Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-28
Dentist Convicted of Poison
inq His Father-in.LaW Faces
Penalty of Electric Chair.
TAKEN TO T0MBS TO WAIT
COURTS DECREE June |
Murderer Expected Verdict, and in
Leaving Courtroom Declares
"This Is a Great Relief"

NEW YORK, May 27.-Convicted of
murder in the first degree for poisoning
his father-in-law, John E. Peck, a mil
lionaire drug manufacturer of Grand
Rapids. Mich. DR.. Arthur Warren
Waite is tonight in the Tombs prison.
where he will remain until Justice
Clarence J. Shearn sentences him on
June l to death in the electric chair
Walter H. Deuel.. the young dentists
chief counsel. said tonight the verdict
Of guilty was a proper one. He de-
clared all that could be done for the
defendant had been done in the trial
which ended today. One of Mr.. Deuers
assistants said. nevertheless. that
preparations were being made to take
an appeal at once. Mr.. Deuel. was in
consultation with his client for a few
minutes after Waite was remanded to
his cell in the Tombs this afternoon.
District Attorney Swami said tonight
that If an appeal were taken his Office
would be ready in ten days to argue
the case in the higher courts.
Waite declined to make any state
ment from his cell, but said he might
issue some impression" later. That he
was inclined to accept the verdict as
final and was resigned to his fate
seemed to be Indicated by his remark
This is a great relief as he was led
from the courtroom.
Dentist Expected Conviction.
The dentist. who admitted not only
the murder of Mr.. Peck, but also that
Of Mrs. Hanna Peck. his mother-in-law,
and who admitted that he attempted to
kill his wife's aunt. Miss Katherine
f1v hod haf ho
jury would convict him.
AS the jury retired he turned to his
brother Frank and said:
The jury should not be out five
minutes. 1t was long. drawn-out pro-
ceeding"
don't understand this"
You shouldn't talk that way" said
Frank. They may be finding you not
guilty.
"oh. yes. They will find me guilty"
insisted Dr. Waite.
The trial lasted six days. which was
almost a record for brevity for an i'm
portant murder trial here in recent
years. AS compared with Waite's trial
the first trial of Charles Becker for the
murder of Herman Rosenthal lasted
sixteen days. while Harry X. Thaw's
! first trial occupied forty-two days.
Jurors Make Compact.
Leaving the courtroom at 1920 pm.
the jury was out only one hour and
twenty-five minutes. After returning
the verdict the foreman declared the
jurors had made a compact not to re-
veal the nature Of their deliberations.
The young dentist preserved his nom
chalant demeanor not only while fac
ing the jury to learn his fate. but
after he was led back to the Tombs
prison. Throughout the trial he SEEM
ed unmoved by any human feeling as
attempts to kill Mr.. Peck with the
bacilli of various diseases, Of his fnal
resort to poison. of his murder of Mrs.
Peck by administering disease germs
and his attempt to kill his wife's aunt
by placing ground glass in her food.
Apparently unmoved, he confronted
the jury and heard the verdict without
displaying other emotion than relief
had given his pedigree to the clerk of
the court and had been taken to the
Tombs, he was allowed to exercise.
He marched up and down corridor
whistling La Paloma-
Brothers and Father Present.
Warren W. Waite of Grand Rapids,
the dentists father, and Frank and
CLYDE Waite, his brothers. were in the
courtroom when the verdict was re-
turned. Frank Waite led his father
from the room without having spoken
to the convicted man.
Clara Peck Waite, the dentists wife,
whom he admitted he might have killed
had she inherited her fathers fortune,
heard the verdict in one Of the rooms
adjoining the courtroom. Gods will
be done" was her only comment.
Percy Peck. son of the murdered man.
heard the verdict without giving evil
dence of any emotion. 1t was reported
tonight that Peck had said to Assist
ant District Attorney George N. Broth
ers, the prosecutor. when the trial be-
gan:
Il realize the importance Of keeping
any apparent desire for vengeance on
my part out of this case. but I want to
ask you just this one favor: give me
seat in the courtroom. from the be-
ginning of the trial to the end. where
I can keep my eye on that man and so.
moment by moment, watch the hope
fading from his face"
Verdict Generally Expected.
Few persons in the courtroom. IL
ao,,h<nd he verdict would he