Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-13
Miss Davis, Lambert Girl
Chum, Repudiates Form
er Evidence.
SAYS SHE LIED
TO PUNISH ORPET
Now Denies Previous Testimony te
Effect That orpst Sent Miss Lam.
bert Capsules to Relieve Supposed
condition-Medical Expert Declares
Girl Was Not Pregnant Before or at
Time Of Her Death.

Waukegan. June 13. - Josephine
Davis testified today that Marian
Lambert, for the alleged murder Of
whom Will H. Orpet Is on trial here,
threatened to commit suicide IL it
proved true that orpet had trans
ferred his affections to another.
Il The school girl witness completely
repudiated the truthfulness OF stories
of the cheerfulness Of Marian and
told OF her fears that she was in
delicate nature, and later over the re-
ported detection Of Orpet. 1t was
Dorothy Mason who told Marian that
Orpet. student at. the University of
Wisconsin. was engaged to Mary
Celeste Youker, according to the wit
ness.
"I wonder why she told me that
Marian said to me-" related Miss
Davis. $50 we framed up a letter to
Orpet but as no reply was received
Marian began to think that Miss
Mason told the truth. On the day of
Marian's eighteenth birthday party
she threatened to kill herself.
Honest, If Billy has thrown me
over I'll kill myself she told me.
laughed at her and then she laughed
too. I said, You won't let me tell
everything to your mother now. Shall
/ tell what know after DEATH? She
laughed and said. We'll, I guess not.
There will be gossip anyway"
a
Chicago. June ia slip OF a girl.
who admitted she was conscience
stricken but bravely firm in her desire
to do right, most unexpectedly dealt
fthe states case against VIII Orpet q
sbioY yesterday which it may not spr,
syive. ~
She is Josephine Davis, considered
the star witness for the prosecution.
Her change Of heart, which created a
genuine sensation, was all the more
startling, as she was the closest girl
friend Marian Lambert had.
Taking the witness stand in mid
afternoon she swore that she had told
untruths involving Orpet, because she
wished to avenge the death Of her
chum. Swayed by emotion she could
not control by the shock OF Marian's
death she invented story which she
hoped would help convict the person
she believed murdered her friend.
AS she oddly but impressively ex-
pressed 1t, she was "spitefu" against
young Orpet when she asserted Marian
had told her that he had sent her
capsule which would relieve condi-
ton Marian was convinced existed as a
result Of their relations.
Sorry for Untruths.
Miss Davis declared the spite was
now gone from her heart and she was
sorry for what she had said in the
past.
Earlier in the day the state intro
tduced evidence to show that Marian
Lambert never had been in danger of
becoming mother. This was intend
ed as a blow at the defense's suicide
theory.
DR.. L. r. lie Count. an authority on
pathology, testified that after an exam
nation Of the girls organs he was
convinced that she was not at the
time of her death and never had been
in the condition she had told her
friends she was.
If homh had dropped through the
roof of the Lake county court house
at Waukegan the prosecutors would
not have been more astounded than
they were by the Davis girls testimony.
For the remainder of the session THY
sought to tear apart the girls new
story. They attacked it in all the
devious, subtle ways known to good
lawyers. They. compared her present
statements with those she made be-
fore the grand Jury which indicted
contradictions.
Admits Wronsin6 orpst.
She never faltered. In a clear,
steady voice she confessed that she
had wilfufly wronsed Orpet and want
ed forgiveness. She did not become
confused. She did not hesitate. She
looked David r. Joslyn. states attor-
nay of McHenry county, who is assist
ing the state, sausrely In the eye and
insisted she now was telling the
truth.
Strong and repeated inferences by
Mr.. Joslyn that the defense had in
scrne -.:;. ::.;::ss.oe,i Hiss Laws to
change her testimony were hotly re-
scented by Attorneys James H. Wilker-
son and Ralph F. Potter and precipi-
tated an acrimonious argument that
was carried into Judge Donnelrs
chambers after, court adjourned.
Miss Davis Resumes Testimony.
Josephine Davis resumed the witness
stand at the continuance Of the trial
today
Counsel for THE state resumed the
questioning. Miss Davis. who has heen
referred to as sthe strongest witness
for the state" provided a sensation
when she proved to be better witness
&c. ..:s defense s;. stating she had tes-
tilted falsely at the coroner,s inquest
| over the body and at the hearing before
the grand jury and that she now wished
to correct her earlier statements.
z.n... .,s>:: s: : ii letter that news OF
Orpet.s engagement to Celeste Youker
would prove blow to Marian after hel