Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-05-26
WAITE TAKES
STAND ON HIS
own BEHALF
New York Dentist Tells Some
Startling Secrets in Effort
to Save Himself.
ATTEMPT TO PROVE
HE WAS INSANE
Prisoners Story Is Shocking;
Stole From Early Child
hood.

New York, n. Y, May Is -
Dr. Arthur Warren Waite calmly
recounted on the witness stand to-
night in an effort 10 save himself
from conviction for the murder of his
father.in-law, John t,.sPeck, by show
ing he was of uDs'ssGd mind, how he
attempted 10 caltsss3ne deatii al Miss
Katherine Peck, the wealthy aunt OF
his wife, and his own benefactor, by
feeding her disease germs. He also
told of trying to kill his wife's par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. John e. Peck, in
the same way before resOrting to
poison as more effective means. He
testified in addition regarding his re-
lations with Mrs. Margaret Horton,
his studio companion.
Puts Germs In Food
Waite said he put ground glass in
can of marmalade, and gave it to
Miss Katherine Peck prior to his
marriage. He also put disease germs
in a. can of fish and gave that to
her. Afterwards, he frequently gave
various germs. including typhoid,
while he was studying bacteriology.
He tried to produce the germs him
self, he said, but his cultures failed
and he purchased them. He was
able to buy germs Of dyphtheria,
pneumonia, influenza and other dis
eases.
what did you want of the germs.
he was asked.
81 wanted to give them to certain
people," he said.
The trouble with the germs, Waite
said, was that they were not viru-
lent enough. He began to take an
interest in bacteriology long before his
marriage, he explained. After he had
given germs to Miss Peck for a while
he became discouraged because of
his lack of success. He put germs in
her food but he denied that he save
her arsenic.
did you administer any bacteria to
Mrs. Peck?'
"Yes, soon after she arrived; l had
been working on them for some time
and had them all ready for her"
"How often did you give them to
herr"
"Quite often. I put them in her
food on the first day she came, and
she grew i'll almost Immediately.
He gave Mrs. Peck millions OF
germs, he said.
He gave Mrs. Peck millions of
germs, he said. ...
Asked how many kinds of germs
he administered to Mr.. Peck, Waite
replied:
"Typhoid, pneumonia and others. |
gave him a spray and put diphtherla
and later pneumonia germs in it and
had him spray his throat every time
he went out. They had no effect, and
tried to make them stronger.
81 put water in the sheets of his
bed so that he would catch cold, but
he didn't. I also put chemical COM,
pound in his room which would Gre
ate poisonous gas, but it failed to
produce results. One night | turned
on the gas, but the superintendent OF
the building came up and turned it
off.
Gives Him Arsenic.
"T gave him arsenic a few days be.
fore he was planning to go away. |
got 80 grains, | think. think it was
three or four days before Mr.. Peck
died that began to give him arsenic.
I gave him little at first and in
creased the dose until all of it was
gone. gave him the doses in his
food. Once or twice, it was in egg
nog and once in rice pudding, and
then once in hot milk"
Waite told of sleeping on the
couch the night before his father-in-
CONTINUED on page five)