The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-07
NO EVIDENCE OF POISON
A Chemist Enquiring Into the
Cause of Rice's Death.
A Second md More Effective Test
May, However, Bring Damaging
Patrick and Jones Mny He Rear
rested on Charges of Forgery.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6.--Chemist Witthau:
body of the late William Marsh Rice tC
what is known to chemists as a quicl
| test" for poison. He reported to Coroner
Hart today that the test had absolutel,
failed to show the faintest trace of poison
Prof. Witthaus told the coroner that he
would now submit the organs TO what is
/ known as the slow test" and the results
OF this he will not be able to report fol
ten days.
One of the medicines given to Mir. Rice
who was past eighty-fsur years old when
! he died-was nux vomica, a common tonic
and stimulant. but very poisonous in
generous doses. 1t was prescribed by bis
| physician.
So far forgery is the only cha g.
| against Albert F. Patrick and Charles
| F. Jones, respectively, the attorney and
private secretary of Mr. Rice. The
| charge is based on .he statement of
several handwriting experts that four
/ checks aggregating S250,GG0 and certain
! other documents, all bearing what pu--
ported to be the signature of Mr.. k:ce
and produced by Patrick Immediately
after Riee's death. were forgerits. Ger
| tain of these experts were en- gagel to-
day in trying to determine whether an
! examination of admitted specimens Cf
| the handwriting of Patrick and Jcnss
would enable them to declare that eth r
had forged any of! the signatures in
question.
It was the generally expressed opinion
about police headquarters today that when
Patrick and Jones appear for examina-
tion in the Centre Street Police Court
Monday afternoon. they will find them
selves confronted with a brand-new forg-
cry charge, upon which the magistrate
will be compelled to hold them, even if
the present charge cannot be sustained.
II was said today to be the District At
torncys programme to put such heavy bail
on the new charge that it would prac-
tically be impossible to give it
The new charge will be that of forging
two checks. one for Sl35. COO and the other
for SIS 900, drawn on the Fifth Avenue
Trust Company. and also of one or more
of the assignments. The experts have
pronounced the signatures to these three
to be forgeries and may fix them on some
body.
This case" said an attache of the de-
tective bureau today, is the biggest case
ever handed up TO the police department
of this city. 1t discounts the Molineux
case in many respects. Therefore We are
not going to take any chances of anybody
escaping If we can help it,
Captain McCiusky sent today for David
L. Short and Morey s. Meyers, who signed
as witnesses of certain of the disputed
signatures, and put each through a long
examination. Meyers is a lawyer in Pa
tricks Office. and Short. is notary public.
commissioner of deeds for Texas. and the
editor of a paper devoted to the interests
of the building trades. When he had I'm
ished his talk with these men McClusky
made this statement:
Either of these men is under arrest.
Both state positively that they saw Rice
sign every document to which their names
are ATTACKED as witnesses. (This- includes
all the assignments which have been sub
mitted to the experts. and which have been
pronounced forgeries.)
"As for Short he tells ne that he was
the messenger who. or the Monday after
Mr. Rice died took the check for S25,0OO.
drawn on Swenson & Sons, to the bankers
to have it certified. at the request OF Mr..
Patrick When certihcation was finally re-
fused he took the check for s135.000 to the
Fifth Avenue Trust Company and got it
certified. / questioned Short about a week
ago on these same matters. and his MEM
ory was not nearly so good as it Is today.
In fact, he did not remember anything
about these matters a week ago.
Il have also learned that Short is a COM
missioner of deeds for Texas. his appoint
ment having been secured by Mr.. Patrick.
He explained that he had taken the ac-
acknowledgement OF VIII and he did not RS
member to have taken the acknowledgment
of an assignment in which all of Rice's
property was made over TO Patrick in
consideration of an annuity of $40 0OO''
District Attorney Gardiner said today
that a week ago Wednesday Patrick, ac
companied by JolIn u. Potts. lawyer in
his office, called on him and said he hoped
Colonel Gardiner would not think that he
tPatrick) had knowingly been party to
any irregular transactions nd that there
was no act Of his which cJuld not be read
lily explained
Il told him l thought there was much
he would have to explain" said Colonel
Gardiner ''and that, in fact, 1t appeared
10 be very much up to him. as the saying
is. The man seemed to grow pale very
suddenly and his hands shook percepti-
I bly,"
II was said by lawyer interested in
the case today that no expert has seen
the second will of Mr.. Rice drawn by
| Patrick. The lawyer said that Captain
Loper had copy of that will, and that
! under it Patrick was made the residuary
legatee.
IF the provisions of that will were
carried out" said the lawyer. Patrick
would receive all Of the estate except
about 100000. The estate Will amount
to not far from 100000"
A FATAL ACCIDENT.