared too, because she knew that he moved on to Blanche and it's like, and she's like, what the hell? And that Blanche is missing. So Detective Gibson was certain that they had a connection that many in Blanche did for sure and a killer

That was common for both cases and even though they had not found Blanche's body at this point He was convinced that they would find her soon and he was 100% sure they would find her on the church grounds Oh And that is where I'm going to end part one Bitch, but don't worry part two is only like, what, like 12 hours away, 24 hours away. But goodness, golf friends, you're killing us. But I'm telling you, there's more,

the trial is pretty wild. We still have the discovery of blanche. Yeah. It's a wild one. This is, this one really interested me. I'm here. I'm ready. I'm ready for part two I think we should record it right now. Sorry everybody else. I think we're going to So I'm going hard

So stay tuned and then do we hope it keep listening and we hope you keep it But not to worry that when somebody doesn't want to date you anymore You don't murder them because like wow you could date so many other people instead. That's like a healthy coping mechanism Bye. Yeah, don't murder them because like wow you could date so many other people instead that's like a healthy coping mechanism bye yeah don't do that yeah okay Hey, Prime members! You can listen to morbid, early, and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen Add Free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey.