The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-17

q
meet Marion on her way to school
1.-THE next morning. walked about for
q while TO make certain that his par
ents had retired, and entered the Nc
Cormick garage, where he spent the
night on cot.
In the morning he and Marion met
and walked through the snow into
the woods. Orpet testified that there
was little conversation, and he could
recollect only the purport OF It. He
offered her the medicine" and she
refused It. He started to leave, but
she called him back and asked IL he
was going TO write to her any more.
He said there seemed to be no use Of
1t, and started away again.
Something made me look around
II don't know what and ! saw
Marion lying In the snow" related
the defendant on the stand. II re-
turned. kneeled over her for maybe
minute. ! noticed the moist pow
der In the lines OF her hand. Her
eyes were glazed. Then a kind OF
fog came on my brain and / don't re-
member much after that except that
on reaching the road l threw away
the medicine" and made my way on
foot to Highland Park, caught a
train, and that evening arrived back
at Madison"
Marion was missed that night and
her body found the next morning.
Orpet was arrested and told numer-
GUS conflicting stories prior to tho
| trial thA0n hntno ttaAl I,a III
at the trial. During his cross-exam-
ination, which lasted three days, he
repeatedly took refuge in II don't
remember" He spoke In low voice,
with apparently studied effort, but
nevertheless became involved at
times and extricated himself by "cor-
recting my previous testimony" His
manner was nervous, and he rarely
looked at his lnquisitor, Attorney
Joslyn.
Early In the case the state devel-
oped the theory that orpet purchas-
ed n tYo-ounce bottle from Charles
Hassinger, friend employed in a
drug store at Madison, obtained cy-
anide of potassium from an alleged
supply In the greenhouse on the Nc
Cormick estate, and made solution
OF 1t before retiring to bed In the
garage. 1t was charged that he eth
err forced Marion to take 1t or de-
ceived her with the explanation that
1t was medicine.
The state was unable to persuade
any witness to come from Wisconsin,
and repeatedly limited that sinister
influence of the defense was at the
bottom of 1t. Hassinger. wanted with
reference TO the bottle, was among
those who declined to testify, and no
bottle or other container for the
poison was even found. Otto Peter
son likewise became persistent alb
sentee, despite the need for his testi-
mony regarding the alibi letters and
as having seen Orpet, according to
the latter, concoct the molasses and
water.
DR.. Ralph w. Webster and DR.. w.
]. McNally, chemists, testified for the
state that Marion died of liquid cyan
ide of potassium, and that the spots
on her coat were left by drops of the
solution. Three defense chemists
testified that the poison was taken in
powder form, and that the important
and accusatory cyanide in the green
house was not cyanide OF potassium
at all, but cyanide of sodium, with
only faint trace of potassium. DR..
McNally, having made further exper-
imcnts, voluntarily appeared for the
defense and corrected his previous
testimony to agree with that OF the
defense, and DR.. Webster, recalled
by the state, did so in reply to n.y.