The evening times., 1900-10-06
PROBING THE RICE CASE
Police Making Enquiry Into the
Millionaire Death.
DR.. Walker Curry, His Physician,
Offers n Statement in Regard 10
His Connection With the Matter-A
Possibility That Poison Was Ad-
ministered 10 the Aged Man.

NEW YORK. Oct. 6.-Police enquiries
into the mysterious death Of Millionaire
William ]. Marsh Rice indicate that the
case will prove to be the most sensa-
tional locally. since the celebrated pois-
oning of Mrs Katherine J. Adams. the
friend Of Harry Cornish. for which crime
Roland B. Molineux is now under sen
tence of death.
Following the arrest of Rice's lawyer.
Albert T Patrick. on the charge . forg-
ing Rice's name to checks for 10000,
comes the statement OF DR. Walker urry.
who was Rice's physician and the signer
of the death certificate. that Rice had
taken nux vomiea. spinal stimulant
which in minute doses is safe, but viru-
lent poison if too freely administered.
DR.. Curry makes the following state
ment: When I was called TO the apart
ment of Mr.. Rice, on Sunday evening,
September 22. in answer to the summons
from his valet, Jones, that he feared his
employer was sinking. 1 found the old
man had been dead al least an hour l
expressed surprise, and Jones said that
he had been so worried that he did Lot
know what to do Mr.. Rice must have
been dead before l was called. He lay on
the bed and when l lifted up his arm, 1t
fell in a manner that would tell any ply
sician that life had been extinct for some
time [ could see no season Tor suspi-
cion. Even now can say that there were
no symptoms that indicated poison
u will not say that poison was tmpossi-
bIe / am faIlibIe, the same as other men
The DEVELOPMENTS in this case are mys-
terry to me. had known Mr. Patrick for
fifteen years and had been his family ply
sfcian. 1t was through him I came to be
called in to wait on Jones when the latter
was i'll Mr.. Rice liked the way treated
him He took deep interest in the young
man. After his recovery he asked me TO
attend him.
He was taking pills at the time to
avert deafness. and a patent medicine
warranted to ward of sleeplessness.
had him discontinue their use and substi-
tuted four drops OF tincture OF nux vomica
to be taken in giassful of water before
retiring
An important statement made by DR..
Curry is that on the night Mr.. Rice died,
Mr. Patrick came to his home about 6
o'clock and asked him to come over to see
Mr.. Rice. as Jones had notified the law
yer that the millionaire was sinking.
While the doctor was dressing, a message
came from Jones, asking for the doctor.
When DR.. Curry and Mr. Patrick reached
Mr. Rice's apartment, Mr.. Rice had been
dead for an hour. Dr.. Curry's residence
is only eight blocks away from Mr.. Rice's
apartment.
Prof. Rudolph A. Witthaus, who is
making chemical and naic-oscopical
analysis of the viscera of the dead mil
lionaiTe, said today: This case, with
its double Will, its alleged forged decu-
ments and checks fer almost fabulous
amounts, and the millions of the queer
old man whose interior I haze under
examination, fascinates like printed
romance. 1 can say nothing of my work
That is too serious matter to discuss
until l have made definite my conclu-
sions.
Even then, I shall not speak until the
coroner gives me permission. / realize
that the life and liberty of a fellow
creature may depend on the result of
my work, and that impresses on me
the greatest care. If there was poison
in the body before the ernbalming fluid,
I think I will be able to determine its
presence
The witnesses of the assignment to
Patrick of the funds and securities on
deposit in the Fifth Avenue Trust Com
of Captain Baker to enter the New York
Surety Company's vaults were Morris S.
Meyers, of 275 Broadway, and David c.
Short, of $50 Nassau Street. Meyers is
one of Patrick's assistants, his name
being on the door of the latter's Office
Il know all the circums tanees," Mey-
eres said today, "but / am not relating
them for the benefit of the newspapers