The Detroit times., 1916-05-22
WAITE LAUGHS
AS JUROR is
QUESTIONED
tcoati.ses from PAGE oneJ

/ Fan TOm EhsP S. 49,
sion OF his faculties and urged hin
onward 10 his plot TO poison the
/ whole Peck family that he might In
herit their millions, and his fina
insistence that be now Is sane and
desires expiration of his crimes.
| His attorney will plead insanity
The state has nearly $50 witnesses
TO support their contention that Il
was not a mad mans brain, but
that OF a cool. calculating adventur
er. who weighed the chances oil
failure against the dreams OF a but
terfy life OF millions to be spent
for pleasure. that planned the muir
ders OF his wife's parents.
Waite looked white and wan to
day, although he has fully recovered
from the effects OF strong narcotics
taken when he foresaw the police
must inevitably uncover the trail OF
his plot OF poisoning, He said he
was feeling fine"
New York hopes 20 set record
for criminal trials In which the is
sue is insanity. in handling Waite's
case. Selection OF jury is expect
ed TO consume three days, but Jus
tice Shearn has only set aside 10
days for the entire trial
Waite was the coolest and appar-
entity the most unconcerned man IN
the crowded court room when his
trial was called. Dressed modestly
In a blue serge suit. he sat beside
his counsel, Walter r. Duel, and
did not finch when Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Brothers briefly re-
viewed the case for the veniremen.
and came down hard on the word
murder
In court when the case was called
vas Percy Peck, son OF the slain
millionaire, and his wife. Both were
in deep mourning. The mother OF
the defendant is in Grand Rapids i'll
and probably will not be IN court
for several days. Warren W. Waite
and Frank Waite, father and brother
of the defendant, were seated TAR
back in the court roori Percy L.
Fisher, the nrst venireman called,
was peremptorily challenged by the
defense. He had said be had
strong preconceived opinion. He said
he could render judgmt nj, however,
on the evidence produced. This did
not satisfy the defense.
Waite seemed master OF his emo
lions as he Witnessed the dreary
routine of questioning of jurors. The
first time Assistant Attorney Man.
cuso asked what later developed
was one OF his stock interrogations
Are you opposed TO capita pun
ishment Waite burst into laugh
ter as the venireman. Joseph 5. irv-
ing, replied, Yes, but not in a case
like this"
Up 10 noon seven jurors had been
tentatively accepted. These are still
subject to challenge by either side.
That each side would introduce
expert testimony on insanity was
evidenced by questioning of yenire-
men by both sides. Each talesman
was asked il he knew the experts
under subpoena. The first two lur-
ors were obtained from examination
OF 90 talesmen.
The state will introduce evidence
TO prove that Waite, married 10
Clara Peck and having Mrs. Eliza
beth Horton as his Studio compan-
ion" in a big New York hotel, actu-
ally did get Mr. and Mrs. Peck TO
New York on a visit and kill them
by poisoning with arsenic.
That he got his wife to will her
estate to him and was planning her
death as the third Of the series in
his alleged scheme 10 get the Peck
millions.
And that after killing his mother
in.law and engineering the crema-
ton OF her body 10 prevent the dis
covery of the cause OF her death. he
hribed a New York undertaken with
$4,000 ts7. 500 OF this amount was
found where the undertaken told the
police he aid iD. TO swear that ar
senic wa used in the fluid employ
ed in the embalming Of his father
in-law's BODY.
With his wife turned against him
and prosecuting her suit for divorce,
and Margaret Horton, his studio
companion fresh from the tri-
umphs OF a vaudeville engagement
won as q result OF the publicity she
gained from her association with
him, Waite faces his fight against
the electric chair without the sup
port either OF the woman he married
or the woman he squandered his
money on.
While he lay on a cot in Bellevue
hospital, recovering from the effects
OF poisons he had taken in an at
tempt to die after the poisoning OF
his father.in.law was discovered,