The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-12
TRAGIC LOVE PLOT
College Boy Mixed Up in Sui
eide Case.
He Tilted Her, She Pleaded in
Vain, Says Orpet.
DID YOUTH ADMINISTER POTION
Witness Saw Orpet Press Vial
to GirI's Lips.
Lad Breaks Down After Five
Hours sweating"
DID YOUTH ADMINISTER POTION

Chicago. Feb. 12.-SOlemn denial
was made today by VIII H Orpet.
student at the University of Wiscon-
sin, that he saw Marion Lambert take
the poison which ended her life in the
woods near her home in Lake Forest,
where her half frozen body was found
Thursday morning.
"If. l had only looked back, do you
think | would have let her lie there ?'
he said pointing to the dark woods
where the body was found. He
reached Lake Forest today in the GUS
tody of detectives and States Attorney
r. J. DIdy. of Lake county.
Part of the mystery which sur
rounded the tragic death of Miss Lam
bert. an 1S-year-old pupil of the Deer
field township high school was solved
when it was discovered that she died
of poison and that she was a pure
girl. Orpet. after long questioning,
admitted he had met her in the woods
on . secret tryst, and that he had
then told her he intended to marry
another.
Takes Him TO Scene.
Lake county officials were not sat
isfi6d that the mystery had been
cleared and Orpet is to be subjected
to furth er questioning. 1t was planned
to take him tc the woods where the
body was found and question him
again of what was said and done
there
Orpet is reported to have given the
following account of his tryst with
tho girl.
Il got to Lake Forest Tuesday
night and failed to make an appoint
ment with Marion for that evening so
| made one for the next morning. We
had our talk in the woods and l then
told her l was figuring on marrying
another girl.
Told Her 1T Was All Off"
Il told her plainly it was all off be-
tween us. Then we arranged that 1
should leave the woods first and take
a car to Chicago, where 1 could get
q train for Madison. I did that, She
was to follow me in 4 few minutes
after 1 had time to catch my car and
get out Of her way. But she did not
do that"
Orpet and Miss Lambert were said
by friends of the young woman to
have been frequently in each others
company for several years.
According to the statement of Of
ficers Orpet said he met Miss Lambert
in the woods near the Sacred Heart
academy Thursday morning by ap-
pointment. He said she pleaded with
him for two hours to renew his friend
ship with her. He said he declined
Then, according to the offlcers. Orpet
said he left her and as he did, she
swallowed the poison which caused
her death.
Wrote "AIibi Letter"
Orpet did not admit that he actually
saw the girl die. He confessed, how
ever, that he wrote her a letter maxi
ing an appointment, declined to con-
tinue as her friend and later wrote an
other letter to be delivered at her
home in Lake Forest after the finding
of her body. 1t was pointed out by
detectives that the second letter might
have been written to establish an alibi
the purpose of which was to indicate
that he had not left Madison on the
night preceding the girls death.
Orpet is to repeat his story to the
coroner's jury today. Orpet's confess
sion came at the end of a five-hour
REORGANIZATION at the hands of de-
tectives and States Attorney Dady of
Lake county.
Changes His Story
He was taken into custody at Madi
son, Wis, yesterday afternoon and it
was after midnight before he admit
bert on the day of her death. Prior
to that time he maintained stoutly
that he had not left Madison and this
was cOrrobOrated by his landlady who
based her statement on the fact that
his bed appeared to have been slept
in. Orpet and the officials left Madi-
son on an early train today for Lake
Forest
The Lake Forest authorities today
made public the statement of David
James. deaf mute, who claims to have
witnessed the girls death. James.
according to the police said he saw a
man walking in the woods with Miss
Lambert, saw him press something
that looked like a bottle to her lips
and that shortly afterward she fell
dead.