Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-26

est in bacteriology before his marri-
age, he explained. After he had given
germs to Miss PECK while, he be-
came discouraged he said because of
lack Of success. He denied that he
gave her arsenic.
was there any arsenical hypaper
in her room?" the dentist was asked.
oh. yes" he asserted. Il read
somewhere Of an arsenical fypaper
which, If treated and put in a per-
sons pocket. would cause death so
got some and put in her room
Did YOU administer any bacteria
to Mrs. Peck"
Yes, soon after her arrival. had
been working on them for some time
and had them all ready for her
How often did you give them to
herr"
Quite often. put them in her
food on the first day she came and
she grew ill almost immediately"
| He had given Mrs. Peck millions
of germs, he said.
Attempts to Kill Peck
Asked how many kinds of germs he
administered to Mr., Peck. Waite re-
piled: Typhoid, dirhtheria. pneumo-
MIA and others. | gave him a spray
and put diphtheria and later pneumo-
MIA and others in it and had him spray
his throat every time he went out.
They had no effect and l tried to make
them stronger.
snr ~, L, -
bed so that he WOULD catch cold, but
he didn't. | also put chemical COM
pound in his room. which would Gre
ate poisonous gas. but it failed to
produce results. One night | turned
on the gas. but the superintendent of
the building came up and turned it
off
Il gave him arsenic few days be-
fore he was planning to go away. |
got 80 grains. | think. | think it was
three or four days before Mr.. Peck died
that l began to give him arsenic.
gave him a little at first and increas-
ed the dose until all of it was gone
gave him the doses in his food. Once
or twice it was in egenog and once in
rice pudding and then once in hot
milk"
Waite told of sleeping on the couch
on the night before his father-in-
laws death so as not to disturb his
wife. He got up an hour after retr-
ing, he said. and administered chloro-
form to MT. Peck
very Fond" Of Mrs. Horton
Telling of his acquaintance with
Mrs. Horton. Waite said he heard her
sing at a theatre here last Fall and
went frequently just to hear her. He
met her behind the scenes. he said
and saw her every day after that, be-
coming very fond of her"
Did she seem to reciprocate?" ask
ed Mr.. Deuel.
She did " Waite rcnlied.
He then told of taking up with her
the study of foreign languages and
dramatic expression.
AT 10 O'Clock in the morning" he
said. we used to go to school togeth-
or. Then we would have luncheon
somewhere. Afterwards we would so
to the Plaza where their studio"
was located) or / would take her to
her music instruction and would re-
turn for her. Then we would 60 to
the Plaza and study LANGUAGES and
play for couple of hours. In the
evening we often vent to the opera
together"
did you ever meet her husband?" the
witness was asked
II have seen him.
did you ever tell your wife about Mrs
Horton"
NO
Waite related his efforts to induce Eu-
gene Oliver Kane, the embalmer to put
arsenic in a sample of embalming fluid
which was to be sent to the district attor-
ney's Office He gave Kane $1,000 down. he
said. and agreed to give him $4,000 more
later.
What was your purpose in administer
ing germs to all these people,"
II wanted them to die
Why"
Il wanted their money!
When did you first get this idea
about the time I first met Miss Clara
Peck"
Early in his examination tonight Waite
admitted that he had degenerate traits
since he was a boy.
The trial was adjourned at 10 O'Clock
until tomorrow morning.
Do. Waite toow the witness stand
in his own behalf late today and
barred the sordid secrets of his life
in an effort to save himself from the
electric chair. Earlier in the dav his
counsel had stated he would prove the
self-confessed poisoner of his wife's pa
rents was insane at the time the crime
charged against him was committed.
Thefts Admitted
The prisoners story was devoted large
ly to admissions of series Of thefts from
the time he was boy until he differed
$40 from the purse of the mother of the
girl whom he later married. He told also
of his wooing of his wife, who sat not
far from him in the courtroom with head
bowed while he testified.
The young dentist was preceded on the
witness stand by his father, Warren W.
Waite, and his brothers. Frank and
Clyde. The father told of faint of in
sanity in his family in the hope of there.
by aiding his son. All three related IN
cidents in the defendants life designed
to show that he was peculiar even as
boy and that his thievery always was