New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-26

| was later informed of Rices death, and had II
not been for the clerical error made by Jones.
who made out the four checks. he did not think
Swenson & Sons would have refused to certify
any of them as genuine
Charles Jones said last night
The reason Mr. Rice gave such large sums.
amounting to quarter OF a million Of dollars.
/ is. I think that he desired to get rid of the
! weight of his business and pass it into the
! care Of a younger man When Swenson & Sons
! called up the telephone ! did not know
! what TO do and that is the only reason 1 have
| for not informing them at once that Mr.. Rice
dead. MIR. Rices will was made out some
time ago. The executors and benefciaries are
T. Nj. Rice. jr.. and Captain Baker, of Houston.
and Mr.. Patrick, Mr.. Patrick is. l believe. a
very large beneficiary. Naturally, the larger
part of Mr.. Rce's wealth goes to his relatives.
He had two sisters. Mrs. Charlotte Mckee, OF
Springfield, Mass, and Mrs. Emma Olds, Of
Palmer, Mass. F. NJ. Rice, of Houston. has ten
or twelve children. and there are number of
nephews and neces at Springfield. Mr.. Rice
estimated his wealth at SS000000
Lawyer Patrick is one of the executors of Mr.
Rice's will. The others are Captain Baker and
Frederick w. Rice. jr both of Houston Tex.
I understand that Mr.. Patrick is a beneficiary
to a large amount under the will.
EMBALMING MAKES AUTOPSY USELESS
When it was found impossible to cremate Mr.
Rice's body at once an undertaken was called
in. He saturated the body with embalming
fluid Coroners Physician Donlin said after the
autopsy:
The body was so full of embalming fluid that
it was quite impossible to settle definitely
the cause Of Mr.. Rice's death. Whether the food
he had taken when Ill had anything to do with
his death l cannot say.
In regard to the subject of Mr.. Rice's food. Dr.
Currie said:
Mr.. Rice practically his own cook and
do not think he could have been imposed upon.
He was man of abnormal appetite for per
son of his age He was also accustomed to take
va
which completely exhausted him There are
plenty of natural reasons to account for Mr.
Rice's death.
After the funeral was held yesterday by
of DR.. Morgan's assistants from the Church of
the Heavenly Rest, the body was taken in
charge by Central Office Detectives Valley and
Irainor. who are investigating the case. Pro-
lessor Witthaus the chemist. took the heart,
lungs fntestlnes and stomach with him when
he LEI the Mo:gue and will give them thor
ough examination
RAILROAD MAN IN TEXAS.
Mr.. Rice moved to Galveston when he was
twenty-five years old. In a short time he moved
70 Houston. and went into the cotton and
grocery business. He was frugal and rapidly
accumulated large fortune. He was one of
the founders of the Houston and Central Texas
Railroad. He was a large stakeholder in the
East and West Texas Railroad and one of the
largest owners of real estate and hotels in
Texas. Mr. Rice also heavily Interested in
the Merchants and Planters Oil Company, OF
Houston, whose plant was burned down week
ago.
He married twice, but had no children
by either marriage. His first wife was Miss
Bremond. She died in 1867. His second wife
was from Houston. She came north with Mr..
Rice when he was appointed financial agent Of
the Houston and Central Texas Railroad, with
offices al No. - Wall-st In 1877 Mr.. Rice
gave up the affairs of the railroad 10 attend to
his own. In 1883 he moved to Dunellen, y.
j., where he lived quietly on his farm His sec
wifi n n q
was buried in Milwaukee, She left a will by
which, under Texas law which gives a mans
wife proportion of his fortune acquired after
she willed away about 81 500 600 of
Mr.. Rice's money. Mr. Rice contested this will,
and the is still in the courts Since 1896
NJ Rice had lived in NeW-York managing his
affairs.