Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-17
THE ORPET CASE, AND TRIALS GENERALLY

The long-drawn-out Orpet came to an end Saur-
day night when the jury its third ballot agreed on
verdict of acqulttal.
To those who read the Judges instructions to the jury
this result was a foregone conclusion. Among other
things in these instructions this f you believe that
the evidence has shown Marion had the same opportunity
of taking the poison herself that Opet had OF giving to
her your verdict should be not guilty"
With these instructions there could be no other YER
dict as the testimony showed exactly this condition The
two were in the Helm woods together. The evidence
showed that while Orpets father, who was horlst mao
lot Of cyanide of potassium to which young Orpet had
access and which the poison which caused her DEATH
the girl also had access to the chemical laboratory at
school, was at the time studying chemistry and the les
few days before had been on the effects OF cyane
of potassium.
AS to motive there to have been no reason adj
vanced as to why the girl should want to commit suicide
While she apparently wanted Orpe to marry her. she did
not seem to be very much in love with him. judging from
the evidence of her girl friends She had tried unsuccess
fully make Orpet believe their intimacy had resulted in
conditions that necessated his marrying her. but she
knew better, and so evidently, did he.
On the other hand there does not seem to have been
sufficient reasons to Orpet to desire her death lie
wanted to marry another girl and told Marion So but IN
the circumstances he could have done this without MUIR
dering her. The thing against Orpet that points TO
him as possible murderer was his actions after Marion
had killed herself if she did that and that was that IN
stead of reporting her death any innocent person
would he left her body lying in the woods while ne at
tended picture show and said nothing about the affair
until some hours later and after the body was discovered
1t looks as though if she had killed herself in his presence
as he asserts she did, that he would have reported the
matter If he killed her, he would not have done So
1t that aroused much interest and one tnat
again emphasized the absurd methods OF our judicial
system The called for trial May 10 and after
examining more than thousand veniremen jury OF
twelve was selected in little four weeks, the case
going trial June 15 1t dragged along for more than
four weeks more ending July 15 lasting 81 days. Some
time was devoted to listening to the wisdom OF alleged
alienists who showed concusvey that the girl was of
temperament that would embrace suicide readily and also
that she wasn't.
Then the lawyers on either side got endwise in the
court and harangued the jury for several days call
ing and shedding tears, almost in their pertevd
oratoy for public influence much for the enghten-
ment of the jury.
With the dispensing of red tape making the lawyers
attend to business only and trying the case IN sensible
and buSineSsike manner week would have been long
time for the trial to last Does anyone suppose that the
examination of a thousand necessary to find
twelve qualified to pass upon the case OF what use was
the bewgged testimony of several aieniss as to the
girls temperament when the judge afterwad told the
jury that f she had good opportunity to take the
poison herself Orpet had to administer it they must
acquit?'
The case cost the county above $4,000 when should
not have cost above thousand And top of this wei
told the lawyers congratulated their victory
and all that kind Of stuff when they had deliberately sad
died this $4,000 cost bill the taxpayers of Lake county,
The American judicial system is long overdue for al
thorough overhaung and getting back to first prin
cpes where justice quickly administered is the object
and result instead of ncubatng whole libraries of pre-