John Peck with his brother Thomas,founded the Peck Brothers Drug Co.in Grand Rapids in 1875.When the company was sold in 1914,Peck was a millionaire.In January 1916 Hannah Peck,the wife of John,went to New York City to visit their daughter Clara and her husband,a dentist.She suddenly became ill and died.John Peck went to New York a month later to console his daughter and he also died suddenly.After an autopsy,it was indicated that he was poisoned with arsenic.After an investigation,Arthur Waite, Peck's son in law,confessed he poisoned both Mr. & Mrs.Peck while they were having dental work done.Dr.Waite was found guilty of both murders and was put to death in Sing Sing's electric chair on May 24,1917...Arthur Warren Waite was also impatient with the arsenic method. He stated: "Then I gave him arsenic. I don't remember what day it was. I gave him a lot of it in his food. One night I was left to watch by his bedside while my wife got some rest. The old man was groaning with pain. I looked over the medicine bottles beside his bed and found a small vial of chloroform. I saturated a rag with some of this and went over to him and said: `Father, here is some ether and ammonia which will relieve your pain.' I gave him a smell and then I gave him another dose. At last he fell asleep. I continued to put on more until he became unconscious. Then I got a pillow and placed it over Mr. Peck's face and held it there until he died." What brought Dr. Waite under suspicion were an anonymous letter, (received before Mr. Peck's body was to be buried), and the discovery of arsenic in the body during an autopsy.
John Peck with his brother Thomas,founded the Peck Brothers Drug Co.in Grand Rapids in 1875.When the company was sold in 1914,Peck was a millionaire.In January 1916 Hannah Peck,the wife of John,went to New York City to visit their daughter Clara and her husband,a dentist.She suddenly became ill and died.John Peck went to New York a month later to console his daughter and he also died suddenly.After an autopsy,it was indicated that he was poisoned with arsenic.After an investigation,Arthur Waite, Peck's son in law,confessed he poisoned both Mr. & Mrs.Peck while they were having dental work done.Dr.Waite was found guilty of both murders and was put to death in Sing Sing's electric chair on May 24,1917...Arthur Warren Waite was also impatient with the arsenic method. He stated: "Then I gave him arsenic. I don't remember what day it was. I gave him a lot of it in his food. One night I was left to watch by his bedside while my wife got some rest. The old man was groaning with pain. I looked over the medicine bottles beside his bed and found a small vial of chloroform. I saturated a rag with some of this and went over to him and said: `Father, here is some ether and ammonia which will relieve your pain.' I gave him a smell and then I gave him another dose. At last he fell asleep. I continued to put on more until he became unconscious. Then I got a pillow and placed it over Mr. Peck's face and held it there until he died." What brought Dr. Waite under suspicion were an anonymous letter, (received before Mr. Peck's body was to be buried), and the discovery of arsenic in the body during an autopsy.
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