New-York tribune., 1900-10-05
RICE,S STRONG BOX OPENED.
INTINIATION THAT THE SECURITIES
FOUND ARE WORTH ABOUT S1,0O0,OOO
NO THIRD WILL.

With the assistance of diamond drills sledge
hammers and two professional safebreakers-
a purely legitimate vocation in their
the safe deposit box of the late WILL
lam Marsh Rice. the millionaire. whose
death two weeks ago attended with
some sensational circumstances, was opened last
night. There were present representatives OF
the Southern relatives of Mr.. Rice. and A. T.
Patrick, the lawyer whose attempt have
certified checks amounting to $250000, signed
by Mr.. Rice. led to an investigation Of
his death. The determination to open the safe
was not reached until negotiations had been
entered into between the two parties who are
seeking TO control the estate. There are two
wills in existence of which. speaking gen
orally, leaves the property to Mr.. Rice's rela-
ttves. The other, IT Is understood, makes Mr..
Patrick a beneficiary. Litigation 1t is stated
is likely to be shortly instituted concerning
these wills. Before proceeding further with
their claims, it became necessary for both sides
TO examine the contents of Mr.. Rices safe, and
arrangements were accordingly made to open
the box yesterday afternoon
PATRICK WANTS GERARD REMOVED.
In the vaults Of the safe deposit company in
whose care Mr.. Rice left his securities there
gathered by appointment at 4:S0 o'clock Mr.
Patrick, Captain James A. Baker. of Houston,
Tex, who represents the Southern heirs; James
w. Gerard, of the law firm of Bowers & Sands
who are acting for Captain Baker; N s. Mol
drum an official of a Texas railroad in which
Mr.. Rice was interested, and representative of
the safe deposit company. Tt soon became evt-
dent that the relations between Mr. Patrick
and the other interests in the case were far from
| friendly Mr. Patrick objected to the presence
Of Mr.. Gerard, and insisted that the safe should
not be opened unless Captain Bakers legal ad-
wiser left the premises. Mr.. Patrick's action it
is said. led to a somewhat heated argument.
but ultimately the differences were compromised.
AS Mr.. Patrick put it: IT was ugly and would
not consent to Mr.. Gerard being present. be-
he has been talking too much about this
case. I will not say that he has been talking
inaccurately, but he has been saying a great
deal more than he ought. But I gained my
point. and then I allowed Mr.. Gerard to stay"
Just what the point" was that he had gained
Mr.. Patrick refused to divulge.
With the settlement Of this difficulty there fol-
lowed another. which proved much more for
midable obstacle to overcome than had been the
quibble between the two lawyers.
"Who knows the combination? I don't" Mr..
Patrick suddenly exclaimed when the party had
gathered around the safe.
Nor do l." remarked Captain Baker
PATRICK ASKS BAKER TO RECALL
Captain Baker must surely know the combina-
tion and smilingly urged him to try and re-
member IT. Captain Baker insisted that he was
absolutely ignorant Of it, and added that 1t was
| useless, therefore. for him to undergo the men
tai strain of tussling with his memory. The
! secretary Of the safe deposit company was af-
pealed to, but he didn't know the combination
either Further consideration Of the situation
ended in agreeing to the palpable fact that II
| Mr. TO he
be used. Accordingly, two skilled In the
! opening of safes, and employed by the company
were instructed to break into the box. It took
nearly three hours to do this. Watched by Mr..
I Patrick and Captain Baker and his friends, the
! two workmen first drew circle, large enough
| to permit the passing through of an arm, on
| the steel partition that separated Mr.. Rice's
box from the next one on the tier. Around this
circle the with diamond drills bored holes
almost touching each other The work was
long and tedious but finally holes were drilled
around the entire circle and then by means Of
a sledge hammer opening effected. The
| men were thus enabled to unlock the safe from
| the inside.
The contents of the box gathered to-
| gether and carried to private room, where they
| were examined 1t was not until nearly 10
o'clock that the investigation completed.
LITTLE SAID ABOUT THE CONTENTS.
Mr. Patrick. Captain Baker and Mr.. Gerard
were not communicative as to the character
! OF the papers which the safe held or as to the
value of the securities. Captain Baker said that
only rough memoranda had been taken of the
nature of the securities. and that under the cir
sumstances, he was unable to say even approx
| mately how much they were worth When
/ pressed to give some idea of their value he said
that probably they might reach S1.OOOOOO In
! cluded among the securities it was ascertained
were $500.000 mortgage bonds of the Atchison
! Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad several thousand
! preferred shares of the stock of the same rail-
road. large quantity Of shares of other rail-
/ roads and some real estate mortgages. 1t was
possible Captain Baker explained. that some Of
/ these securities might not be worth the paper
/ they were written on, but that a matter
which could not be definitely determined until a
! closer investigation made
/ Before the safe opened the possibility was
/ dwelt upon of another will being disclosed 1t
was positively asserted. however. by each of the
men who had gone through the papers that the
! box contained no third will. Had there been
one it would probably have disposed of the two
existing wills which il is certain will be-
come the subject of a contest in the courts
/ Mr.. Patrick refused to make any statement
about the contents If the strongboX. nor would
he make any estimate their value NV
advice, he said, Ito the people interested in this
matter is TO keep quiet
Was the bulk of Mr. Rice'S securities CON
tanned in that safer" he was asked
THE securities found in the safe represent of
course, only the New-York end of the estate "
Mr.. Patrick replied He added that he had
turned the 1896 will. wherein it is believed
/ that he is named as a beneficiary, to CAPTAIN
Baker.
that had taken place between Mr.. Patrick and
himself but he would not deny that his Dresarca
had been objected TO.
Presumably you expressed your feelings to
. D1 1fPfF atfErB