The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-02
His Confession q Sensational Chapter
in One of the Greatest Grim
inal Plots of the Day.
CHARGES AGAINST PATRICK
THE LAWYER Is ACCUSED OF SLOW
LY POISONING HIS RICH CLIENT,
And of Finally Putting Him to Death
with an acknowledgements
Denies Jones's story.

| NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-The death Of the
| wealthy William Marsh Rice at his Madi-
son-avenue apartments on Sept. %; the at
tempt of his New York attorney. Albert L.
Patrick. to cash checks for large amounts
which purported to be signed by the mil
lionaire; the refusal of one bank to cash
the checks drawn on it and the discovery
by the bank officials that Mr.. Rice was ly-
ing dead at the time the checks were pre-
scented: the subsequent claim by Patrick
that Mr.. Rice had made him by will the
trustee Of his estate. which amounts to
anywhere from three to eight millions; the
charge of forgery both as regard the
checks and the will placed against Patrick
and Mr.. Rice's valet. Charles F. Jones; the
arrest of Patrick and Jones and their lodg-
ment in JAIL have kept New York inter-
ested for over a month in what by the de-
velopments Of to-day. promises to become
the most celebrated of the many celebrated
crimes which the courts of this city have
been called on to investigate.
The first incident which led up to to-day's
climax was the fact disclosed yesterday
that Valet Jones had been taken to the dis
trict attorneys office and the subsequent
rumor that he had made confession to
the authorities. Before the public had time
to learn If the report of a confession was
true came the more startling news that
during the night Jones had, in his cell in
the Tombs, attempted suicide by cutting
his throat with a penknife given him. he
says. by Attorney Patrick. also confined in
the Tombs. and for the purpose of getting
rid of one witness to Patrick's alleged
crime.
His crime, according to the confession OF
Jones. parts of which the district attorneys
office gave out to-day. was nothing less
than the murder of the millionaire by At
torney Patrick and the purloining of valu-
able papers relating to the estate. The TAX
ing off of Mr.. Rice. says Jones. was done
by the internal administration of some
poison. supposedly mercury, and the final
application of towel saturated with some
anaesthetic. presumably chloroform.
THE KILLING OF RICE.
That portion Of the confession which has
to do with the last moments Of the old man
is the following, given out by the authori-
ties as coming from Jones. the scene taking
place in the apartments Of the millionaire
and he lying sick In bed
Rice said: I am very nervous. Mr.. Pat
rick. / wish you would not trouble me.
Please go away
Patrick replied: Il have some salts here,
Mr.. Rice, that will cure your nervousness
HE produced a bottle and uncorked it.
The contents smelled to me like some very
strong liniment. Then Patrick said to me:
Get me a towel and a sponge 1 got him
both.
"Then Patrick said: Jones. you have to
leave ] left.
LAS was leaving Patrick said: III re-
main here until Mr.. Rice gets to sleep
He closed the door behind me.
.! stood in the hall for a few minutes
this was queer. so pushed open the door.
1 saw Mr. Rice lying on his back in bed.
The towel that / had given Patrick was
wrapped around the sponge in a cone shape.
This cone was lying directly over MIR. Rice's
eyes and nose. Patrick was pressing IT
Gown with his right hand. Patrick did not
see me, and, of course, Mr. Rice could not
After seeing what had seen l went and
laid down on my bed. Mr.. Rice grew very
sick. Patrick said to me: Co. get a doc
tor 1 went for one He pronounced Mr..
Rice dead"
from Jones much information was secured
from the valet In regard to the finances
Of the old millionaire and the various docu-
ments he signed. This will prove of great
value to the Texas heirs in event of civil
result of Jones's confessions, but no step
I'm this direction will be made until the
statements of the valet had been verified
Attorney Patrick denies having furnished
Jones the penknife and he also denies the
statements in the confession. Jones, after
his suicidal attempt, was taken to Belle
vue Hospital. hastily summoned physicians
having just been In time to save him from
hospital surgeons said he was out of danger
and could be taken back to the Tombs in a
few days. The coroner's investigation into
the death OF Millionaire Rice. which was
tc have been held to-day, and which had
previously been adjourned TO await the re-
port of the chemist who had examined por-
tons of the remains for traces of poison
was again adjourned because OF the new
Developments in the case.
Assistant District Attorney Osborne this
afternoon made a statement in which he
says Jones sent for him TO come to the
prison, as he wished to make a confession
Mr.. Osborne says:
without going into full details. he stated
in substance that what Mr.. Wetherbee had
testified to was true. He said that for some
days prior to Rices death Patrick had
given Mr. Rice tablets OF grayish color;
that Mr.. Rice took those tablets from Pat
rick and that Patrick told him to take
them. as he had taken some himself: that
about this time Patrick and Rice had
become very intimate: that Mr.. Rice on
Saturday sent Jones TO Patrick's house to
demand certain papers from Patrick that
he Patrick) had in his possession"
Continuing. Jones said This was about
the 18th of September, 1soo Mr.. Rice had
been bothered with constipation. When Mr..