The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-03


Coney island. for the purpose of poisoning
Rice. Witness then went on to say that he
procured the poison from his protner III
Texas.
What did you get?'
"Chloroform and laudanum.'
How was the poison sent?'
1T was sent by express. A small pack
age containing the poison came. l think by
the American express.
Did you sign a receipt
81 did"
Jones testified that he delivered the poi
son to Patrick about three weeks before
the death Of Mr.. Rice.
Jones then went on TO testify that Pat
rick had never been introduced to Rice up
"A far as / know Jones said. Rice
never saw Patrick but once. This was an
aasaiin1nFt his Wne Custom ranriS Ias ea an qafal H IN looked
In the DarlOr and saw Patrick, who was
seated there. Next morning ne asked VINO
the baldheaded man with the red beard
was. L told Mr.. Rice IL was a friend OF
mine"
Mr.. Osborne then referred TO the assign
ments transferring the property OF Mr..
Rice TO Patrick. which were executed on
Sept. Z. Jones said that on that date he
went down TO Patrick's office. Together
with Meyer they went to see Short. Then,
all except Patrick, went together 10 the
Rice apartments. Jones was handed a deed
for Identification He said it was witnessed
by Meyer on Sept. Z.
Did Mr.. Rice sign any general assign
ment on that day?'
He did not"
The witness said Mr.. Rice prepared all his
meals himself. Witness was then shown
the general assignments transferring all
the property of Mr.. Rice TO Patrick. Jones
testified that Rice did not sign the assign
ments. He added that two of the papers
were those which, at Patrick's request, he
had drawn on his typewriting machine
III PLOT THICKENS.
Jones. you will state all the conversation
that took place between you and Patrick in
relation TO getting Rice out of the way?"
said Mr.. Osborne.
About the end Of August" witness re-
piled, Patrick asked me whether / had
got the laudanum from the drug store at
Coney island. 1 said l had not, but that 1
had made some other r~rangemen to get
the poison.
Patrick then told me to give Rice sa-
polio, as that would break him down. L
told Patrick / could not do that. but | told
him l had some mercurial pills which DR..
curry gave me Patrick said 1 ought to
give them to Rice. L told Patrick | could
not do so without taking them myself in
his presence. Then do that said Patrick:
1T won't do any harm L took some of the
plils In Rlces presence and then left the
bottle of pills on the dresser. Rice took
some. This brought on a severe 6iarrhoea.
which weakened him, but after he got over
this attack the mercury seemed to do him
good"
Witness also said that by the same meth
cd he got Rice to take some mercurial tab
let's which Patrick had given him.
Would Rice take anything you took"
Yes; and he would never take medicine
unless L first took some in his presence. All
medicine that was sent him l had to taste
when he saw IT,"
DIR. Curry called every day for about
ten days previous to the death Of Mr..
Rice?"
Yes: and Mrs. Van Alstyne called on the
Thursday previous to his death. Rice be-
came worse rapidly. When Mrs. Charles
| Carpenter, of Dunellon. ~. Y. called. on
Friday, Mr.. Rice told her that he wished he
was dead
Jones then related what took place on the
day of the death of Mr.. Rice. Il saw Pat
rick at his house." said he. HE told me
to let him know If Rice grew better or
worse. He would then get from his office a
bottle OF oxalic acid, he said. TO quicken
Rice's nerve
Rice got better and about noon he wanted
to get up. He talked cheerfully about GO
ing down town and seemed improved. Jones
said he could not get Rice to take the OK
alic acid. He then telephoned to Patrick to
meet him at luncheon at a restaurant on
sixth avenue. near Fiftieth street. Il met
MIN there, Jones continued. Patrick
gave me the bottle of chloroform. He told
me to saturate a towel in chloroform and
leave II over his face for about thirty min
utes- lie said Rice would probably laugh,
but that L should not be scared. az thar
would only show the poison was beginning
to work and that it would soon be over.
RICE CHLOROFORMED.
II did as Patrick told me. l returned
home, took a napkin and saturated II with
chloroform. / put IL on my own face first
and then put 1t over the face of Mr.. Rice
and left the room. / walked up and down
in the hall several times. The bell rams
a number of times. l did not open the
door. Finally after about half an hour
went into Mr.. Rice's room. L raised the
window. took the napkin and towel away
from his face and placed them both in the
range. where burnt them.
Il sent a hall boy for DR.. Curry, tellins
him that Mr.. Rice was very bad. i Wen
to the telephone TO tell Patrick that Rice
was pretty near gone. When DIR. Curry
came Patrick was with him. | told then
Rice was dead Dead, Oh, my God, doc
tor. that is the worst thing that could have
happened to me! said Patrick"
Jones testified at length about the post
mortem Incidents. He said Patrick on the
day following took charge of the apart,
ments. On that day. Jones testified, at the
for $4,000 and s135,OOo, respectively, or
SweIYson & Sons and the Fifth-avenut
Trust Company. Jones said Patrick also
took charge of about $3.50 I'm bills and eight
millionaire's writing desk. Jones said Pat
rick also took away two gold watches anC
all the private papers OF Mr.. Rice.
The testimony that followed related tC
the notifications sent TO the relatives, the
funeral and the stepping in of the authori
ties.
Here Jones was excused and an adjourn,
ment was taken until Tomorrow. Before
adjournment the medicine chest, which
caused so much trouble at the forenoon
session. was produced in court. 1t proved
TO be a common wooden box which con
tanned sixty-six bottles. some of then
empty. Justice Jerome ordered 1t taker
to the district attorneys office.
Surrogate Thomas made an order to-day
directing the temporary administrator OF
the estate of the late William Marsh Rice
who was appointed by the Texas courts tC
take charge of the property left by the
deceased millionaire i'm that State. TO pro
duce all his books and accounts for ex
animation here pending the contest Over
the two wills alleged TO have been exc
cuted by Mr.. Rice. The application wa:
made by Lawyer William Is. Hornblower
counsel for the executors of the will exc
cuted III 1896. and which is opposed by AL
bert II. Patrick. now in the Tombs or
charges of murder and forgery. The
executors of this will oppose the probate
of a will executed shortly before Mr.. Rice:
death and which is alleged TO have beer
forged by Patrick. who is made residuarN