The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-08
WHAT PATRICK SAYS
MAKES CHARGES THAT MAY CAUSE
A SENSATION.
JONES NEVER KILLED RICE
THE STORIES CONCOCTED BY IN
TERESTED PARTIES.

Jones Being Made Tool of, Says
Patrick-Says Rice Died of Heart
Disease, as Did His Brother Only
Day Before Yesterday, and That
Jones' story Is a Fairy Tale, Con-
cOcted for the Purpose of Keeping
Him in Jail While the Will Is In
Litigation.
New York, April 7.-Lawyer Albert 7.
Patrick. who is charged with the murder
of Millionaire william Marsh Rice, made
a statement tonight concerning the case.
He had been asked to say something con-
cerning a story printed in a morning pa
per to the effect that Valet Jones had
spent several hours, accompanied by
policeman attached to the district attor-
ney's office, in touring the Tenderloin
district. According to this story, hotels,
concert halls, and gardens and theaters
had been visited by the prisoner and his
attendant and dozens of drinks taken. On
this point Lawyer Patrick said:
II have known that this kind of thing
has been going on for several weeks. l
could not have sworn that such was the
case, but 1 have heard from various
sources that Jones was plentifully sup
piled with money, was taken out buggy
riding and was otherwise treated with
great kindness and consideration"
Patrick then went on to speak of the
Rice murder case. This is the first time
that he has made any statement since
his arrest. He said:
Jones Never Killed Rice.
Jones never killed w. Nj. Rice. Had
he done so he never would have testified
to it, especially as the district attorney
has promised him no immunity nor would
his counsel, even though provided by
Capt. Baker, have permitted him to do
SO. His confidence is due to the fact
that w. NJ. Rice, at the age of "a, died
of heart failure, as did his brother, F.
A. Rice, yesterday, at the age Of 20; and
there will never be any proof otherwise.
The only crime of which Jones is guilty
is that Of conspiring against the 1900 will
and that of perjury in the present pro-
ceedings His fairy story is the result
of a collaboration with Capt. James A.
Baker Jones lawyer: Mr.. Battle, who is
hired by Baker; Assistant District Attor-
ney Osborne and Prof. Witthaus, the pro-
fessional expert, whose report Osborne
for the last six months has been expecting
in a few days, and who swore that Rice
died of mercurial poisoning, If he did not
die of something else.
The object of Jones' story.
THE object of Jones story is to have
me held in prison pending the will liti-
CATION. l have already been in prison six
months on the forgery charge, without
even being indicted; and l do not believe
that there is any serious intention to try
me on a criminal charge before jury.
NV arrest on a murder charge and the
desperate attempt to hold me is due en-
tirely to my ability 90 give bail upon any
less serious charge. The stock in trade
of the opposition to the 1900 will is their
already demonstrated ability to control
the district attorneys Office, that is to
say that portion presided over by Os-
borne, over which there seems to be no
administrative supervision.
so far the tactics employed against me
have been the giving out by Mr.. Osborne
continually of statements known by him
to be false, in order to cause the public
to prejudge me guilty, so as to justify
false imprisonment and to prevent a fair
trial; the wrongful imprisonment of my
self and the bounding by detectives of
those who appear 20 favor me; the abuse
of the process of the courts by wrongful
ly subpoenaeing, in the name of the
court, persons to personally appear before
him and submit to examinations in his
office.
The Tactics of the Prosecution.
'The use under the guse of witnesses of
ha f<, uya
that the signatures of the 1900 will,
checks, assignments, etc, are forgeries
and the procuring of false testimony are
all in the same line. Jones swore on the
witness stand and Osborne admitted in
open court that Jones had informed Os-
borne about January that Jones had kill
ed Mr. Rice with chloroform, and that
subsequently, in collaboration with Witt
haus on Feb q, the present complaint,
charging me with killing Rice with mer-
curial poison, was made at the instance
of Osborne, in an attempt to deprive me
of ali knowledge of the nature of the ac-
cusation against me until he had used as
witnesses those whom he supposed to be
for me.
II have been informed that Jones has
been for several weeks past permitted to
roam the streets. So far as l am concern
ed [ have no objection provided that
Jones be kept within the jurisdiction of
the court.
WouId Convict Jones Also.
at would take but little corroboration
to convict Jones upon his own confession,
hut II would take a great deal TO convict
me uDon Jones accusation. If | am held
or indicted for murder, Jones will GER
tainlv be also, and | would surely be ac-
C,,ftted but in his effort to have himself
ccrroborated he might be convicted, IN
nocent though he is and then he would
surely be electrocuted, for no hand could
save him.
Zones is stalking his life upon the
ability of che handwriting experts to dis
credit Rice's signature which Jones saw
him write and which he shows by his
numerous statements and uncertain tes-
tirnony. that he knows Rice signed.
Zones may rest assured that those for
whom he has outlawed himself from man
kind. will abandon him when they can no
longer use him.
Says He VIII BE Vindicated.
"As TO my own position ] can only say
that / will be vindicated and will be able
IA discharge all duties devolylng upon
and maintain all rights belonging TO me.
ali az which however. is In the hands
m nv able and conservative attorneys.
"Of personal revenge have no
tbought but n ! am ever convinced that
W N Rice was murdered, ] shall do my
utmost 20 convict oil implicated, IN which
event am sure / can prove the motive
~ ~ The alleged vii OF 1896 ana the insti-
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