Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-05-26
WAITE RECOUNTS
EFFORTS TO end
LIVES Of PECKS
Calmly Recites Story Of At
tempts to Kill Three with
Disease Germs.
FED MILLIONS TO
HIS WIFE'S AUNT
Resorted to Arsenic Only When the
Germs "Failed to Produce Results
Wet the Sheets of Peck's Bed to
Make Him Catch Cold.

wv NiICu w kVuuCt NCSultSs
Wet the Sheets of Peck's Bed to
Make Him Catch Cold.
New York, May 25.-Dr. Arthur
Warren Waite calmly recounted on the
witness stand tonight in an effort to
save himself from conviction of the
murder of his father-in-law, John
E. Peck, by showing that he was Of
unsound mind, and how he attempted
to cause the death Of Miss Katherine
Peck, the wealthy cunt of his wife
and his own benefactor, by feeding her
disease germs. He also told of try
ing to kill his wife's parents in the
same way before resorting to prison
as more effective means. He testi-
fled, in addition, regarding his rela-
tions with Mrs. Margaret Horton, his
studio" companion.
Waite said he put ground glass in
can Of marmalade and gave it to
Miss Katherine Peck prior to his mar
riage. He also put disease germs in
a can of fish and gave that to her.
Afterward he frequently gave her
various germs, including typhoid.
While he was studying bacteriology,
ne tried to procure the germs himself,
he said, but his cultures failed and he
purchased them. He was able to buy
germs of diptheria, pneumonia, spinal
meningitis and other diseases.
what did you want of the germs 2"
was asked
81 wanted to give them to certain
people"
Disease Germs Too Slow.
The trouble with the germs, Waite
said, was that they were not virulent
enough. He began to take an interest
in bacteriology long before his mar
riage, he explained. After he had
given germs to Miss Peck for awhile,
ne became discouraged, he asserted,
because of lack of success. He put
the germs in her food, but he denied
he gave her arsenic.
WAS there any arsenical fly paper
in her room?" he was asked.
ooh, yes" he answered; ~ read
somewhere of an arsenical fly paper,
which, if treated and put in a per-
sons pocket, would cause death. So
l got some and put it in her ROOM"
Mrs. Peck?" ~, 1fs
eyes," was his answer. "Soon after,
she arrived. I had been working on
them for some time, and had them all
ready for her."
Glow often did you give them to
herr"
"Why, often. / put them in her
food the first day she came, and she
grew ill almost immediately
He said he had given millions Of
germs to Mrs. Peck.
Ask how many kinds of germs he
had administered to Mr.. Peck, Waite
replied:
Peck Had Strong Constitution.
Typhoid, diphtheria. pneumonia
and others. i gave him a spray and
put diphtheria 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. put water on the
sheets of his bed. so that he would
catch cold, but he didn't. / also put
chemical compound in his room
which would create poisonous gas,
but it failed to produce results Ono
night turned on the gas but the
superintendent of the building came
up and turned 1t OF.
II gave him arsenic a few days be-
fore he was planning to leave. / got
80 grains, i think. l think It was
three or four days before he died. /
gave him a little at first !. and in
creased the amount for four days. I
gave 1t in food once, In eggnog, in
rice pudding. and then once in hot
milk"
The young dentist was preceded on
the witness stand by his fathsr. War
rem Waite, and by his brothers. Frank
and Clyde. The father told Of
faint of insanity in his family All
three related incidents in the de-
PENDANTS life destined to show that
he was peculiar even as boy, and
that his thfevery always was prob
lem for the family.
Lie Of Thieviag.
Waite, during the afternoon. re-
counted the story Of his thievery. He
admitted he was expelled from his
college fraternity for stealing, admit
ted thafts from his fellow students
at Michigan university, and declared
that while in Canada he made hls
living by playing pool and that hs
cheated.
He said he gained admission ~
Edinburgh university in Scotland On
doctored graduation papers and after
leaving Scotland he went to South
Africa and while working for firm
Of dentists stole $500 the first year.
and increased the amount for four
years.
He also admitted that he pilfereo
SO from the purse ofsthe mother ~
the girl he married while ho 40
counting Miss peck.