The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-06-15
DIR. WAITE, FACING DEATH II
CHAIR, SEEKS S0LACE IN
WRITING POETRY

poetry.
In the shadow OF the death house
his death in the electric chair is set
for a month hence-the murderer Of
his father-in-law has turned for the
first time in his life to expressing his
inmost thoughts in lyric verse.
The result has been a collection Of
manuscript written every few days
with almost Byronic huency in his
cell, which goes to prove what the
prosecution ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the
dentist Is ono of the most remarkable
criminals that ever sat in a court
The bundles Of about fifty poems
were delivered to one of his brothers
who Intends to have them published
in the hope that the public may come
&C. sec that the doomed mans heart
was not wholly wrapped in darkness
Like Oscar Wilde and with a skill in
depicting the most subtle searchings
of his spirit his work is all the more
notable in view Of his previous lack
of practice in the art.
Or. Waite is striving to commune
with himself while cut off from al
but the slightest communion with the
outside world. The stanzas exhibit a
feeling for rhythm of word and vivid
thought, and often somber power OF
imagery. Again and again in many Of
them his mind turns toward the hero.
after, as in the following:
He went and what befell.
I'm glad / only see with human sight
That side the brooklet through the
dell.
| walk with God nor would foretell
What after darkness he reveals in
light
Enough for me my soul is still,
That God with love my heart doth
fill
As full as flows our freshest brooklet
blue,
The dews upon the grass distill,
When darkness dies and day doth
thrill.
My night of sleep shall have is morn
ing, too;
Dumb lives unwittingly | tread be-
meath
My feet are never dead
But seed and sleep and spring again
to bloom,
While l by prescience prove the
thread
Which Christ left living in his stead
And which. like him, considers not the
/ tomb.
Why will mind barter bliss for doubt
or that same bliss it has found out
, At such a cost-at such a cost, know
Oh, when that moment comes about
Gods love supplaneth every doubt,
Nor need soul return to prove it so
Another he seems to characterize his
whole life. The poem follows:
Oh, let my lesson other hearts instruct
That mild and sweet their days may
wrap them round;
THAT from my failure God may now
construct
Those vessels shapelier than they'5
else be found.
l wait the close of day with outstretch.
ed arms.
long to turn again into the dark;
While here my actions others progress
harms,
But footprints left are seen and men
will mark
AS gently down into the lakes calm
blue
One steph and pauses at the little chill
And then moves on and only leave a
Small ripples circling far and farther
still.
So gently moves the image into death
It's passing scarce of note grows less
and less.
And all is lark-except the living
breath
Unseen TO eyes is freed from it's dis
tress.
Perhaps the breath lent me has served
God we'll
For some must show the false COM
pared to true
And too perhaps that's why heard
him tell
That in that breath | found my own
life, too
My on life found-and may il live
through death
To fall in humble servitude before
Those souls whose wrongs are righted
by that breath
Which gives and takes-and bolts the
little door.
.i--si-.i- ..-...s.i....-.s.s.... .i..i........i.