Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-25
CONFESSION BY
ARTHUR Waite
SECURED FRIDAY
Claims, According to District At
torney. that millionaire Peck
Was Despondent and Desired
to Commit Suicide
DOCTOR TRIED
TO BRIBE HIS M AID
TO CONFIRM HIS STORY

New York. March 24.-Confession
was made today by DR.. Arthur War
rem Waite, according to District At
torney Swami, that he bought the
poison believed to have caused the
death Of his father in law. John +.
Peck. of Grand Rapids. Mich. but he
asserted he made the purchase at the
request of the millionaire, who was
respondent and wished to commit sui
eide.
Attempted Bride
Another sensational development
late in the day was the statement
made to Mr.. Swami by Raymond
SCHNEIDER. a private detective. that DR..
Waite had asked him to attempt to
bride Waite's Negro maid. Dora HUI
lier, to corroborate the doctors story
lie she will say in court that she
heard Mr.. Peck ask me to nu3 ihe
arsenic, SCHNEIDER told, the district at
torney said and that she saw me give
him the package unopened. l VIII give
her a check for $1,000
DR.. Waite according to the detective
thereupon signed what purported 10
be check for $1,000 to the order OF the
girl written by SCHNEIDER on sheet
from his notebook. This check Is
now in the possession of Mr.. Swami.
SCHNEIDER said Waite did not know he
was a detective working on the case
against him, and evidently mistook
him for friend.
Placed in Prison Ward
DR.. Waite was taken to the prison
ward at Bellevue hospital tonight MI.
Swami said he wished the dentist Kept
under under the closest possible sur
VIGILANCE because he had expressed
regret that the drugs he took Wednes-
day had not killed him ana tha1 lie
wished he were dead.
When first questioned by Mr.. Swami
on Tuesday, Waite is said to have
laughed heartily and declared; why,
this is rich. l never purchased arsenic
in my life and have never had any.
In making his statement to the district
attorney today. Waite was self-possessed
and spoke with evident elaboration. Oc-
casionally his face would light UP with
smile but when he was questioned about
the alleged misuse of $4,000 entrusted to
him for investment by Miss Catherine
Peck, sister of John E. Peck, and about
the woman he had previously admitted
having lived with. he apparently became
indignant The answer to all questions
of this character was invariably THAT
has nothing to do with the subject in
hand
"ProbabIy Go to Chair"
Yes" he said. according to Mr.. Swami.
II bought the arsenic. but l know you
so I'll probably go to the electric chair.
Mr.. Peck was an old man and he was
very Respondent over the death of his
wife One day he asked me to buy some
poison for him. l don't remember wheth-
err he said he wanted arsenic or not.
went to see a physician acquaintance,
told him l wanted to kill cat and asked
him to recommend to his druggist.
He called a druggist on the tele-
phone and told him I was all right.
also told the druggist I wanted to kill
a cat. took the poison home and
handed the package to Mr.. Peck. l
never saw it again.
The poison was bought on March
and Peck died March II. The district
attorneys office has information that
the dentist made other purchases of
poison between Dec. 81 and March Z.
Mrs. Peck died here on Jan. 80 1t was
after Waite was confronted with writ
ten records Of some of his purchases
that he made his alleged confession.
How much was Peck worth, do you
know" the district attorney asked
him."
Yes, l know" Dr.. Waite replied. "a
million dollars"
Mrs. White had no knowledge of her
husband purchasing roison. Mr.. Swami
said the dentist told him.
MY regret is, that this will wound
NV wife very deeply" the dentist add
ed. Nobody knows anything about the
subject except myself.
DR.. Waite told the district attorney
he had never taken drugs in his life
until last Wednesday. when he said he
took them to make him sleep.
Mr.. Swami has been reliably in
formed, he said. that last Monday
Continued on Page Column 81