McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-06-09

son nad tne D0uv examined, ana
enough arsenic was found in the
stomach to kill several men. Waite
hurried back to New York; called up
the Hotel Plaza, and told "Mrs.
Walters" there to pack up his things
and take them away, and leave there.
Then he took a heavy dose of sui
phonal, and tried to die by an easier
route than the one by which he had
sent the old man to his death. The
officers found him in a stupor, and
took him to the hospital. Waite could
only stammer out the lie that he had
given poison to his father-in-law at
the request of the old man himself,
who was grieving over the death of
his wife and wanted to die. The news
was flashed all over the country.
Imagine the feelings Of the young
poisoner's parents, who thought their
son rich and happy in New York; how
the horror burst on their peaceful
home like lava from the volcano of
damnation. Bathed in tears, but still
believing in the fellows innocence,
they rushed to the big city, only to
| find that he had confessed to every
thing and said he was ready to die
for his crimes.
In the trial that followed, lasting
less than week, the story of his life
was brought out. He had been ly-
ing, thieving boy, cruel to animals,
immoral as soon as he was old enough
to be so, lazy and quarrelsome. He
told the whole story himself, and his
father and brothers corroberated him,
in the pitiful hope of proving him in
sane. In an hour he was found guilty
by the jury. The poor old father
tainted; the young man smiled. He
was hustled away to the Tombs, the
famous, dark old Jail that has housed
so many great criminals for awhile
on their journey to death.
To-day, the first Of June. he was
sentenced to die in the electric chair
on July 10th. In the courtroom he
calmly thanked all who had been con-
cerned in the trial and then said: II
took life, and am giving my own
cheerfully for it. Ny body is already
dead, but my soul lives, and in the
life to come, will strive to atone for
what | did here. | am now reading
the Bible, and it looks so much differ
ent to me than it used to. Had
read it more, during the past ten
years. | would now be honored and
secure. | had to be crushed in order
to know how to live"
His honesty of confession is the
only light spot about that dark figure,
now SO soon to lose its vital spark by
the stern hand of the law, but homes
ty and truth came to him too late.
He said he had broken every command
but one. having never been profane.
He is only twenty-nine years old. A
beautiful young woman. Mrs. Marga-
ret Horton, shared room with him
at the great hotel, where they pre-
tended to be studying music and Ian
guages together.
The crushed and broken figure of
that poor old mother Of the poisoner
is the most pathetic thing know Of.
When, in the pain and agony that all
mothers must undergo, she brought
forth that little babe, she cheerfully
endured the trial for the sake of the
new life that had been entrusted to
her keeping. Now, in keener pangs
than we may conceive Of, she sees
that precious child hurried away to
Sing Sing, and knows that soon he
will enter that little green door to
the execution chember; the unseen
hand of the executioner will turn a
lever, and one of natures primal
forces will rend his mortal life apart,
and he who was born in love and faith
and mothers hope, will die in black
disgrace and lie in a dishonored
grave! o, the misery. that thous-
and years Of joy cannot efface- the
sword that passes through that faith
full mother-heart at every breath, the
undeserved agony that will not sleep,
the worm that will not die till she
joins that unworthy son in the land
of shadows.
Can any of US be thankful enough
that our own mothers passed away
while all was well with Us, and that
we were not, through an undeserved