New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-24
Laughs at Embalmer
Telling Of Bribe
and Arsenic Plea.
"K. ADAMS" TAKES
STAND TO-DAY
Mrs. Horton Shrinks from
Slayer-He Predicted
PeCk'S Death.


soft Of voice, soft of tread, and look
ing almost enough alike to be brothers,
slipped, one after the other, into the
witness chair in Justice Shearn's court
room yesterday and added their mod
est quota to the testimony which is
piling up against DR.. Arthur Warren
Waite, on trial for the murder of his
wealthy father-in-law.
They were John s. Potter, the under
taker, and Eugene Oliver Kane, his
embslmer the men who prepared the
body of John f. Peek for shipment back
to Grand Rapids and who, according
to the dentist, Joined him in con-
spiracy of concealment when he learned
the District Attorney was investigat-
ing Peck's death.
Potter Frank and Nervous.
IL was the first public appearance
OF the pair since DR.. Waite, confessing
he had chosen murder as a road 10
riches, accused them OF having virtual
ly blackmailed their way into the po-
sition OF paid accomplice, after the
fact.
An engaging frankness, scarcely
dominating an obvious undercurrent Of
marked the testimony Of
Potter. who is asserted by Waite to
have been the brains OF the alleged
plot to bleed him.
Kane, who accepted from the dentist
roll OF bills that DR.. Waite says
amounted to $4,000 and buried the
money in the treacherous sands Of Long
Island, where 81 200 melted mysterious
" away, had much the manner OF his
emplover while on the stand. He was
very, very frank, weighing each word
90 that no little atom of untruth might
slide out. and he smiled with each
answer an apology for the undoubtedly
compromising situation into which h.
had wandered.
Embalmer a Babe in Woods.
Potter was quite sure he had never
mentioned money to Waite, not even
in the matter OF his bill for legitimate
services. Kane, already having admit
ted the receipt OF the roll from the
defendant. had to tell longer story.
As he told IL, his was the part of q
Babe in the Woods, suddenly pos
sessed OF a fairy godfather who in
sisted on making him rich; for what
purpose other than sheer philanthropy
he could not fsthom.
II was hard telling for Kane, al
though the brave little smile which he
took to the stand with him seldom left
his face.
On DR.. Waite's face, as he listened,
was a different sort of smile the
pleased smile with which Roman En-
peror Of similar humorous sense might
have viewed race between sscri-
fetal slave and hungry lion.
For the defendant. to whom nothing
that has happened yet has seemed alto
gether unpleasant, it was the most en-
ioyable half hour of the trial to date.
The mirthful twitching of his mouth,
starting with the advent of Potter, had
developed into a broad and fixed grin
before Kane was through his ordeal.
Potter, whose place Of business is at
IA Lexington Avenue, told first Of
having been engaged by DR.. Waite to
take charge Of Mr. Peck's body.
"Dr. Waite said he wanted the body
made ready for shipment to Grand
Rapids" he testified. 81 took care Of
that and also bought a drawing room
and two railroad tickets for him.
Night Meeting with Waite.
Kane did the embalming and I
helped. It WAS done in the usual man.
ner'
when did you next see the de-
fendant?" asked Assistant District At
torney Brothers.
the night Of March IS"
Q.-Where did you see him? At
was in his apartment in Riverside
Drive.
Q. What was said? A. He asked
me if / had embslmed Mr.. Peck's body.
| told him Kane had done the work
He told me he wanted to see Kane.
Odd you put him in touch with
Kane? A.-Yes, called Kane up and
told him to see DR.. Waite the next
Odd you present your bill TO Dr.
Waite that night? A.-No, sir.
O.-What else was said by Or.
Waite? Ale said: They're trying
TO make trouble for me-" Then he
wanted TO know what was in the en-
balming fluid and told him he'd have
10 see Kane about that.
Potter then told of having visited As
sistant District Attorney Msncuso the
Continued on page 8. column