The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-03
DR.. WAITE INSISTS
! THAT HE Is SANE
Seeks Death Chair as Atone
mcnt for tho Two Murders
Ito Committed.
CONSCIENCE NOW CLEAR

Arthur Warren Waite. ,hc dentist un-
der indictment for poisoning his father
ip-Iaw, John H.. Peck. uIade "a new con-
~fcssion, his fourth. Yesterday. lie cent
for his lawyer. Walter Rogers Deuel.. and
made a long statement which Mr.. Deuel.
made public at Wsitc's request.
Il want TO go 10 tho electric chair.
Waite SAID. ~ do not fear death-in
fact. ! seek death. IT is tho only atone
ncrt ] can make for my crimes. My
conscience has been auichened.
at Is true. and there IL no sense In
offering a defence, that I murdered both
my mothcr-ir-law aud my fsther-in-Iaw.
] have confessed the truth 10 Judge
Swami. who has been very kind 10 me.
lie knew the facts "A week ago and what
] am saying now is merely an a'nplii'ca-
tion and explanation of what was pub
1shcd several days ago.
III people ask why a young man OF
my opportunities In life. of my education
and social position fell so low AZ TO Kill
his bcncfactors. they can he told that
II was solely and simply for the greed
Of money. I wanted money. a lot Of u.
and | was not willing to wait until 1t
came TO me naturally and houorably.
Tho trouble with me wds that I had too
easy a time. I made friends too easily.
] had got ont OF the habit of work. I
had acquired expensive tastes. 7 wanted
automobiles and luxurious living. I
wanted to travel. ! wanted 70 no able
20 sign checks for big sums. ! wanted
90 feel the crinklc Of bank bills.
Nurdrr without Rcmorsc.
when 7 look back nov. II is hard for
mo TO realize mat ! could have sent Mrs.
Peck aud Mi. Peck ont Of life without
a tvingc OF rcnorsc. hut all ] could SEQ
~ss tho $500. 600 or so tina they were
preventing me from having by staying
alive. With them out of the way. there
was only my wife between me and half
OF tho Peck estate. I knew to a dollar
what that estate was worth. and | knew
that my wifc's share must come 10 me.
II made my ptsu S carefully. though
can sec now that I bluudcrcd in cN-
ecutirg them, Just as all criminals blum
dcy at some time or other. | let plain
tracks wherever I went. I could nave
been convicted even II I hadn't made It
confession. I don't need to bc a lawyer
t. krow that. 1iut confession ,ciicvcs
me. Ny awakened conscience demands
IL.
'Thcicfcic I say that | poisoned my
mothcr-in-law. who dice on January 30.
end my faihcr-iu-law. who died on March
IL. ] used in each case similar methods.
experimenting vita various poiscns AVID
finding arsenic the most reliable AT TN"
end. ! Was able t. do hut little with
disease cultures. probabl, because !
lacked the experience of "A trained bac-
tcrioiogist. Eut 1t Mas fascinating TO
experiment with those deadly thiir;s.
Il am deeply sorry that I deceived
Miss Catherine Peck. She had always
been q true friend. Her generosity and
trust knew NJ bounds. She believed I
Was Il hard working. successful dental
surgeon. ! had told her thar I was busy
in special work. performing difficult
operations at various hospitals. II was
only Il part of the hypocritical life | was
lcadiuc.
Il first h,atl oN March ls tua' ! VAS
under suspicion. ON that lay tho I,cv.
Or. \. W. Wi.hIrt and Dr. Perry Srlurz
Of Grand ,,apids went 10 Potter. the
undertaken. and demanded samples Of the
embainiius tiuid. I quickly learned about
that and went ahead finishing my plans
Csid 1000 to ~J.trscue oliver Kane. OH
the understanding that kanc would doc
tor tho ombsl,uinG fluil and make il
appear that the processes AZ cmbalmiic
were responsible for arsenic having been
found In Mr.. Icck's body. Kane did not
carry ont the understanding had tried
cf course TO have Mr.. pe'l's body cr.-
mated in Detroit, as ! had had MIR.
f'ch's. but the tatrs wcr" against mo.
] guess my time had come. tina, was all.
Waite says Hc's sane.
'"iicrc is no ,Nc tn try to make IL
appcar that | am insane. I'm perfectly
sane. Ny mine is ~ clear as - bell and
think IN straight lines. That bad mat,
FROM Egypt story Is sheer nous.nsc. 1t
dcycici"d from my trying to joke with :,
most serious mindcd Assistant District
Att"rncv. po"lirG. ! don't want an i,-
sanity defence offered. I stall state in
court that I'm NOT crazy and ncvc,
have h,,p lI.W uIu, no. .I,,,,
" | had succeeded ! would have hcc,
ricli and respected. took my chance
end frlcl. That Ia all I have to say
Waitc's attitude docs not make Mr.
pcIc|s course easy. However, Mr.. pruc'
fs proceeding on III" theory that Waite
does not realize his own mental dc.
tci's.cy and that Wa,;c uIst h" protected
against himself. Tic will hay" br. N"rri:
J. Ei"p,S make a careful examination oi
Waite and ~ 1'r. karI,as's report vii
depend whether or not MIR. deuel. will AZ,
ply for a commission To- determine
Waitc's sanity. Dr. Menas :. ,~;re.sury o
Bellevue Hospital Will report TO Disiricr
Attorney Svauu covering his observation
of Waite since the dentist has been undcI
treatment.
Waite Will not Ice arraiEn,d to-day. -,
had been planned. because lr. ,:roeorl
considers him ~ Vet unit to appear i,
court. ~" may be taken before .Iud-.
Grain tn-morrow az Wednesday.
Mrs. Margaret Weaver Horton. Waite
associate in the study OF dramatic OK
preston. SAID through her lawyer
Harold Spicll,clg. Yesterday, that she il
determined to have an interview Will
Waite to-day and that sh" Will s,ry,
Notice on Juig" Swami that he cauno
legally deprive her of the right so SEQ d."
friend. Tho District Attorney ihiuks diff
fsrcntly, aud Mr.. Horton Will bc oiligo,