Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-24
MRS. WAITE, YELLED,
ON STAND in HOPE OF
CONNECTING HUSBAND
Alleged Poisoner of Her Father
Covers Face With Hand as
She Goes on Witness
>" Stand
"K. ADAMS" REVEALED

NEW YORK, May 24.--Mrs. Clara Louise
| Peck Waite, wife of DR. Arthur Warren
| Waite took the stand In his trial for -mur-
| der today and gave testimony which she
| hopes will aid In sending him to the cleo
| trio chair, She followed her brother, Percy
Peck.
Dressed in black and veled Mrs. Waite
walked firmly TO the stand and gave her
testimony in low firm voice. AS she
walked forward Doctor Waite who has
confessed to the poisoning of her father
and mother. Mr.. and Mrs. John B. Peck,
| OF Grand Rapids, looked first toward her
and then to the floor lie partially covered
his face with his left hand and did not
move 1t while she was on the stand. He
seemed less at ease than any time since
the trial has started Mrs. Waite will con
tinue on the stand this afternoon.
A second thrill of the day was furnished
by TX. Adams" the sender of the telegram
which resulted In the Investigation which
disclosed that John e. Peck died of arsenic
poisoning. TX. Adams is Miss Elizabeth
G. Hardwick "a. niece of Doctor Cornell.
She, with Doctor Cornell. was a visitor in
the Waite apartment March 1, the day be-
fore the death.
After identifying the telegram to Percy
Peck which read; suspicious aroused De-
mand autopsy she was excused,
When Mrs Waite came to the stand she
was entered in the record as Clara Louise
Peck the name by which she prefers to be
Waite Is not yet permanent.
FATHER SLEEPY AFTER SUPPER"
She testified that she married him Sep.
tember 3. 1915. and subsequently came to
New York to live. Her testimony relevant
to the trial started with the arrival in
New York Of her father several weeks be-
fore his death. His health was good she
testified.
The evening of March O." she said "the
Doctor Waite placed the oysters and the
soup on the table. Father was sleepy after
supper. He went to bed early. Doctor
Waite hurried out right away
ION Friday father made a codicil to his
will II was witnessed and signed Satur-
day Father arose Saturday morning feel
ing very sick. Doctor Waite was in the
room with him early in the morning. That
afternoon prepared some eggnog for him
and gave him some. He complained that it
made him feel sick I placed 1t in the ice
box and did not see 1t afterward."
EGGNOG STILL A MYSTERY.
1t was intimated in the early investiga-
tion of the case that the arsenic admins
tered Peck by Waite was given in egRnog
But it was not brought out whether Mrs.
Waite let the eggnog she prepared Satur-
day out of her sight before she bave a
drink of 1t to her father. 1t was not
brought out that Doctor Waite removed any
Oh tne eRRnOS from the ice DOX.
Mrs. Waite. however, testified that Doctor
Waite was at home nearly all day Saturday
During the morning Assistant District
Attorney Brothers read letter to the jury
written by Waite TO his mother-in-law, Mrs |
Peck, in October 1915.
1t was full of terms of endearment, and |
said again and again that he (waite) did |
not wish any of Pecks money In the letter |
Waite said he was making money at the |
rate of about $1,000 year, 81.
LETTER TO MoTHER-IN-LAw.
The letter read. in part:
never expected any money from
father, and l am making enough now
TO get along on nicely. My income will
be about $1,000 year, and deducting
for expenses of keeping up my practice
l will have $4,000 and that will be
enough. appreciate more than 1 can
tell you the goodness of yourself and
father to me, but / know that he has
expenses, and that everything does not
always turn out all right 1 wish you |
would tell him in the best way you
can that / do not wish for any of his
money. If 1 had the right would say
to Clara now, II will not have any gift
from your parents" OF course, l can
not say to Clara that she shall not have
any of your money but will not have
her use any for the expenses of running
the household.