New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-11
NEW CLAIM ON RICE ESTATE
LAWYER SEEKS WITNESSES TO A
MISSING CoDICTI~
LEGACY OF 5000 TO wETHERBEE PROBABLY
INTENDED AS A SOP TO KEEP
HIM FROM TALKING.

A new development in the struggle for the big
estate Of William NJ. Rice came 10 light yester
day. Charles T. Adams a lawyer. Of No. t95
Broadway, drew up in 1897 codioil to Mr.
Rice's first Will and is now looking for witnesses
who saw it executed. This codfcn has not coma
to light since the death Of Mr.. Rice. Mr.. Adams
Is morally certain that il was executed AMI II
his stll hunt for the witnesses does NOT soon ra-
suit in finding them he may advertise for them.
MI Adams cannot say to what extent exactly
this codicil altered the viii. because Mr.. Rice
instructed him TO leave blank spaces in the codi-
Gil for the names Of the Iegatees and the sums
which were to be left TO them. Mr. Adams as
a preliminary step has filed in the Surrogates
Court an objection to granting letters ,esta-
mentary under the second wiz to Albert 7.
Patrick He also gives notice that he has
claim against the estate for legal services. the
amount of which is not specified
Mr.. Adams files 2 second objection 70 the
granting of letters teStamentary to Patrick
behalf Of his wife, Alice Adams who lives with
him in Montclair. N ]. Her ground for inter
posing is her belief that she is a legatee under
the second will of Mr. Rice. She learned this
from Patrick when she attended the funeral OF
the old man. Patrick told her that she had
been remembered by Mr. Rice in his last will.
She does not know the amount Of her legacy
vet but hopes TO learn it to-day. when copies
of the second viii are expected to be placed in
Captain McClusky's hands In the mean time.
however. Mrs Adams thinks Patrick an unfit
person to be intrusted with the estate. and files
her protest This will not interfere with probat-
ing the will, If it is offered for that purpose.
HOW ADAMS MET RICE.
Mr. Adams told a Tribune reporter yesterday
that his father and Mr. Rice became close
friends in the early part of Mr.. Rtces career in
Rice out of business difficulties. and Rice never
forgot it. When he came to this city to live he
became exceedingly friendly with young Mr..
Adams and his wife. and Mr.. Adams visited
him frequently, his last call having been made
only few days before Mr., Rice's death. Mr..
Adams says ne was not surprised when he heard
that the old man was dead, because he had been
ailing long that few expected ne would ever
recover Mr. Adams has a pile of letters from
Mr.. Rice written to him upon business and
ether topics, and they are all written in Mr..
Rice's own hand. It is said that the numerous
letters to Patrick from Mr.. Rice. upon which the
prisoner will rely to show how greatly the
old man trusted and admired him. written
with a typewriter. Mr.. Adams formed good
opinion of Jones, and says Rice often praised
his valet. Mr.. Adams declined to say what
opinion he held of Patrick.
The principal provisions of the second will
are now pretty we'll known. having leaked out
one by one since Patrick gave copy of the win
to Captain Baker. of Texas. who is named as the
other executor
The strangest of them all is considered to be
bequest of 50, 900 to ". O. Wetherbee. the clerk
in the office of Swenson & Sons. No Is Wall
St, who has sworn that Jones, the old mans
valet. and alleged fellow conspirator with Pat
rick, approached Wetherbee with scheme TO
acquire Mr. Rice's estate by Illegal methods.
wetherbee scorned this proposal, and those who
hold that Patrick procured the second Will TO
be signed by improper means argue that this
s., 900 legacy was inserted as a sop to Wether-
bee, the alleged conspirators hoping that he
would not reveal Joness offer to him or take
any other step to set aside viii by which
he was to benefit TO so great extent These
people say that Wetherbee was about the last
person in the world to whom Rice would have
left q legacy. because Rice had taken a great
dislike TO the bank clerk whom he blamed tHr
The loss of one of his $1,000 bonds, when
disappeared temporarily from Mr.. Rice's strong
box Mr. Wetherbee could not be seen by re-
porters yesterday. All inquirers about his leg
acv were referred TO Bowers & Sands. and at the
office of those lawyers it was said that no more
information about it would be given out at
present
OSBORNE'S OPINION OF PATRICK
ing. of the case yesterday, said: Patrick is so
immoral in mind that he cannot conceive Of any
man being moral To him every man has his
price but he ran against snag in the shape of
honest men. Wetherbee was money proof, and
CAPTAIN Baker couldn't he bought by any one.
This was the most beautiful scheme to get an
other mans money ever saw. In theory it was
perfect but. like all criminal propositions, it
was faulty in practice. I would like nothing
better than to go before jury on the contents
OF the second will 1t is the most astounding in
strument I ever saw. Patrick is made trustee
in both the Wills and in the second will Wether-
bee gets $4,000 about the last man on earth to
whom old Rice would viii money after that
81 600 bond transaction. Where a could
forge a signature a check so we'll that
bank would certify to that check does it ap-
pear reasonable that there was any necessity
for hypnotic influences being brought to bear?''
1t seems evident from this that the hypnotism
theory Of the prosecution has been abandoned.
POLICE STILL INVESTIGATING
CAPTAIN McClusky, at Police Headquarters,
was asked concerning any new Developments
in the case. He said that the police were stiu at
work investigating. and that they were getting
nearer and nearer the point of actual proof of
the guilt of the prisoners, Patrick and Jones the
dead mans counsel and valet. Beyond this"
he added. Il can say nothing. There is ALSO
utely nothing in the case that can talk
about at this time Later in the evening Nc
Cluskv said he had not yet received from Patrick
any of the assignments or the WILL or a COPY OF
either, which Patrick said several days ago
he would turn over to the police
Two more handwriting experts were imported
by the prosecution yesterday. They are Edwin