The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-25
GIRL WILL TESTIFY
IN ORPET'S DEFENCE
Dorothy Mason Says Her
Chum, Marian Lambert,
Talked Suicide.
COMB COUNTY FOR JURY


Mason will take the witness stand in
VIII Orpet's defence and swear that
she heard Marian Lambert. her intimate
friend, threaten to kill herself.
This was assured to-day 40 he Lake
BLUM girl admitted having heard the
death threat and the young university
students attorneys aid she would be q
witness In his behalf.
Love for Will Orpet-and VIII Or
pets waning W. for her-was Marian's
motive for suicide. according to Miss
Mason.
The testimony Of Miss Mason 10 de-
clared to be n Of the strongest parts
Of the defence. built upon a theory that
Miss Lambert killed herself by swallow
ing cyanide of potassium In Helms
woods. Lake Forest. after learning that
she had lost her sweetheart TO another.
A remark about the hopelessness OF
life In general while the two girls were
discussing a dance 10 the basis for the
witnesses suicide idea, and II was made
when Miss Mason joked Marian because
Orpet was to take Miss Celeste Youker
instead Of Miss Lambert to the Univer.
sity Of Wisconsin ball.
Talked sadly Of Life.
Marian and I were close friends"
Miss Mason said. II heard that Orpet
was going to take Miss Youker TO the
Junior prom at Madison, n I was sur
prsed because we supposed Marian
would go with him.
when / started 70 tease her I saw
she was hurt and I a%pologized. 80.
ut doesn't matter Marian aid
| Nothing matters. DO you know Dor
J othy. sometimes I wonder what's the use
of living and striving. What is there In
life anyway? II seems sometimes as IL
It isn't worth living
81 tried TO cheer her up, thinking that
! she was only disappointed because Orpet
| had not asked her to 70 to tho dance
with him.
she looked out Of the window and
saw an old oman- cripple-passins
the school.
""That's the answer ehe said. We
fight n strive for happiness n work
and struggle all through the years and
that Is all we a to look forward TO
when we are old. I think II would be
better and easier not to 60 through with
it-just to end things now
81 believe she committed suicide. She
was morbid at times and suffered from
long periods Of depression. She prob
ably was in the grip Of depression when
she learned that Orpet was In the city.
and fearing that he was ready to break
their laid plans to take her own
life II II came about"
Drug Clerk witness.
Perley Il. Burri.t, a drug clerk Of Lake
Forest, was discovered to-day TO be an.
other important witness for tho defence.
His testimony, II 10 said. will indicate
the sale Of cyanide of potassium. the
poison that caused Marian's death. to
the Lambert family.
So slow IL the progress made in Sc
Letting a jury for the trial that to-day
the seventh ven!re Of talesmen was
called. Bankers. merchants n the
county's most prominent citizens vii
AXE the place OF the numbers OF farmers
and teamsters who have been questioned
and found set in their opinions regard
ing the case.
c. +. Jones, president OF the First Ma.
tional Bank Theodore II. Duret. presi'
dent OF the Security Savings Bank (; Clay
ton Butt. assistant cashier OF tho Wau
kegan National Bank; ex-Mayor ]. F
Biddinger. Charles Ford. manager OF the
waukegan branch OF the Chicago Tele'
phone Company Charles and Franz
HOFFMAN and Lew Wohl, merchants
have been instructed by deputy sheriff.
to appear In court.
When the sixth ven.re had been ex
hausted. with only four men selected
and two others In the box tentatively
Judge Donnelly sent deputy sherifs ou'
to call in any citizen they might mee'
with the hope Of finding men who coulc
understand what the lawyers desired.
Maybe we will get a windfall o.
1urymen out OF that batch" said thu
Judge. IF we DO not we will go righ'
along till we have had every man ir
the county in court
Orpet begins TO appear tired. He ha'
visited the offices Of his counsel earf
night since the trial began. rehearsinl
the story he Is to tell when he takes
the stand. His lawyers nave eone ovei
every point of his version OF what hap
pened In Helms woods on the day tina
Marian met her death there after q trys
with the defendant.