New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-01
PRICE THREE CENTS.
CONFESSION IN RICE CASE.
REPORT OF A BREAKDOWN RY ZONES
ALL NIGHT ORDEAL, Mr.. HOUSE
ALLEGES

ALLEGES
There was report current last night that
Charles F Jones, who is confined in the Tonlbs
on a charge OF having forged the viii OF William
Marsh Rice. made confession yesterday in the
presence Of Assistant District Attorney Osborne.
Captain McClusky. Of the Detective Bureau and
several other persons. u was also reported that
he had signed the alleged confession with the
understanding that the charges AGAINST him
would not be prosecuted. or that he would re-
eeive light penalty.
Neither Assistant District Attorney Osborne
nor Captain McCIusky would affirm or DENY
these rumors. which arose from the taking Of
Jones from the Tornbs To the District Attorneys
office. in the Criminal Courts Building in Cen
tre-st, late yesterday afternoon. IN tn office
at the time Assistant District Attorney
Osborne. Captain Baker. who is counsel for the
Rice estate; Captain McCIusky and a number q
other persons whose names could not be learned
last night. When they were leaving the Office
Assistant District Attorney Osborne and Cap
tain McClusky were asked il Jones had made a
confession. and IL there were any new develop
ments In the case. Captain McClusly said he
had nothing to say for publication. and he re-
ferred the reporters to Assistant District At
torney Osborne
Mr.. Osborne was Just as reticent. He refused TO
say word about what took place at the con-
! ference in the District Attorneys Office. He
hurried from the Criminal Courts Building after
/ the conference. and went direct TO mis- home.
/ He remained at his home. No. ;S46 West Fifty
seventh-st-. only a short time and then went out
| for the evening He left the house accompanied
/ by man.
| According TO report Captain u Clusky
! Mr.. Osborne. Captain Baker and two oJl.er men
| visited Jones in the Tornbs early yesterday
morning and talked to him for more than
| hour. and Jones declared 70 them that he
would confess Later in the day II was reported
that those who had called on Jones in the morn
| ing had had another talk with him in Mr.. Os-
! borne's office. and that after they had -aIked
| W lth him for two hours ne was handcuned TO a
/ Tombs keeper and taken back to the Tornbs
] On the way back to the Tombs Captain Nc
/ Clusky. II said. walked with Jones for some
/ distance and talked earnestly to him. soon after
8 o'clock yesterday afternoon Jones. handcufed
TO Tombs keeper. was seen going toward the
| District Attorneys Office. When he reached
| that ONCE he met by Mr.. Osborne. Captain
| Baker Captain McClusky and a number Of
other men. The door Of the office was closed and
| no one not connected with the case or with the
office was allowed 10 enter until the conference
was ended
| In the course of the conference detective
was sent to the house in which Mr. Rice lived.
and he returned with blotting paper found on
Z
occupied ny Mr.. Rice. These sheets Of bIoJrine
paper We're procured so as to compare the ink
on them with that used in writing the checks.
Jones was taken back the Tornbs az about
4 o'clock. and then the pistrt~r Attorneys
Office was closed for the night
INQUEST To BE POSTPONED
Mr- Osborne and Captain 1IcCIusky. when
asked about the Rice case yesterday, said thai
scheduled TO he held 10 a. m to-day before
Coroner Hart. viii not take place. Coroner Hart
said last night that he had not received
a supplementary report from Professor Witt
haus. who made a chemical analysis Of the
viscera OF Mr.. Rice. and who recently reported
that he found mercurial poison in the stomach
He said that he expected the supplementary
p-rt from Professor Wittheus to-day 1t was
not learned whether the failure TO get this re-
port would postpone the beginning of the in
quest.
1t was learned last night that Jones was not
represented by counsel at the conference in the
District Attorneys office when visited by
Captain McClusky, Mr.. Osborne and Captain
Baker in the Tombs yesterday
Frederick b. House. counsel for Jones and
Patrick. was seen last night by a Tribune re-
! porter in regard 10 the rumors thar Jones had
made confession He said he did not believe
| q
with Jones in the Tombs in the afternoon. and
that Jones had on that occasion once more re-
Iterated that he had nothing confess He
seemed greatly surprised 10 learn that Jones
had been taken to the District Attorneys Office
In the afternoon and kept there until
o'clock.
1 think 1 should heen told by the DIS
trict Attorney the police that Jones 70
be taken 10 the District Attorneys office and
questioned. Such thing would only have been
a simple Of courtesy 20 the prisoners cOuu-
| sell When / visited Jones the Tcubs in the
afternoon he told that Assistant District
| Attorney Osborne. Captain Baker and repre-
sentatives OF the nr mof Hornblower. Byrne
Miller & Potter visited him a o'clock or
| Tuesday night and stayed with him until Z
a. nj. yesterday morning l think such pro
| ceedine an unusual This Is the first
/ time that eyer heard Of Assistant
District Attorney dong act like that
| l asked Jones what the nature or
| their buEn ass. and he said that they
| wanted him 10 confess? What did you tell
| them?'' I asked Jones. and he replied. Why I
! TOLD them I couldn't make confession as had
/ nothing confess.
| Members OF the Grm Of HOrnblower. Byrne
Potter & Miller. refused 10 say anything about
| Mr.. Houses statement
INQUEST IN RICE CASE TO-DAY.