The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-18
MERCY FOR 0RPET
Father of Marion Lambert
Pleads for Slayer.
Willing to Take Part of Blame
on Own Shoulders.
ADVISES OTHER GIRLS FOLKS
Murdered Girl Only Child;
Home Lonesome Now.
Old Couple Would Adopt a
Daughter Like Marion"

W aukeSaH. Ill. May 1S.-1ne yaWn-
ing vacancy in the home of Frank
Lambert. the simple Lake Forest gar
dener whose daughter, Marion, was
found dead in the snow of Helms
woods one bleak day of last February,
IS soon to be filled Mr.. and Mrs
Lambert are now seeking for another
child TO take the place of one they
quest quietly They have no illusion
that another child can wholly take
/ the place of Marion, but they are
( lonely old couple and they dread the
empty house and nothing but haunt
ing memory to fill their hearts and
minds
Lambert stroIled out of the court
room yesterday during one of the in
/ tervals of the trial of VIII Orpet- who
is charged with the murder of the
1 girl who was once his sweetheart He
was found wandering disconsolately in
the great bare hallway One word
led to another and at last a note Of
pity erept into the conversation
Would Adopt Daughter.
/ We've been talking things over,
mamma and t. he said. It's only
| been lately that 1 could talk to her
at all about it. 1t always made her
cry But lately now we've been able
to look at things a little better and
we kind of think we'd like to adopt
child OF course. it ought to be a girl
I don't know just how to go about It
Wed have to have Just the right sort
of a girl, you know. What we'd like
would be a girl about Marions age l
/ think it would cheer mamma up Ma
| rion was the only one we had and
were pretty lonely. especially in the
evenings sitting there"
The old man took off his hat and
twisted II round and round in his big
/ brown hands
7 can't get over the idea that we
I frx-
Marion" he added IF we can get
some lonely girl who hasn't mother
and father of her own and if we can
make her little happier and give her
a good home and new start in life.
we kind OF think we'll be <aaking up
for that
Explicit Faith in Her.
NO parent ever lived who put more
faith and trust in a daughter than
mama and L But we made mistakes
She was our first baby and the only
one We couldn't help making mis-
takes We know better now.
1T is possible our daughter made a
mistake Mind you, don't say she
did I don't say anything against he's
But I'd like to warn the mothers and
daddies of other daughters SO they
won't make the mistake We did They
ought to LIVE with their daughters
and take al active part in their lives.
1 used to think Marion was such a
she couldn't ever do anything wrong
and didn't think any one would ever
harm her
she used to read US lots of the let
tiers she got from Orpet- But now we
know there were some she didn't let
US see There was the trouble.
Duty of Mothers
Mothers ought to read the letters
their daughters get from young men.
They ought not to miss any of them
Let the daughters read them first.
Don't open their mail That wouIdu t
be right 1t would only make them
think you didn't trust them But if
it's Just message of friendship or
! love she's getting. there isn't any one
in the world she ought not to be glad
to show it to, let alone her mother
and father
Too many people think that the
first love is foolish Lots of men and
women can't see when their daughters
are getting to be grown up. They
make fun of the love affairs and the
letters That's a mistake. Folks ought
to be sensible about such things"
And from thinking over things this
way, Lambert has got so that he hasn't
much bitterness toward Orpet- He is
willing to take some of the blame on
his own shoulders He SAYS Orpet is
Just boy and didn't know any better
He says the grown folks should have
been keeping watch
Doesn't Want Hnaging.
Il don't think they ought to hang
the boy he said. with a curious en-
phasls on the dread word They
ought to give him a prison sentence
a good stiff one. because he's got his
lesson to learn and that's the only wav
he'll learn It. And while he's lock I'd
up he'll do a lot of thinking and that
will be punishment, too. He'll repent
and he'll come out at the end a good
man That's the way I look at it,
| The business OF jury picking con-
unued today Deep. ingrown. unshaIz-
able opinion here says that Orpet Is
guilty of the crime and it is a difficult
thing to find twelve men who are
willing even to consider the evidence
in the case fairly and fmpartiaIIy be-
ffora a ir,c- L..