Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-27
Call Him Immoral Monster,
With Only Insane Knowl-
edge of Right and Wrong.
THEIR TESTIMONY LAST
OFFERED BY DEFENSE
Prisoner Said to Have Confessed
That He Intended to
Kill His Wife.
MARRIED HER ONLY FOR MONEY.
Accused Man Denies He Had at Any
Time Pretended He Was
Insane.

NEW YORK. May a6.-ANenists sworn +.
by the defense. in behalf of DR.. Arthur
Warren Waite. testified to-day ct his
trial for the murder Of John E. Peck.
his fathern-law, that the young
dentist was "a moral imbecile" and IAN
immoral monster" who had only an
insane knowledge Of right and wrong
The defense rested its case upon the
testimony OF mental experts, The
al!enists of The prosecution will appear
tomorrow in rebuttal
Waitc's wife was in the courtroom
gain this afternoon. and heard the
medical witnesses for her husband
testify he had told them he had mar
ried her only for her money. The
prisoner only appeared TO doze while
A long Hypothetical question. designed
20 show that he was insane at the time
he killed his wifes parents, was read
TO the alienists. The jurymen seemed
, somewhat bored by the experts testi-
mony.
Or Morris j, KarPas and DIR. Allan
Ross Diefendorf testified that Waite
was moral imbecile. and declared
they had arrived at their conclusion
without consultation together. Both
admitted Waite knew what he was
doing when he was plotting the death
| of MIR, Peck. but they declared he had
10 moral sense. Both asserted they
did not want the prisoner set free. and
! DR.. Diefendorf said he should be kept
III an insane asylum long as he
| lived.
RELIEVES CRIMINALS
SHOULD CONFESS CRIMES
Dr karpas declared that while moral
! imbtciles had no moral sense. they
appear like rational men. He said he
believed criminals should confess their
crimes. because they owed II to society
10 do so.
DO YOU think that the fact that a
member OF Waite's family was insane
away back in 1870 had anything to do
with the killing of Peck" he was
asked
Il don't know" was the reply. IT
don't know what kind Of lunatic she
was"
! Or Diefendorf said that when he nrst
examined Waite. on May l3, at the
Tombs. he found the defendant COM
him. he tesrited, he loved poetry, but
knew the names OF no modern poets,
band admitted that the only books he
had were those in an old dental library
he had bought tor St5.
Life Is one hollow. miserable she'll"
the dentist told him. DR.. Diefendorf
asserted.
What makes you unhappy7" the
doctor asked Waite
IL don't know the defendant re-
Piled
Have you had disappointm.nts in
love-"
NO | don't believe l ever loved"
Waite answered.
Not even Mrs. Horton"
II fear that is only temporary mat
ter. Doctor. | don't want TO be con-
Sidered insane. I know what l have
done. and I know shall be punished
for it,. the witness declared, Waite told
him.
HIS "WoRRY" REFERRED -
TO HIS PRIVATE LIFE
Waite told the alientst he had
worry.' and said IL referred to his pri-
vate life. The defendant told DR..
Diefendort he wouldn't go on the stand
To testify. because Mrs Horton would
be there, and he didn't want her to
lose confidence in him. and in the next
breath promised that he would testify.
Waite said his degenerate habits,
he thought. had brought about lack
of feeling in him" the witness testi-
ied. This and his weakness for women
were changing him. He added that he
had 'buzzing noise in his head, and
said. hnally, It's no use. can't under
stand
He said he practiced medicine for
the sole purpose OF learning how to get
rid of people" Dr. Diefendorf de-
clared. lie said he had read tho
Bible. He told me that when Mrs.
Peck died ne took $50 out o! her purse
on the dresser in her room"
Waite told the aliensts. according to
the evidence. that he knew he ought
TO love his parents. but never had
very much"
Detailing conversation with Waite
after his trial had begun, DR.. Diefen-
dorf said
Waite told me that he liked pretty
girls that he had tried TO firt with a
beautiful girl IN the courtroom. but
that lie could not catch her eye"
The alienist asserted that as far as
he was able to determine. the defendant &
had mo feeling of sorrow no feeling
OF shame. no strength OF will" In his
opinion the witness said Waite did
not know his act was wrong He said
he made up his mind Waite was insane &
on his hrst examination OF him.
AT the close OF DR.. Diefendores ex-
animation. Walter r. Deuel.. counsel Sor 3
defense, announced that de rested. sHi Is