Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-25
DR.. WAITE CALMLY
GOES TO HIS DEATH
Pays Penalty in Electric Chair
for Murder of Father-in-Law,
John E. Peck.
NEVER LOSES HIS COMPOSURE
Condemned Man Seemed to Look
Upon Approaching Doom as
Wonderful Adventure.
IBy Associated l'rc,,.I

BY Associated l'rc,,l
OSSINING. y. V, May 2t--Dr ar
thur Warren Waite was executed at
Sing Sing Prison at lI:l0 o'clock to-
night for the murder Of his father-in-
law. John T.. Peek, Of Grand RAPIDS.
Mich
The condemned dentist walked aln-
ly and with a firm step from his coll
to tho death chamber accompanied bv
Rev. \. y. Peterson. Protestant chan
lain of the prison. lie faltered how.
ever. as hc ncared the electric chair
but recovered quickly. and nodded to
the group Of physicians, prison officials
and others who had assembled as Wit
nesses
Waite submitted quietly 20 the or
deal OF being strapped into the chair
and went to his death without "A word
OF protest or Eood-by. Three shocks
were administered within four min
/ utcs
The Two hours before his death
/ Waite spent in prayer with his spiritual
adviser Just before IL O'clock the
clergyman asked the condemned man
I If there was any one TO whom he wished
to send 4 message of farewell
NO thank you. Doctor Waite re-
piled with smile there really is no
one | know TO whom ! care TO send a
, farewell message"
Not ever TO your mother" 1ueried
MIR. Peterson
NO. sir. TO no one" was tho answer
( MAINTAINS SMILING
INDIFFERENCE TO END
The chaplain declared that Waite,
who confessed that he had poisoned
his wealthy fathcr-in-law in the cX-
pectation that his wifo would obtain
Il large share of the wealthy Mr..
! l'eck's estate. seemed to lool; upon his
/ approaching doom rs q Wonderful ad-
I venture. Not once during tho day did
! Dr. Waite lose his composurc lie
maintained the same smiling indifer-
encc that has marked his stay of al
most year in the death house.
! Waite said farewell TO his brother.
/ Frank y. Waite. at o'clock. The
/ brothers had spent nearly tho entire
afternoon together taiking over family
matters.
All that Or. Waite Said at parting
! was:
We'll. Good-by. Frank
I They claspcd hands for MON cnt.
Tears sprang 10 the brothers eyes hu,
/ Waites eyes were dry, and "A smile
on his lips.
Frank Waite returned 10 New York
after making arrangements with an
I undertaken III ossining TO take Dr.
I Waite's body after the execution.
/ Or. Amos G. Squire. Il . prison phy.
I scan. examined Waite in the after
/ noon and was .astonishcd to find his
! temperature and pulse exactly normal.
/ DIR. squire said this was the most re-
markablc instance OF nerve he had
/ ever seen in condemned nan. and
I he has examined more than forty on
/ the day before they went 10 the chair.
DESIRES NO SPECItI.
DISH At LAST MEAL
/ Waite was awakened at s o'clock
this morning, after night Of sound
sleep. During the day he ate three
hearty meals. Al supper time the
/ principal keeper asked him if he de-
sired any special dish. in view of the
fact that il was TO he his last meal.
No I think not" Waite replied
after some deliberations
/ DR., Waite, dentist and tennis player
OF repute, was convicted on June /.
in-law, John r. Peck. of Grand Rapids.
Mich. at the swiftes, trial OF "A SEN
Sational murder case in this county
in years. The crime is best explained
: in the words of Distric, Attorney Ed
ward swami. who told the jury: The
cause OF this deed was solely the desire
for money. There were no angry pas
, sions involved, no sex relation. no
envy. hatred or malice--nothinc but
the purpose OF obtaining easy money
The murder was exposed through
a mysterious telegram signed ''k
ADAMS. sent to Percy Peck at Grand
/, Rapids. brother of DIR. Waite's wife.
/; suggesting an autopsy. and reading
suspicious aroused-dcmand autopsy
! The authorities took up the case. and
an autopsy showed Mr.. Peck had died
from arsenic poisoning.