New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-25
Iron Will Saved Collapse
Until He Reached
Death Room
Refused to Leave
Word for Mother
Prison officials Astounded
Over Lack of Emotion as
Hour Drew Near

athCr-lf law. JohN T.. 'Nh'
entered the death house at IL o'clock.
Two shocks were necessary TO Kill HIM
The first was thrown on at ll:O5. the
second at li:Os. Two minutes later
DR.. Amos o. Squires pronounced him
dead.
He died silent and unresisting. Yet
The man who walked down the snort
corridor into the death chamber was
different person from the cynical, IN
different prisoner who had amazed
warden and keepers by his hardihood
throughout the day. He was game TO
The last. but the struggle 10 rcpress his
feelings nearly caused his collapse be-
fore he reached the chair.
rs this all there is to 10" he asked
when Frank Dorner. the Principal
Keeper, came to the cell where ne
waited minute or so before eleven. lie
spoke jauntily. but he seemed more
nearly nervous than he had been
throughout his long Imprisonment.
Iron viii Gives Way
lie walked steadily enough down the
corridor followed by the voices Of his
counanious IN the death house bidding
him a last soodby. But when ne
Tod face 10 face with the char as
tho little brown door swung open ne
began 10 wilt. lie summoned up an ms
force Of will. The first step, ina. ne
took across the death CHAMBER nooI
Was steady enough. Then his knees
The following steps were shorter
o,d weaker. To the spectators ~
scemed that he just reached the 0h1i1
bcfore his strength gave way. ne
framed into it's shiny seat anu al,
loved the attendants to strap nim lass
a,d adjust the electrodes. His head
wa" ~ss bowed. and his lower mp was
caught firmly between has teeVh'
Accepts Fate Calmly
u. II. eide stood the Rev. DR.. A. VI.
p..s~son PRESBYTERIAN chaplain OF inc
r;sor and Yates spiritual ADVISER
H. rcnoated the twenty-third fssim
LII nov fastened the leather hslmet
W." ,be bowed head and droppC the
1;,,i. black curtain before the deathiy
Tho ,russed figure did not move until
&. ,,ae H,inp forward suddenly against
Tho strops by the kick OF the curreh1,
~ iftv seconds the electricity droneo
~ vav through the tense BODY ne
.ocond shock was only for five SECONDS
The chorus Of voices from his lei,
Low members in that sad brotherhood
~ The condemned were, apart from Dr'
pctersen's voice. the last human SOUNDS
lat Arthur Warren Waite heard on
his Garth. The death chamber was ap.
solutelv silent. Neither he nor any VI
the spectators spoke.
II was given TO the man VINO nag
murdered his wife's parents, VINO hsu
trickcd her until she turned against
him. who had alienated his own family
from him. TO 90 TO his death with tne
voices of friendship sounding IN ms
cars. For the men who had lived IN
the death house with Arthur warren
Waite were fond of him.
Even IN company with murderers
under sentence for their lives, waite
was the facile. pleasant, graceful gen
tloman who won all hearts. lie uught
one OF his fellow murderers TO read
He wrote letters for others. In thou-
sand ways he had endeared hlmsen 10
them all.
Farewe ellis Shouted
"Coodby. Waite" most Of them
called as he began his short journey
"a eternity. "Goodby, Artie," one OF
them cried. Perhaps he was TIE one
whom Waite had taught to read. JUST
before he entered the death chamber a
deep voice exclaimed solemniy, God
bless you"
DIR. Souires was assisted by Dr'
Perry VI. Townsend in performing the
autopsy. The physicians found waite
BODY 10 be entirely normal save for the
ign of an old injury on the right lobe
Of The brain. At Waite's trial II was
shown that he had received blow on
me head as boy. The body was
turned over TO local undertaken. 1t
is not known were IT will be buried.
No commuter ever waited for the
train that was 10 carry him TO business
with less emotion than Waite showed
Yesterday while the last hours OF ms
life drained away and the short Jour
ev down the corridor and through the
little brown door grew nearer and
nearer.
lie was the calmest figure in all the
GREAT gray prison on the Hudson. SO
utterly Indifferent was he TO .he death
that was fastening TO meet HIM that
those about him were amazed, almost
frightened. by his calm.
At 10 o'clock last night DR.. Amos u.
Souires. the prison physician, gave him
"a final examination. The man who was
70 die in sixty minutes had pulse as
regular as a sleeper's. His respiration,
blood pressure and nervous refeXes
were perfectly normal. He simply was
not afraid. IL was not pose. Fear was
not in him.
This is the most remarkable case
have ever SEEN" said Dr. Squires when
he returned from the cell.
Chaplain Astounded
The Rev. DR.. A. VI. Petersen. Pres
byterian chaplain OF the prison, was
also astounded by Waite's almost lack
adaisical attitude. Only once during
the day did he show emotion. This
was when the minister asked him if
he had any message TO leave.
Il have nothing 10 say TO anybody
on this earth" the condemned man re-
tortcd sharply.
Nothing TO say 10 your mother
DR.. Petersen began, when the other in
terrupted him.
"\obody on this earth" he repeated
] mpatiently. My brother has told me
Of mothers illness. 1t is NOT as ser
ious as the papers have made out.
have nothing 20 say 10 her"
Frank Waite, the brother who has
chung 10 him with touching loyalty
throughout the long ordeal. told Arthur
goodby a, last night. His voice
MAS tremulous and there were tears in
his eyes. but Waite only smiled and
shook hands heartily.
"Goodby. Frank" he replied
Calls Waite Enigma
.srhn man ia an absolute enigma"