The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-14

"Why! why? why? why ala you
come? You brought no relief; you
brought no medicine; you brought no
tenderness-no words of love Why
did you Gomez"
On February s, Orpet at Madison
left three letters, post-dated February
8, with his friend Otto Peterson to
be mailed on the latter date. One
was to his mother, one to Marion, and
the third to Marion's friend, Jose.
phine Davis. They were worded to
make it appear that the writer was
in Madison on February 9, the day he
kept his tryst in the woods with Mar
ion, and she came to her death.
Orpet explained on the stand that
the alibi letters, as they came to be
known, We're written so that If by
accident he were seen at Lake Forest
and word of the fact reached Mar
ions parents, who objected to him.
or his own parents, who expected
him to remain faithful to college du-
ties at Madison. they would accept
the letters as conclusive evidence to
the contrary. The letter to Josephine
was to corroborate that to Marion
Josephine testified that she never re
ceived it.
On the afternoon of the eighth, in
dark overcoat which he said he had
borrowed to wear with a dress suit
to a party which he expected to at
tend on the twelfth, carrying the
bottle of molasses and water in his
pocket, and leaving behind him the
alibi letters and bed rumpIed to de-
ceive his landlady, the student pro-
ceeded by way of Milwaukee, where
he spent a half hour or so between
trains, to Lake Forest. Arriving
there he arranged by telephone TO
meet Marion on her way to school the
next morning walked about for while
to make certain that his parents had
retired and entered the Mccormick
garage where he spent the night on
cot
In the morning he and Marion met
and walked through the snow into
the woods. Orpet testified that there
was little conversation, and he could
recolect only the purport of it. He
offered her the medicine" and she
refused ii. He started to leave and
she called him back and asked if he
was going to write her any more. He
said there seemed to be no use of it,
and started away again.
something made me look around
| don't know what-and | saw Marion
lying in the snow" related the defend
ant on the stand. I returned, heel-
ed over her for maybe minute. |
noticed the moist powder in the lines
of her hand Her eyes were glazed.
Then a kind Of fog came on my brain
and | don't remember much after that
except that on reaching the road |
threw away the medicine and made
my way on foot to Highland park,
caught a train, and that evening ar
rived back at Madison"
Marion was missed that night and
her body found the next morning. Or
pet was arrested and told numerous
conflicting stories prior to the trial
During his cross examination which
lasted three days he repeatedly took
refuge in 81 don't remember" He
spoke in a low voice, with apparent
ly studied effort, but nevertheless
became involved at times and extri-
Gated himself by correcting my pre-
vious testimony" His manner was
nervous. and he rarely looked at his
inquisitor, Attorney Joslyn.
Early in the case the state devel-
oped the theory that Orpet purchased
two-ounce bottle from Charles Has
singer, a friend employed in drug
store at Madison, obtained cyanide
of potassium from an alleged supply
in the greenhouse on the Mccormick
estate, and made a solution Of it be-
fore retiring to bed in the garage
1t was charged that he either forced
Marion to take it, or deceived her
with the explanation that it was medi-
cine.
The state was unable to persuade
any witness to come from Wisconsin,
and repeatedly hinted that sinister
influence of the defense was at the
bottom of it, Hassinger, wanted with
reference to the bottle was among
those who declined to testify, and
no bottle or other container for the
bottle was ever found. Otto Peterson,