The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-05-25
PICK WAITE JURY
IN THREE HOURS
TRIAL OF ALLEGED PoIsoNER OF
PECK STARTS QUICKLY.
DR.. A. a. MOORE ON THE STAND
Physician Who Attended Grand Rap
ids Millionaire In Last Illness Says
Dentist Feared He Might Be
Accused of Murder.

New York, May 23.-Testimony OF
DR.. Albertus Adair Moore, the physl-
clan who attended John e. Peck, mil
lionaire drug manufacturer OF Grand
Rapids, in his last illness, for whose
murder Doctor Peck's son-in-laW, Dr.
Arthur Warren Waite, was placed on
trial here, indicated that Doctor Waite
feared some time before his arrest that
he might be accused of causing the
death of his father-in-law.
Doctor Moore said that when Doctor
Waite returned to New York from
Grand Rapids after Mr.. Peck's funeral
the dentist telephoned to him. He said
Doctor Waite asked:
DO you suppose, DOCTOR they could
hold me for Mr.. Peck's death because
| failed to have a nurse for the old
gentleman"
Told Waite at Looked Ugly"
On March % Waite met him by ap-
'pointment, Doctor Moore said.
HE said to me-" asserted Doctor
Moore, that he supposed l had seen
by the newspapers that he was sus-
pected of the murder. l told him l
had, and added that it looked ugly.
He wanted to know If / could offer
any suggestion to him. l said he ought
to demand an autopsy.
WELL he replied, I would, but
don't think Clara MRS. Waite) would
allow it.
Get Jury Quickly.
The task of selecting the jury to
try Doctor Waite was completed in
two hours and fifty-four minutes. Sell
dom has a trial of the kind moved so
rapidly, it was said.
Waite himself appeared as calm as
any of the spectators who crowded
into5the courtroom.
Only fifty-six of the special panel
of 500 talesmen summoned were ex-
amined before the jury was complet-
ed. Ten of the jurors are married
and two are single men.
Charge Use of Ether.
District Attorney Swami, addressing
the jury, recited Waite's life history
: ard declared the prosecution would
show that the young dentist lacked
means of support Of his own and
sought to gain possession of his ia
ther-in-law's money. On the very
night he married the murdered mans
daughter, the district attorney said,
Waite expressed disappointment be-
cause Peck had only given him a
wedding present worth $500, whereas
he had expected $4,000 in a lump
sum.
In addition to purchasing the
arsenic with which Peck was poisoned,
the prosecutor declared it would be
shown that Waite applied chloroform
to the nostrils of his father-inlaw on
the night of March IL and that was
the last of John f. Peck"
Mrs. Horton to Testify.
The district attorney then told Of
Waite becoming interested in the
study of disease germs and Of his
acquaintance with Mrs. Margaret
Horton, the young woman with whom
he shared a studio apartment. Mrs.
Horton, the prosecutor said, will
play conspicuous part in the trial"
The district attorney salu waite
made careful preparations to conceal
the alleged crime by taking charge Of
all arrangements for Mr.. Pecks flu
neral.
I'VE will show you" added Mr.
Swami, that when Waite went to
Grand Rapids with the body of his
father-in-law he telegraphed to Mrs.
Horton in New York to Immediately
move from the hotel in which they
shared the studio apartment"
This Mrs. Horton did, said the
prosecutor.
Easy money-not sex. not envy,
not hatred, not malice was the motive
which impelled Waite to murder" was
Mr.. Swann's climax.