New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-07
Prosecution Hunt Indicates
That Dentist Killed to
Shield Name.
SECRET PAYMENTS
GIVE SWAMI CLEWS
Motive Would Foil Insanity De-
fence-Kane on Grill To-day
New Arrest Expected.

A new hint of Observation-Disclosures
before the fact"-crept into the Deck
murder case yesterday with the revela-
tion that the District Attorney had
been unable to trace several substan-
tial amounts of money handled by Dr.
Arthur Warren Waite within the last
few months preceding the poisoning OF
the dentists father-in-law and mother
in-law.
Investigation of this phase, 1t is
hoped by some in the prosecutors ofhce,
may round the states case into ideal
shape for presentation to jury. For,
although DR.. Waite has confessed to
the murders and on several occasions
has reiterated his confession, there
still is a weak spot in the cham oil
evidence at the point where motive
should link in. =.
No direct motive of the strength OF
those which ordinarily might lead to
murder has yet been brought forward
either bv Dr.. Waite or by Walter NJ.
Deuel.. his lawyer. Mr.. Deuel., the one
of the two who has been willing 10
answer questions on the subject. said
the poison plot was Matched for no
other reason than that Waite was
anxious to bring securely within ms
grasp the wealth of his wifes family,
to which he already had access. And
question which followed this asser-
ton brought from Deuel. the significant
reply:
of the things which sometimes incline
me TO the belief that DR.. Waite IS
insane
Lack of Murder Motive.
This, lack Of motive" it is pointed
out. may be counted on to score
heavily at the trial in proof Of Yates
irresponsibility, even though he may
continue to assert. he is sane and TO
insist that he wishes to "expiate" his
crimes in the electric chair.
But the insanity plea, which tn de-
fence has not by any means signlhed
its intention Of abandoning, would get
a crumbling blow if it could be shown
il was not a crazy dream OF money
and power that led TO Yates expert
ments with virulent germ cultures-if
il could be proved that threats OF eX-
tortioners in reality had supplied
more logical motive for the murders.
1OtlliNG GlllfUEt
prior to the death Of John A. Peck and
his wife with DR.. Waite in the role OF
victim has vet TO be obtained. Lack
ing it, no one in Judge Swann's office
will reveal how far investigation along
this line has been pursued or how much
has been brought to light.
Judge Swami admitted that Waite
appeared to have figured in several one
sided transactions in which amounts
of size disbursed by him had brought
no concrete return. He would not say
he believed blackmailers got the money.
The official reasoning on which the
blackmail theory rests came from an
other source.
Attention was called to the fact that
were his position not menaced in some
way DR.. Waite, who certainly had
shown no traces Of insanity In inter
views with reporters and representa-
tives of the prosecutors Office, had lit
tie TO gain by doing away with the
Pecks.
Except for those mysterious, van
ished sums which are now being traced
Dr.. Yates expense ledger proved an
open book Any other drain on his
resources was not only secret from his
wife and her family, but remains a
80 why" summed up the reasoncr,
who has been in close touch with the
investigation, SHOULD one getting
along so comfortably have contem-
plated murder?
"The unexplained payments may
hold the answer Suppose Waite had
been the prey of blackmailers; suppose
his weakness for women had led him
into badger game trap; suppose he
had been bled until he was desperate
and then had been threatened with eI-
posture.
Exposure would have meant ruin.
financially. 1t would have meant es-
arrangement from his wife and the
shutting off Of further income from
her parents 1t would have meant the
loss Of Miss Peck's confidence and the
opportunity TO gain by handling her
money. II would have meant a sudden
fall from ease and comfort 10 worry
and comparative penury. And DR..
Waite's is not a nature to relish either
worry or penury."
DR.. Yates father and his brother
Frank visited Mr.. Dooling in the morn
ing and told in detail the story OF the
dentists boyhood There was nothing
i'm the story 20 show the early presence
Of al insane streak IA Arthur Waite,
although the two said such streak
existed in the family and told of three
cousins who had been its victims.
Search for Missing 1920.
From other witnesses Mr.. Dooling
tried 10 find out what had become Of
the 81 200 missing from the $4,000 roll
given by Dr.. Waite TO Eugene Oliver
Kane One Of the witnesses was Mss
Kate A. Riley, stenographer employed
IN the Office of "A Wall Street broker.
A brother-in-law Of John s. Potter, the
undertaken by whom Kane is employed,
works in the same Office ard is said 20
be engaged 20 the girl. Miss Riley was
asked If she had overheard ut n family
conference talk Of 200 investment.
Reporters who went to 34S West Forty