New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-27
AIienists for Defence
Get a Drowsy Grin
from "Egomaniac.'
COURT FILTRATION
ABSORBED SLAYER
Said His Eyes Could Win
Jury-Verdict May Be
Rendered To-day.

Two ancnists took the witness stand
before Justice Shesrn in the Criminal
Branch OF the Supreme Court yesterday
and sought TO convince the twelve lay
men who arc to decide his fate that
DR.. Arthur Warren Waite is the victim
Of a cracked brain a. we'll as a cracked
conscience.
They described him as ono incapable
Of most primitive human emotion, As a
sufferer from rare sort of insanity
which they had dug out Of their text
books -"morsl imbeclity"
Or. Allan Rose Diefendorf. of Hans
Schmidt trial fame, the second Of the
alienists TO testify and the last wit
ness for the defence, went bit farther
when cross-examination brought forth
question touching on his personal
appraisal OF the defendant.
Waite Called Immoral Monster.
NO. sir. should not like to see him
go freel" he denied. hotly. as Assist
ant District Attorney Brothers put the
question TO him. "He is a menace to So
cioty. an Immoral monster. and If mad
my way he would he under restraint
the rest Of his days"
DR.. Waite. up to that point, had not
been greatly interested. Frankly lie
was bored with the reading OF mis-
lawyers long Hypothetical question and
the tedious technical examinations
which followed. The sleep which came
so easily At the close of those days on
which his poisons finally disposed of
his father-in-law and mother-in law
had almost claimed him when the alien
lists unfattering words brought him
back to the courtroom.
On his lips, with his strange sense of
humor rushing to the rescue, appeared
an eloquently appealing little smile.
As clearly as if IL had spoken it regis
tered polite protest. In the dentists
best tennis court style it seemed TO
call:
ooh! ! say, old chap, don't you think
that's a bit rough on a fellow that's
down ?"
Prisoner Puzzles Jury.
The testimony which had preceded
the Immoral monster" Characterization
had been Of gripping interest TO the
jury. Where the proceedings had
tagged the twelve men in the box had
been closely observing the remarkable
being whom the law had put into their
hands for judgment, trying to fathom
the mental workings behind the Waite
smile; wrestling toward an under
standing of that unearthly philosophy
which had enabled the man whose life
is at stake to sit through it all with
the blase air of first-nighter at a play
that wouldn't do
DR.. Diefendorf had talked with Waite
in the Tombs Tuesday night, at the
close OF the second day of the trial.
From him the jurors learned that when
l0f htlfuudHh luIutt MS DdNh 'h Nu'h
that afternoon and appeared to concen-
trate his attention on the north wall Of
the courtroom il was not to hide en-
barrassment.
Neither was it the blank wall that
engaged Waite's attention. Backed
against II sat a pretty young woman
in one of those patent leather sailors
which are so becoming TO some types.
The dentist. satisfied on his own at
fractions to the last, was trying TO
catch and hold the black eyes under
the patent leather hat. With the chair
in the offing, Waites thoughts we're on
far pleasanter things. He was doing
his best to hirt.
They learned, too. why Waite from
Continued on page I. column