The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-30
EMBALMER IN
THE PECK CASE
ELUDES POLICE
Nets Out for Man to Whom
Waite Said He Paid &c.,
600 to Keep Quiet.
DENTIST FIRST TRIED
GAS TO KILL MRS. PECK


The murder guilt of Arthur Warren
Waite is 80 well established in the judG-
ment OF District Attorney Swann--es-
tablished not merely by a we'll linked |
| chain Of circumstan;ial evidence but by |
| confessions which were curiously ann
plifed yesterday---tliat the investigation
Is now turning to indications of black |
mail and conspiracy. |
| The person most wanted In this con- |
rection is Eugene Oliver Kane. embalmer
! Plowright undertaking establishment at
1A Lexington avenue. who is accused
of receiving $1,000 in cash for agreeing
TO doctor specimens Of embalming
fud with arsenic and TO swear that
arsenic was used IN the embalming OF
the body OF John L. Peck.
On Tuesday night Kane was AZ Orient
Point, near Grecnpoint. l.. I. Yesterday
and last night a great many persons.
including the Police Department and the
District Attorneys stan. did not know
where he was. They were afraid that
he had decided to take a vacation from
the arduous labors Of a mortuarian. De
tective Cunniff went TO the Long Island
Railroad Station to meet train at s "a
last evening. hut Kane was not aboard.
Neither had he reached his home at AZ.
West Fifty-seventh street.
Names Emp1Ose Questioned.
The disappearance OF Kane made
necessary. IN Judge Swanns opinion.
long and detailed Questioning OF Kane's
employer. John :. Potter. as to whether
or not Waite had told the truth In say
ing that Potter was aware of the scheme
TO deceive justice and save Waite's life
by putting arsenic In samples Of the
Potter concerns embalmng fluid. Judge
Swami and Assistant District Attorney
Dooling questioned Potter until 10 o'clock
last night and were assured by him that
, he knew no more about the whole mat
ter than certain condolences that had
been made 10 him by Kane.
, The District Attorney was impelled to
orihg Potter into the investigation after
a conversation with Dr. Waite yesterday
morning in Bellevue Hospital. Judge
Swami himself related the substance Of
THIS conversation last night
Il went to Bellevue Hospital at 10
\. NJ he SAID. and found there Frank
, \, waite with his brother the dentist.
'pr. Waite again expressed himself as
ready. willing and anxious TO make a
tull statement Of everything connected
with the case. In answers to questions
put 10y me he said that in regard TO
: his arrangemen; to purchase testimony
from Eugene Oliver Kane, the matter
was first suggested to him by John =
Potter. manager Of the Plowright un-
dertaking establishment at lit Lex
ington avenue.
He said tha, Potter called ON him
and said he had discovered that the
V District Attorney was anxious to get Il
sample OF the embalming fluid, Waite
v said that he told Potter it would be
= advisable to have the embalnng nu!d
n contain arsenic. Potter replied that
that would cost money. Waite asked
Y how much and Potter said lie didn't
g know. that he would have To- consult
Kane. who did the embalming, and tina,
4 he would send Kane to him.
& Wanted "a Pay the DrugIist.
} waite said that Potter said to him /:
You cannot expect Kane to do this
y and put himself in that position unless
he is we'll paid for IT,.
r Waite said then that he told Potter
g of having purchased arsenic from Tim
Il norman. the druggist at Lexington ave-
II nue. and sixty second street and that
i Potter told him ii would be necessary
d 10 pay Zimmerman not to disclose that
e fact. Waite said he asked Potter what
Il he thought would he a proper price TO
Il pay Zimmerman and Potter said he
t, thought $1,000 would be proper price
Il MIR. Zimmerman Judge Swami con.
tinued has shown himself absolutely
Il above reproach and beyond crit .cism in
It his relation to this case.
- Waite told me that on Sunday, March
o ~. he wrote out a check for $4,000, OF
- account and gave il to Kane. dating the
IS check. Monday. Marcn 90. Soon after
k he gave Kane this check Kane returned
a it to him and said that Potter had ad.
,e Nised him not to bank Il, Kane then
demanded OF Waite that he make the
10 check into cash.
a THE next morning uc made an ar.
n rang"mcnt at kanes suggestion to meet
ia Kane with the cash At the cigar store
N N Fifty-ninth street near the southeast
). corner OF Ninth avenue. lie said that
when he did cash the check. through
!. cimiotti. the garage keeper. AZ has beer
10 stated heretofore he got into an auto.
"a mobile and went To the cigar store and
-. there found Kane waiting.
70 ''ile said that Kane stepped into one
Of the Two telephone booths the on,
tWalte) that he was IN position I,
\. receive the money. He stepped up I,
Kane and handed him the money in .
- roll, II was not wrapped. 1t was !
- large roll of 5000 and 800 and some s.,
bills
N Says Kane POck~ted the xO,4OO.
m After Kane had received il he nut /
IL into his pocket and stepped up TO tn,
r, assistant In the cigar store who stood
r. in the rear of the store uhe store II
y. about fifteen feet deep all told), an,
W said, Il don't believe will wait for tina
telephone call any longer, am going.
r. Waite says they then separated.
d, Kane did not give him back TIN
r. check for $1,000 because II had bee,
agreed that Kane should receive a tota
o. payment of $25.0 900. and out of the SIS,
ID 900 Kane said he understood he was I,
ar pay some druggist for keeping utIie
80 about the sale OF the drug
IN THE next thing was that on Monda,
~ afternoon Waite. having discovered, O
?" thought he discovered. that his wire WA
tapped, sent "A letter to Potter telling MI,
not to communicate with him by tele
- phone any more AZ the wire was tanned
He sent this. he said. by the superin
n. tendent OF the Colosseum apartmen