Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-04-10
TERRIBLE PLOT TO KILL
Jones Murdered millionaire Rice al
Patrick's lnstigation.
CONFESSION WITHOUT PARALLEL
IA" "T"nEc'' Most Awful Story Ever
H"a' I'm New York Court Told Inv
tharieH II. Jones, Valet and Murderer
OF William Marsh Rice. the Hcrmit
mIlllonnirr-Thn Enrrnr, Of A. ,r.,,

>h"ricA u. Jones, Valet and Murdrrcr
OF William Marsh Rice. tn. uer,n,,
miiitonairs-rho Forgery of til. VIII.
New York City.-Charles +. Joncs
valet or the aged millionaire. w NJ
Rice. whose mysterious death rcsultod
III the arrest OF Jones and Albert ~
Fatrick. lawyer. on the chor.,e or
murder made public second confcs.
SION or his part in the crime He pavo
II under oath in the course OF the cx
animation in Patrick's case berorn
justice Jerome. 1t differed materially
from his first confession" which WAS
also sworn. In the former he charged
Iatrick with the actual killing OF Rice.
In 'he latter he accused himself OF the
aclual Killing, but charges Pntricl,
WIN lnstiSating the act The yolct
nihhcS the singular statement that
hlcc did not know Patrick mt MI. and
saw MN only once. and that time nv
accident. The forgery of the old mans
alleged Will was also infinitely detailed
Dy the witness, who was allowed In
tel his own story with hardly anv in.
corruption from counsel.
ne Seli-confeSscd murderer told tine
story or the plot from it's incep!ion.
Jones began with his first acouaint.
aice win Patrick in October. 1890
WHen ne called mt Mr.. Ricc'S home in
Madison avenue. hut did not sre him
ne ,oid OF the growing friendship. and
oi me gradual approach to the discus
sion OF Rice's affairs. which rcsultoa
hnally In propositions to dafraud. and
Jones yielded. Then came the story
oI the transfers and conveyances OF
real ana personal property to Patrick
over the forged signature OF Rice: the
stealing of the blank checks from
RlccS check book; their delivery tC
fatrick anu the forgery of Rice's sig.
nature TO them in blank the Droposl
tlon to put the old millionaire out OF
lhe way by continuous doses or mcr.
curry to weaken him; the rejection. the
wavering and the acceptance: the call.
ing in of physician ut frequent inter.
ValS To provide for the issuance of n
death certificate when the time came.
ana the extreme care with which this
plan OF slow poisoning was carried out.
Ihon, as calmly rs though unfolding
the plot or drama in which he was
interested only as an auditor. Jones
led up to the day of the murder. He
with mercury pills of different compo.
sition from those first administered.
how the old millionaire defeated the
purpose of The plottcrS 10y refusing to
take them. Then. Jones said. patricl:
hogan 10 display impaieucc lie
DrouGnt two ounces OF OXalic acid tu
Jones. and Jones SwCarS he told him
To dilute one ounce III twenty times its
weight In water. and give the mixture
to Rice for the purpose OF weakening
his hcart again. One dose was nor Of.
f'ctivc. II was the cumulative eject
that was depended upon to dispose OF
the aged millionaire
The oXalic acid was too slow for Fat
rick. according to the confession and
Jones was asked to get chlOrofor.U and
laudanum. He sent to Texas for
them. They came b. express and
were delivered TO Jones. who turned
them over to Patrick. This, the valet
said. was followed 10y n meeting IN the
street with Patrick who told him that
the old man must be put out OF the
way nj once; thai Jones should do tho
work. and that there would be- no
harm In II because Rice had thrcn.
tened 10 poison lis own wife years ago.
Jones says he resisted this command
to commit murder for q time. Int
finally yielded
He described his return to Mr.. Ricc'a
apartments. aud finding the ola man
sleeping peacefully in he'd he ;old Of
his stcalthy search for a napkin. and
the fashioninG OF ii into cone shane.
ms directed hy Patrick. and the Din.
ming OF small sponge in the mouth OF
the cone. Then he told of saturatinc
napkin and sponge with chloroform.
and holding it over his own noStrils IL
test the effect
1t was ut this point thar the crowd
In the court room became still Jones
continued his story without break
or tremble In his tones. Hc described
his approach to the bed with the satur.
ated napkin in his hand. the placing
OF IL over the old mans face. the hold.
ing OF 1t in place for n moment. and
then the flight from the room. and the
wait OF thirty minutes. in accordance
with Patrick's Instructions. At the
expiration Of that time he returned. he
said. and found old man Rice dead.
He threw open the windows, 10 free
the room from the odor OF chloroform
telephoned to Patrick that the deed
was done. sent for n physician. and
after expressing his grief for his en-
plOyCr'S death. went to bed ard fell
into sound sleep.
No words nor phrases in typo can
convey the coolncSs and steadincss OF
the witness as he related these several
circumstances, which lie swore with
uplifted hand was the truth. the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. nor Is
1t possible to present Il faithful word
picture Of the attitude of the man ac-
cusod or plotting the crime. Patrick
listened with attention, and occasion
ally made notes. His hand was as
steady as n rock. His face was an i'm
mobile mask He displayed neither
anger. fear nor resentment in his eyes
or in facial movement. and when Jones
reached The description OF how the
sleeping man was smothered, Patrick