The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-05-15
NEGRO BURNED To DEATH
BY ENRAGED MOB At WACO

bert.
The mystery that surrounded the
love and death of Marian. the prct-
~ high school girl. whose body was
found February 10th in Helms
woods NJ Lake Forest. has resolved
itself into the question of murder
or suicide. which must be answered
by the jury which will try orpet as
the girls slayer.
Orpet. junior in the University
of Wisconsin. has steadfastly main
tanned his innocence since he was
jailed on Feb. H. II Is his cbnten-
tlon that Marian committed suicide.
States Attorney J. Dndy, who is
leading the prosecution. bases his
case on the theory that orpet gave
Marian cyanide OF potassium, pre-
tending to her that II was .abortive
medicine.
The defense, led by former u. s..
District Attorney James WIlkerson.
planned today 10 contest every bit
of circumstantial evidence that Dady
will produce.
because of the wide publicity CIV
on the case and the opinions that
have been formed by Lake county
citizens as TO Orpet's guilt or inno-
cence, II was expected that the se-
lection OF n jury would occupy at
least week.
Marion was pretty and Is. She
and young Orpet, who is Of the BY
ronic, almost pretty" type OF boy,
had been friends since childhood
In recent years the two had trodden
the primrose path.
Orpet was 2i only few weeks
ago. lie had planned to marry Miss
Celestia Youker. daughter OF min-
lister at harrington, H., and herself
an instructor in chemistry at the
state normal school at DeKalb.
After arranging an aiibi to con-
ceal the fact that he had left Mad
ison. Orpet went to Lake Forest on
the night OF Feb. s.
The next morning Orpct met Ma
rian by appointment In the woods.
told her he was Through" and was
going to marry Miss Youker.
Marian. Orpet declared, sobbed.
called him back. and evidently
swallowed poison when he refused to
return. At any rate. he declares,
she fell to the snow-clad ground and
when he reached her side. she was
dying.
Marian died in his arms, Orpet
said. The boy admitted that he fled
back to Madison and made every ef-
fort to conceal his departure.
Marian. Orpet stated, had told
him she was fearful of her condi-
tion. An autopsy showed there was
no basis for her fear.
Friends of Marian stated she had
admitted to them that she knew she
was not in the condition she told
Orpet. Orpet admitted he had sent
Marian abortive medicine some
months prior to the tragedy.
Marians body was found by her
father. Frank II Lambert, superin-
tendent on the Jonas Kuppen-
heimer estate at Lake Forest. There
were no marks OF violence on the
girl and the cause of her death re-
mained mystery until an autopsy
disclosed cyanide of potassium In the
stomach and also beneath her fin
ger nails.
The fact that poison was found
| beneath her nails was counted on
| by the defense today as strong
point To establish the girls suicide.
Attorney Wilkerson contender
that Marian took the poison in crys-
tai form. and by that means retain
| ed some of ii beneath her nails.
Il. O. Orpet. father OF the defend
ant, and Marian's father have been
friends for many years. The fam
lilies have continued their friendship
despite the tragedy.
The elder Orpet is in charge of
the greenhouses on the Cyrus III.
Mccormick estate at Lake Forest.