The Springfield herald., 1907-06-14
0 RICHARDS life.
SHOWS PRIDE IN THE VERY MAG
TUDE OF HIS cRIslES.
WRITES HIS OWN HISTORY
It Is Not Generally Believed that Re-
lision Is the Sustaining Element
in the Murderer's Brazenness.
BY John /. Tierney.

Boise, Idaho.-"I have written the
plete account of my history from my
earliest recollection to the present"
So declared Harry Orchard on the
witness stand, and he made the an
nouncement with a note of pride in
his voice. He said he had been work
ing on it for more than a year past.
He had gone over 1t again and again.
He had revised it ard changed the
I phraesology to bring the work as near
perfection as lay in his power.
The vanity of authorship has seized
on Orchard. He displayed the symp-
toms today when answering Richard
sons questions. At times he disclosed
clearly that this child of his brain was
the drama in which he has such a
conspicuous part.
Orchard gave the students of psy-
chology additional material on which
to work, changing the focus at which
they have been studying him and COM
pelling changes in the conclusions al
ready deduced. Now that the first
shock occasioned by the Orchard
story has passed, the minds of lawyers,
correspondents and spectators turn
from contemplation Of those horrors
| to an attempt at analyzing the witness.
"Why is he telling this story,
whether true or not?" is the question.
and no answer is satisfactory. Attor-
neys for the state are as much in the
| dark as those to whom Orchard is a
new acquaintance.
He is marvel" declared Borah as
he joined a group of correspondents af-
ter court had adjourned.
He is a psychological mystery"
was Hawley's comment.
The idea that religion is the impel-
ling force that is driving the assassin
to lay bare his soul is not generally
believed. There is no suggestion of
remorse or contrition in Orchards
manner or appearance. 1t is not pos
sible he has travelled in mental con-
seriousness the path whose end marks
atonement
Look at the heavy, square jaws of
the man. They are plainly discernibe
even in his printed photograph. When
| angered by Richardson this lower jaw
| rrotrudes in ugly fashion, the express
| sion undergoes a change, and here is
man who has been dealt stinging
blow or is about to deliver knockout.
| The face Orchard wears at such times
| has been seen at every prize fight ever
held.
| No, 1t is not religion. as we under
| stand it. Besides, religion contem-
plates mercy, charity and forgiveness
as it's chief attributes. There is none
of these in Orchards makeup.
AS for the idea of atonement. Or
chard's thoughts are still worldly. He
shows that in his carefully groomed
| appearance. The clothes he wears are
of finer texture and better fit than
Hawley's or Borah's or the courts. His
linen is always fresh and his ties show
discrimination in selection. His pat
ent leather shoes are always bright,
and if the morning be chilly he has
| natty top coat to adorn as well as pro-
| tect him. Even his hands and naii<
show care and attention.
Cases are on record where vanity
| has led men to do utterly inconceivable
! things, and where it has sustained
them in situations where other sources
| of strength failed. In the recital of
his monstrous story Orchard gives evil
| dence in many places that now, after
| the account is all in, he is supervising
the work of balancing the record with
| sense of pride for the magnitude of
the sum total.
His very Indifference in telling of
the number of his victims and the
manner of their taking away indicates
vanity.
The unconcern he manifests when
| Richardson tries to sting him into los
| ing losing control by references to his
assassinatious and his reluctance to
acknowledge lesser crimes than homi
eide, bear out the theory.
Did you commit any holdups in
| Denver during the spring of 1904, any
burglaries snatch any pocketbooks?"
asked Richardson.
An indignant denial came from Or
chard. and he glared viciously at at the
attorney Such incidental and trivial
acts were not for him.
On the other hand, when Richardson
cross-examined him with regard TO
his knowledge of or acquaintance with
| Lyte Gregory. to bring out the cold
booded character of that murder, the
witness assented to Richardson's pur
pose. .E
You did not know Lyte Gregory?
He had never done you any harm? You
had never seen him? You had never
even heard of him?"
To each of these questions Orchard
answered calmly:
NO"
In truth. Borah may style Orchard
R marvel, although the comment was
made from the po 1t of view of the at.
iorney watching his own witness In
the hands of the opposition counsel.
Il never saw such quick wit dis
lplayed by witness in my life said
Borah. He has absolutely refused to
be led by counsel and Richardson is an
adroi. examiner. He frames his ques
tions so that almost any witness would
quite unconsciously give the answer he
is seeking, but Orchard does not. He
chooses his own words"
Hawley expressed the opinion that
The religious motive was the force sus-
tanning the assassin.
There are some instances in Bibli
cal history" said he. that will parallel
this case?
But his auditor. We're closer students
pf prpSapt-dnv life than of the Spsnps