The evening world., 1916-05-22

mother came 20 New York TO visit al
the Waite apa artmcnt in the Colosseum
Apartments at No. i35 Riverside
Drive. She died Jan. 30. The at
tending physician. Dr. william H.
Porter. attributed her death TO kidney
diseases. A Christian Science healer
who had attended her had been dis
missed on Waite's sncer: ''Iie
couldn't even sign a death certifi-
cate"
Long afterward her daughter re-
membered waking during her moth
er's early illness and finding a
gas Jet open and unlighted. though
the door w0 closed. She found her
husband quite Indifferent over the
discovery. Mrs. Peck's body was cre-
mated at the suggestion OF Waite.
Mr.. Peck. his daughter continuing
In poor health after tho mother's
7 funeral, came to New York for q
visit In February. A week or two
later he wrote TO n friend in Detroit
1 saying the climate here did not agree
with MIN. but he was well otherwise.
March II he was taken Ill and DR.. A.
| A. Moore was called. The symptoms
were those Of stomach irritation and
DIR. Moore left after prescribing n
mild remedy. DIR. Moore, though he
was not recalled, learned next day
Mr.. Peck had died at 3 A. NJ.
Waite was devoted to his wife In
her affliction. He accompanied her
to Grand Rapids for the funeral
| Once more he suggested cremation.
| He said II had been Mr.. Peck's wish.
as declared In q casual conversation.
Just before the Waitcs' arrival In
Grand Rapids with tho body Mon
day afternoon. scant thirty-six
hours after Mr.. Peck's death. n tele-
gram arrived from the Colosseum In
New York for Percy Peck. 1t was
signed TX. Adams" and read: "Sus-
picions aroused. Demand autopsy.
DO not reveal telegram"
There was no cremation after that.
DIR. Perry Schurtz OF Grand Rapids
and the Rev. A. w. Wishart, pastor
OF the Pecks' church. made "a hurried |
preliminary investigation, visiting
New York right after the funeral.
Perhaps Waite knew Of their depart |
atmosphere. lie started back for
New York, leaving his wife with her
family.
Assistant District Attorney Man.
cuso and DR.. Otto ii. Schultze OF
Judge Swanns office, passed him on
their way TO Detroit. Detectives met
Waite as he left the train here. They
knew he telephoned at once for Mrs.
Horton. his Studio companion"
Of her friend. Mrs. Van Palmenberg.
In One Hundred and Fifth Street.
The police even knew that he warned
Mrs. Horton there were detectives
after him and she must keep out Of
sight.
At his apartment he received Dis
trict Attorney Swami and laughed
long and loud over the suggestion
anybody could blame him for Mr..
Peck's death. Meantime he offered |
n bribe Of $4,000 to Kane. the UNDER |
taker who had embalmed tho body. |
to put arsenic into any embalming |
fuid submitted to the authorities as
samples. Nine thousand dollars OF
this was paid In cash. Kane led de-
tectives a week later to a spot at
Orient Point. near Greenport. where |,
he said the money was buried. The
detectives dug up $500. The rest
has not been accounted for.
1t was discovered Miss Katharine :
Peck OF this city had trusted Waite
with large sums, including 100000 in
cash "for investment" which he had
treated as his own money. Much Of
this she has recovered.
The closeness Of the detectives
shadowing Waite was shown when |
one OF them. disguised as q motor
cyclist. took advantage OF Waite's
nervous haste to arrest him for |
speeding in his automobile, thereby |
making sure Of a period during which |
apartment. In the nat plenty Of evil !
dence OF Waite's ownership OF pois- |
on., textbooks on poisons. germs and |
the like were found. Dora Hitler
told OF seeing Waite mix Something |
or other with Mr.. Peck's tea and OF
the old mans rejection Of the con-
coction because 1t did not taste as
II should.
When detectives went to arrest
Waite for the murder of Mr.. Peck |
they found him unconscious from an !
overdose OF coal tar drugs. lie was
between life and death for twenty |
four hours. Mrs. Horton has con-
fessed that she procured these drugs |
for him. As he rogained a little CO.
herency Waite made to Mr.. Swami
his first confession.
life and lonely and wanted to die;
had asked for arsenic, which Waite
had sympathetically procured for !
him. The package had been delivered
unopened.
The District Attorney had hardly
left the room when Waite, who was
still dazed, called Private Detective .
SCHNEIDER, whom he seemed to regard ,
as chance bystander who was
friendly. and arranged to bride Dora |
HITLER to corrobofate the story of the ,
delivery OF the poison. He provided
SCHNEIDER with an order for 900 on
his Wall Street brokers.
witness whose name has not been |
disclosed Is young woman who has
told the District Attorney that she |
sent a mysterious telegram to Percy /
Peck. She lived across the hall from |
the Waite apartment in the Colos- |
a