The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-04
THE STORY RETOLD
WITNESS JONES GIVES DETAILS OF
RICE'S MURDER.
HE IS WONDERFULLY COOL
FIRST FORGED WILL TORN UP AND
A NEW ONE MADE.

Witness Remarkable Nerve Did Not
Fail Him, Even When Threatened
With Electric ChaIr-His Replies
PhOnOgraphic-Clai That No
Positive Promise Was Made Him
for His Confession-A Little Sue
cessful Practice at FOrgery-De-
fense Will Contend That Jones
Was the Arch Conspirator and pat
rick the Tool.
New York, April S-Charles F. Jones.
who was the valet-secretary to William
Marsh Rice, the aged millionaire, who.
according to Jones' confession yesterday,
was murdered by the use of chloroform
in September last, finished his testimony
to-day on direct examination in the pro-
ceedings before Justice Jerome charging
Albert T. Patrick with murder. When
court adjourned on Tuesday people went
out of the little room in which Justice
Jerome was conducting the examination Of
Lawyer Patrick, filled with wonder at the
extraordinary story of the man who con-
fessed that he had placed over the face
OF his benefactor, as he slept folded
napkin saturated with chloroform, there
by causing the death of the millionaire.
To-day they heard the same story re-
peated under a different condition, but
with even more dramatic surroundings.
The story of the murder and conspiracy
which Jones outlined on Tuesday he to-
day filled in with wealth of detail and
with a GOODNESS and nerve which under
the circumstances was almost overwhel-
ming
Had to Hurry Up Death.
According to the story of the valet-sec-
retary, he and Patrick had drawn up the
bogus will and were waiting with what
patience they could, for old man Rice to
die when mill burned down in Texas.
Rce's connections there desired to re
build 1t, and he spoke of advancing the
100000 or $125000 required to replace the
burned property. Patrick told me to
Use all my influence" said Jones to-day,
with Rice not to rebuild the mill as
this would take out all the ready cash
from the estate" But Rice insisted on
advancing the money and presently au-
thorized a draft for $4,000 from one of
his correspondents in Texas. Word of
the draft arrived in New York on Sat
rrday and Jones, in accordance with his
compact. told Patrick about it. 1t was
only $4,000, but according to the valet,
Patrick felt that he could not spare even
this much out of the millians that he
was already counting as his own
He then said" testified Jones, that
he would have to do something to get
Rice out of the way before Monday when
the draft would arrive
A Bit of Practice at Forgery.
Even more illustrative of the caution
and thoroughness of the alleged pot con-
ceived and carried out by these men was
another instance related by Jones. The
manager of Rice's estate in Texas-a man
named Cohen-was in the habit of sending
a check made out in his name for his sal
ary to Rice monthly Rice paid him by
signing the check and mailing it back to
him. When one of these checks came
along, and after Rice had signed it and
given 1t TO Jones to mail. he turned it
over to Patrick in order that the latter
might practice on the signature. The
next check that came from Cohen was
signed with the forgery of Rice's name
and sent along in order by its passage
through the banks of Texas that they
might test the merit of their forgery. The
experiment was an entire success, and
gave them great confidence in the greater
forgeries yet to come.
Jones Was Emotion Proof.
But it was on Dissemination that
Jones really demonstrated that he was
emotion proof. Robert E. Moore, Pat
ricks lawyer, and the same man who
saved DR.. Kennedy from the death chair
al the recent trial, went about the cross
examination in a spirit of thoroughness
that would have dismayed most men.
Gradually he felt along the outline of
Jones' story until he had satisfied HIM
self that there was nothing to be gained
by patient siege, and then he attHnpt-
ed to storm Jones position. When he
spoke of the killing of Rice he called it
murder and he kept the electric chair in
mind of the man on the witness stand,
who assured everything as calmly and
quietly as if the thing were merely
perfunctory rehearsal. 1t was impossible
to shake the testimony of the witness.
He had a memory like an almanac, and
his replies were phonograph-like in their
brevity.
The Policy of the Defense.
Patrick's defense will be a general de-
nial. 1t will not be revealed in detail
until the actual murder trial takes place,
which will probably not be until Octo-
Der next. Jones, according TO the de-
fense, was the arch-consiprator and Pat
rick was only the innocent tool Of the
valet The greatest stress win be laid
upon the fact by the defense that Jones
is a self-confessed perturer, and that in
consequence his testimony and confess
sions should obtain no credence.
Jones Rebearses the story.
Charles f. Jones, the valet t-Secre-
tary Of William Marsh Rice, the
rich Texan, resumed the giving
of testimony to-day in the proceedings
against Albert T. Patrick, who is charg-
ed with causing Rice's death in order
to obtain his property by means of a
will, deeds and checks, which 1t is alleged
were forged.
Jones began to-day by relating that on
Monday, the day following Rlce's death,
four men, who represented themselves 10
be lawyers. called at the fiat and asked
questions concerning the circumstances
surrounding the death.
Jones told Patrick he thought these
men were detectives on Tuesday after
noon he was taken TO police headquar-
,ers. where he was questioned He found
patrick also at police headquarters. Pat
rlek told Jones he had destroyed the will
,vltnessed in Pafricks Office and a num-
Der Of bogus letters written on the VIII
matter. on this OCCASION, Jones testified.
patrick asked when Rice had last been