The Alaska citizen., 1911-12-25
DIAMOND PIN FOR A
KISS As HIS WIFE
LAY DEAD
sWEARs BURR PECK. MIsER WHO
ElOPEO WITH YALE WAIT
REss, MADE PROPOSAL.

who eloped with Mamie O'Brien, a
Yale waitress, and lived two years
through a succession of marital es
capades that read like fiction, may
| be broken. Peck left his 100000
estate eto be divided between his
young widow, her aunt, Mrs. J. A.
Johnson, who engineered the elope-
mont, and Carl Mears. the lawyer
who drew the will.
His blood relatives contend that
| Peck was irresponsible mentally
when he made his will, and when
Mrs. johnson and her niece, Miss
O'Brien went with him to New York
city on the occasion Of the marriage.
The hecring in the probate court
today disclosed evidence that Peck
| was extremely eccentric, even be-
fore the death of his first wife.
Although he owned several houses
in the center CT the city, he had
Miss Schringeour of the Visiting
Nurses association of Derby sent to
his home. Miss Schringeour's test,
mony occupied most of todays hear
| ing
She said that Peck hinted he would
like to marry her the day after his
| first wife died; that he tried to
civ hny. SnWa1r, i, bol
| worn, and that he came down to his
wife's funeral dressed in gay colors.
Miss Schringeour testified that
Peck demanded that he be not awak-
cned when his first wife died.
Il don't want to be disturbed"
Miss Schringeour quoted the old
man as saying. If anything hap
pens. call up the undertaken"
Mrs. Peck died during the night,
Miss Schringeour said, and she rap
ped at Peck's door, but get no re-
Spouse. In the morning he came
down and sat down in the kitchen,
according to the witness Attend
ants told him that Mrs. Peck was
dead He showed no feeling, and
tuning to the cat, said:
We'll, now there's no one left but
Tabby and me. unless | can get one
Cf you girls"
Miss McGarry, another nurse, turn
cd TO ha Mice
swore. and said:
Would you leave your happy
home for that"
Not much" said Miss Schringe-
our, would you?"
NO" answered Miss McGarry.
Mr. Peck paid no attention to their
conversation.
The day of the funeral, Miss
Schringeour added, Peck Strolled
downstairs in light mixed suit. a
pink shirt. celluloid collar and a
Il cen tie. Miss Schringeour led him
out TO the sink and washed his
face. after taking off his collar.
She then told him he should wear a
dark suit and black tie. He said
his black tie was locked up. The
witness declared she broke open a
trunk and found the black tie.
1t was difficult to get the tie into
the celuloid collar and put it around
his neck, the nurse testified. Sud
denly Mr. Peck said: Il don't care
how much you hug me-"
Il told him he should show due
| respect to Mrs Peck" continued the
| witness.
"'Oh, she's dead said he 4 want
live one Then l put his hectic
on and we went downstairs. That
night he got to talking on financial
| affairs. He showed me his lodge
had given him check for $50 to
help pay for the funeral
That's the kind of a lodge to
give you $50 when your wife dies "
Miss Schringeour testified Peck
asked her if she liked diamonds.
Before she could answer he went out
and came back with a box of
jewelry.
1.-The jewelry was very valuable, "
continued Miss Schringeour, land
evidently had belonged to his dead
wife. He said, You can have all
that for hugging and kissing me-
The diamonds were the size of
small huckleberries.
HE picked up diamond pin
and said he would give that up for
one kiss.
He asked me again, and l told
him he couldn't have it. He then
asked me what he had better do
with the jewel box.
"'Put them in a safe deposit box.
was my advice.
of you won't kiss me, Mr.. Peck
then said perhaps l can get some
on who will"
One day middle-aged woman
went to the Peck home, Miss Schrin'
geour said. The witness thought this
woman would make Peck "a fine
wife" Peck wouldn't have her. He
said he wanted some one younger
| according to the witness Miss