The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-22
WAITE JOYOUS AS
he GOES TO TRIAL
Attitude Of Prisoner, at the
Bar To-day, q Puzzle
to All.
HAMPERS HIS ATTORNEY

The attitude OF DR.. Arthur warren
Waite amszes experts In criminology.
The dentist who will be called to trial
this morning for the murder by poison OF
his fathcr-in-law. John Il. Peck Of Grand
Rapids. seems overjoycd with the ordeal
awaiting him. Yesterday nc was in as
good spirits as II he had come into
money.
Instead of cooperating with his law
yer, Walter r. Deuel.. Waite has nam
pered and opposed him at every turn.
Taking the latitude allowable to coun-
sci. Deuel. has painted waite's case as
white az possible. denying and palliating
and excusing. Waite has blackened II
heavily. confesslng. even exaggerat'ng
Deuel. pleads tina Waite is crazy. Waite
declares that lie Is sane now and was
sane when he poisoned his mother-'n-
law and his fathcr-in-law. Deuel. ays
Waite doesn't know what he Is talking
about. Waite asserts that he knows
better than any man-that his main Idea
= to get out Of the world as quickly as
possible so as to win complete expia-
ton.
The case has no parallel In the recol-
lection Of court attaches or In the rec
ords Of the District Attorneys ofice.
No one can recall that a man or woman
charged with murder has so deliberately
tried to wreck a defensive case.
Death Penalty 70 he Asked.
Fortified by more than 100 witnesses
or dispositions. evidence gathered In
GRAND Rapids and In this city. and by
IN determinations OF alienists that
Waite IL entirely sane. District Attorney
Swami will ask hat the full penalty be
melted out. He will present n case which.
in his opinion. has no weak ink. In
opposition. apparently to Waite's W
wishes, the defence will be "~compulsivc'
insanity-the mental twist which COM
pels one to commit crime while main
tanning an appearance of sanity before
tho world.
The trial will at 10 A. NJ.
in the Criminal Branch of the supreme
Court, with Justice Clarence j. Shearn on
the bench. Assistant District Attorney
Brothers will present the states case. as
sisted by Assistant District Attorney
Dootiik - y. 1891 N
be obtained quickly, that the box VIII be
filled by tomorrow evening. Thereupon
Mr.. Brothers will outline the case the
State expects to prove.
He will recite TO the Justice and the
fury the singular career of a young
man, who, we'll educated. gifted men,
tally and physically. possessing many
attractive qualities. was yet utterly self
ish and se~lf-seeking, always greedy TO-
money, always avoiding work. He VIII
recall that after Waite was graduated In
1908 from the dental COLLEGE of the INT
versity Of Michigan. where N" had
cheated In examinations and where ne
had been exposed because OF d~cfalnttlons
Waite went to South Africa and obtained
large sums of money. althoush WORKING
for a small salary for a dental concern.
Returning 10 this country he persuaded
Clara Louise Peck. who had been a hig
school companion. TO marry him. ter
father, John T.. Peck, was the head OF a
wholesale drug business and owning
property worth probably $1,000, 900.
The fecks were generous TO their
daughters husband, setting him up Al
housekecping in this city, giving him
automobiles. frequently making him
presents of cash. Mr.. reok's sister
Miss Ellen Peck. living at the Park
Avenue Hotel, gave Waite $4,000 IN
cash at the time of his marriage and
subsequently put him In charge OF her
Investments, turning over 10 him $4o''
900.
Deception Of the Wife. q.
Mr.. Brothers will show that Waite
deceived his wife. his wife's parents ana
Miss Peck, telling them that he wa
practising his profession III this cty
and busy at difficult operations IN the
hospitals, when, as a matter or iact
he paid no attention to his profession
and spent most of his time in the
COMPANY Of women. particularly WIKI
Mrs. Margaret Weaver Horton, viii
whom he had a suite of rooms in the
Hotel Plaza. He was a well known ten
mis- player. winner OF "a metropolitan
championship.
Shortly after Christmas in 1915 Mr.
and Mrs. Peck came TO this city to vlsi
their daughter and son-in-law. Mrs
Peck had not been in good health, bu'
Mr.. Peck, although ~ years old, wa'
vigorous and had the expectation O.
long life. About the second week II
January Mrs. Peck became i'll and OF
January 80 died in the Waite apartment
in the Colosseum, at Riverside Drlv'
and ll6th street, At Waite's suggestion
the body was taken to Detroit and ere
mated. Because of this fact subsequen
evidence that Waite was u murderer
was not utilized in Mrs. Pecks case.
On March IL Mr.. Peck died. Waite
again suggested cremation and wen
with the body to Grand Rapids. Mr.
Peck's son, Percy ). Peck. and otheI
relatives refused to listen to the sug
gestion. Waite returned to New York
The very DAY that Mr.. Peck was Il
be buried Percy s. Peck in Grand Rapids
received the following telegram:
"Suspicions aroused. Demand au
topsy, Examine body. X. ADAMS,
"tolosscum Apartments, y. "
The identity OF the sender of the tele
gram will h" revealed at the trial, |
ts certain that one of the persons who's
susp. ions had been aroused was Or
Jacob Cornell of Rarltan, y. j., who
as a cousin of John H.. Peck. had oh
served peculiar symptoms in Mr.. Peck
case and who had been icbuftcd b.
Waite when he called at the Wait
apartment.
Acting promptly on the receip, o
tho telegram. Percy :. Peck sought adj
vice from the Rev. A. W. Wishart. pas
tor OF the church attended by the family
and from Or. Perry Schurtz, the fainil!
physician. They had An autopsy per
formed. DR.. Victor Nau-hn. pathologis
OF the University OF Michigan. repoIte'
that arsenic had been found in NJ
peck's stomach. Other evidence wa
gathered. and Dr Wishart and DI
Schurtz FASTENED to New York AN
placed the evidence In the hands OF Dis
trict Attorney Swami.