Evening star., 1901-04-03
JONESON THE STAND
W. NJ. Rioe's Valet Coolly Confesses
Numbering His Employer.
INSTIGATED BY LAWYER PATRICK
They Deliberately Put the Aged
Millionaire to Death.
w A N TED HIS NEY

NEW YORK, April 3.-Charles F. Jones.
the valet-secretary of William Marsh Rice.
the rich Texan, resumed the giving of tes-
timony today in the proceedings against
Albert T. Patrick, who is charged with
causing Rice's death in order to obtain his
property by means Of will, deeds and
checks which it is alleged were forged.
Jones began today by relating that on
Monday. the day following Rice's death.
four men who represented themselves to
be lawyers called at the fat and asked
questions concerning the circumstances
surrounding the death. Jones told Patrick
he thought these men were detectives. The
next morning Jones went to police head
quarters. When he returned he found a
number Of detectives in the place. On
Tuesday afternoon he was taken to police
headquarters, where he was questioned
He found Patrick also at police headquar-
ters.
Patrick told Jones he had destroyed the
will witnessed in his (Patrick's) office and
a number Of bogus letters written on the
will matter. On this occasion, Jones testf-
fled, Patrick asked when Rice had last been
given mercury.
81 told him on Thursday" Jones said.
Patrick then told me that there would not
the time of the autopsy. and that the en-
balming fluid would kill all traces of the
oxalic acid, which was a vegetable poison"
Talk With DR.. Curry.
Witness then told of DR.. Curry having
come to the apartments on Tuesday. where
he met Patrick. The two had long talk.
which Jones did not hear. The so-calied
Patrick will was then brought up. Jones
SAID he had told Patrick that the provisions
for Rice's relatives in the will which was
destroyed on the day following Rice's death
We're too small. and that it would be impos-
sible to get It, x=probated. Patrick. Jones
said, then had the so-called Patrick wilr'
drawn.
The witness related at length the Incl
dents of the day when the body Of Rice
was cremated.
While the testimony about the will was
being given Captain Baker of Texas. who
was an executor of the 1896 will, entered
the trial room. He carried bundle of pa
pers and some typewriter matter and said
he might be called as a witness.
FROM the events of the day on which the
body was cremated Jones passed over to
the happenings of October 4, the evening of
the day he was arrested.
Jones said he was taken to police head
quarters at about 10 o'clock in the evening
and was taken downstairs and locked up
an hour later. He said before he was
locked UP he made statement which was
entirely fictitious and of which he could
not recall even the most salient features
Jones then told how Mr. House had been
appointed lawyer of both Patrick and him
self and the events surrounding their COM
mitment to the Tombs. From here Jones
passed to his attempt to commit suicide
The Attempt at Suicide.
Some time before 1 tried to commit sui
eide Mr.. House came to me in the Tombs
and wanted to know If a murder had been
committed. told him that there had been
no murder"
Lawyer Moore objected. He said that it
was not question Of privilege, but that
where two defendants had the same conn
self what went on between one defendant
and the counsel could not under the laws
of evidence be permitted.
Mr.. Osborne said he did not want any of
the conversation between Jones and his
counsel and asked the former to confine
himself exclusively to any conversation
that had taken place between himself and
Patrick
Justice Jerome allowed the evidence al
ready given to stand.
On the day before the attempt was
made said Jones. Patrick and I had a
talk in the reception room at the Tombs
Patrick told me his means were exhausted
and that they were in desperate straits.
Patrick wanted me to shoulder the respon-
sibility for the crime I told him 1 would
not confess unless I could tell a straight
story. I said 1 would rather kill myself on
account Of the disgrace Of the thing
Patrick said this might be the best thing
for US both. and said he would kill himself.
too. He said he had small knife In his
cell. The knife would do for one, and he
would try to get some carbolic acid from
Mr.. Potts.
He gave me the knife. 1 put it In my
shoe and took it to my cell. Later Potts
called. Patrick told me Potts would not
get him the poison. About o'clock in the
afternoon, after 1 had gotten the knife, I
sat In my cell writing some letters and pre-
pairing for the end. Just then was called
to the district attorneys Office While
there 1 made a confession I was brought
back to my cell in the evening, and at
about o'clock in the morning 1 tried to
cut my throat
Made New Confession.
Jones then told Of being taken to Belle
vue and there making a new confession.
The new confession is the one Oh which
his present testimony is based.
Jones explained today what he meant yes
terday when he said that Patrick did not
wish Rice to live until Monday, as on that
day draft would be payable. The witness
said that week or SO before the death of
Rice certain oil wells in Texas In which
he was interested We're destroyed by fire.
Rice resolved to rebuild them and bound
himself to provide nearly S20O,OOO for the
rebuilding.
On the strength of this the oil well peo-
pie drew for 600. the draft being paya-
Dlo Oh honudy, Y, september Jones testified
again today that Patrick wished to avoid
the payment of this money.
Il said" witness continued, ION Satur-
day that the old man would probably drop
off. Patrick said we could not rely on
that but had to get him out of the way
the next day."
A number Of kilograms sent by Jones no.
tifying relatives of Rice's death were
placed in evidence.
.- Tells of Plot in Detail.
Assistant District Attorney Osborne, in
the examination of Jones late yesterday af-
ternOon said:
Jones, will you state all the conversa-
tion that took place between you and Pat
rick in regard to getting Rice out Of the
way?"
about the end Of August" was the re-
ply, patrick asked me whether had got