The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-10
FATHERS ON STAND
AT ORPET'S TRIAL
One Tries to Shield Accused
Son, While Other Tells Of His
Daughters Death.
MOURNING MOTHERS HEAR

CHICAGO. June s.-E q. Orret took
the stand in the Circuit Court at Wau-
kegan to-day as n witness for the State
In Its efforts to send his son to tn. gal
lows or the penitentlary.
As he assembled the stand Frank Lam
bert. father OF the girl with whose death
Will Orpet is charged, stepped down. The
w fathers. one trying in every way TO
shield his boy and tho other e%ndeavoring
to avenge his daughter. brushed each
Other on their way to and from the wit
ness chair.
Mrs. Lambert, In mourning, a tragic
heure. sat with her head bowed In her
hands. weeping silently. az her husband
told his dramatic story of finding his
daughter dead In Helms Woods with
the new NOW drifted over her.
II Mrs. Lambert had stretched out her
arm she could have touched another
mother whom this tragedy had plunged
into sorrow as profound as her own. BE-
side her son Mrs. Orpet sat with witch
Ing. troubled countenance as the heart
broken man on the witness stand told
OF the series Of happenings that had
robbed him OF his only child.
Will orpet was apparently unfnovcd.
His white. finely chiselled face remained
as cold and still as a cameo. He sat with
arms crossed ana head on one side with
the air OF one who listens critically and
with impersonal interest. Once he turned
and whispered to his mother. Again he
took a leather note book from an inner
pocket and made a notation with a foun-
tain pen.
II states Attorney Ralph Dady ex-
pected to prove anything vital against
the boy by his father he was disap-
pointed. Mr.. orpet. n black bearded
Englishman of heavy build, his cheeks
ruddy with health. told little that hurt
his sons chances and nothing that helped
the prosecution.
He surprised Mr.. Dady by saying he
could not identify the handwriting Of
forty-four letters as that OF his son.
One after another Mr.. Dady showed
him forty-four letters written by Will
Orpet to Marion Lambert and asked
him II he couh Identity the handwriting.
The prosecutor expected the Identification
would be a mere formality. To his sur
prise Mr.. Orpet said he could not
identify the handwriting OF any OF the
letters except two. one OF these was
signed william" and the other w. II.
o." Unless the state Is able to Identify
the letters drought Mrs. Orpet IL may
have difficulty In Identifying them n; all.
The letters have been regarded as a vital
factor in the states case.
Mr.. DaIy's efforts TO show that VIII
Orpet slept in his ather's garage on
the night before the fatal tryst viii
Marion Lambert failed. An objection
entered hv James II. Wilkerson, senior
counsel for the defence. prevented the
Introduction OF the very fact which the
State expected to proc by Mr.. Orpet
This untold story concerned the hiding
In an ash heap OF all the cyanide OF
potassium kept IN the greenhouse n,
Mr.. Orpet's home "A week after his son
had oce" arrested tior the murder OF
Marion Lambert. whose death was
cause-l by this poison.
AT the commencement Of his tes,!-
mony MIR. orpet said he was born In
England, was a gardener ''by profession
and had been superintendent of the
Cyrus H.. Mccormick estate near Lake
Forest since 1910. lie said his home
was a mile east of Sacred Heart .Acad-
envy on Jessaminc avenue. which is OPP
posite Helms Woods.
@. Has your garage sleeping rooms
over it," Mr.. Dady asked.
A. ut has five replied Mr.. Orpet.
Q. Who slept there during last Feb
ruary? a. Charles Fetelia, a sub-gar-
1oner.
.. Were there beds in any OF the other
rooms besides petei!a's, \. No.
@. Did any one besides Petella sleep
in the garage or any OF the upper rooms
on the night of February S? a. Not
to my knowledge.
Q. During February was the door "a
the greenhouse kept locked? A. No.
the key had been lost.
Q. Did you keep a supply of cyanide
of potassium a. Yes. l kept 1t on a
shelf in the potting shed.
@. Was there any enclosure about that
shelf? a. None.
Q. In what form was the cyanide ?
A. In crystal Jumps,
Q. How long had the cyanide beer
kept on that shelf A, II was kept
there from October until a week af.cr
this tragedy. when I ordered Percy
Longland. an assistant. to throw 1,
away.
Q. Do you know where he threw IT.
4 I know where he said he threw tt,
I have no personal knowledge on tina,
point.
@. Where?
Here Mr.. Wilkcrton objected and Mr.
Orpet escaped the embarrassing ordeal oi
having to admit something that will be
testified N by Percy Longland later.
you know whether VII Orpet
knew of the presence of the cyanide In
the greenhouse" pursued Mr.. Dady.
II don know that he had any knowl.
edgf Of IT," said MIR. Orpet.