The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-05
IS TOTALLY uNCONCERNED.

IS TOTALLY uNcoNCERNED.
Prisoner Manifests No Fear or Emotion
Under Searching Examination.
New York, April 3-Charles F.
Jones, who was valet and secretary
to William Marsh Rice, the aged
millionaire, who according to Jones
confession yesterday was murdred by
the use of chloroform in September
last, finished his testimony today on
direct examination in the proceedings
before Justice jerome, charging AL
bert Z. Patrick with murder.
When court adjourned last Tuesday
people went. out Of the little room in
which Justice Jerome was conducting
the examination Of Lawyer Patrick.
filled with wonder at the extraord-
mary story of the man who had con-
fessed that he had placed over the face
of his benefactor, as he slept, n folded
napkin, saturated with chloroform,
thereby causing his death. Today
they heard the same story repeated
under different questioning, but full
of dramatic interest. The tale Of muir
der and plotting which Jones outlined
Tuesday, he today filed in with a
wealth of detail, with a GOODNESS Of
nerve and self possession that was
wonderful.
According TO the story of the valet
secretary he and Patrick had drawn
up a bogus will and were waiting
with what patience they could for the
old man to die, when the mill burned
down IN Texas. Rice's connections
there desired to rebuild it, and he
spoke of advancing 800, 900 or $780,
900 required to replace the burned
property.
Patrick told me to use all my in
fuence." said Jones today, with Rice
not to rebuild the mill, as this would
take out all the ready cash from the
estate" But Rice insisted on advanc-
ing the money and presently author
lied a draft for $25, 900 from n of
his correspondents in Texas. Wo1d of
the draft arrived in New York on
Saturday and Jones, in accordance
with his compact, told Patrick about
it. 1t was only $25, 900, but according
to the valet, Patrick felt that he could
not spare even this much out of the
millions that he was already counting
as his own. "He then said,' con-
tinued Jones, "thAt he would have to
do something to get Rice out of the
way before Monday, when the draft
would arrive"
Even more illustrative Of the eau
tion and thoroughness of the plot con-
ceived and carried out by the 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 the pay of his salary month
ly. 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
it to Jones to mail, Jones turned il
over to Patrick in order that the latter
might practice on the signature. The
last check which came from Cohen
was signed with a forgery Of Rice's
name and sent along. in order that by
it's passage through the banks of Texas
they might test the merits of sthei,
forgery. The experiment was success.
full and gave them great confidence.
There was Il point today where j,
was confidently expected Jones would
give some sign of emotion. It wa!
even limited that he might break
down. This was when he was asked
about the effort he made at suicide
but expectation was again disappoint'
} ed. He told of Patrick's suggestion
that he take the blame for the whole
thing, of his refusal to do so, of Pat
! rick's handing him a knife with which
to cut his throat and Of the throat cut
ting itself, with as little feeling as HI
showed the day before, when he tolt
how he c~hlorformed his helpless mill
ionaire b%enefactor. But it was OF
cross-examination that Jones reall.
} demonstrated that he was emotion
$ proof.
Robert E. Moore, Patrick's lawyer
and the same man who saved DIR
Kennedy from the death chair at hi
recent trial, went about the cross-ex
ANIMATION in a spirit of thoroughnes
: that would have dismayed most men
I Gradually he felt the outline o
i Jones' story until he had satisfied him
self that there was nothing to b
4 gained by a patient siege, and then h
r attempted to storm Jones' position.
s When he spoke Of the killing o
Rice he called it murder and he he'll
t the electric chair in the mind of tn
/; man in the witness chair, who an
t swered everything as calmly and slow
!, ~ as though it were some perfunctor
o recital. 1t was impossible to shak
the testimony of the witness. He ha'
a good memory and his replies wer
n brief and to the point. The question
ing of the attorney of Patrick onl