The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-04
Jones ON THE STAND.
Valet of millionaire Rice Tells of Plot
to Murder.


New York. April s-Charles Jones. the
valet secretary Of VIM. Rice, the rich
Texan, resumed the giving of testimony
today in the proceedings against Albert
T. Patrick, who is charged with caus-
ing Rice's death in order to obtain his
property by means Of a will, checks and
deeds, which it is alleged were forged
Jones began today by relating that on
Monday 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 Pat
rick he thought these men were de-
tectiveS. The next morning Jones went
to police headquarters. When he re-
turned home he found a number Of de-
tectives IN the place. On Tuesday after
noon he was taken to police headquart-
ers, where ne was questioned. He found
Patrick also at headquarters. Patrick
told Jones he had discovered the will
witnessed in Patrick's Office, and a NUM-
Der of bogus letters were written on the
viii matter. On this occasion, Jones
last been given mercury.
T told him on Thursday" said Jones.
Patrick then told me that there would
not be any traces Of that left in the syS-
TEN at the time of the autopsy and that
the embalming fluid would kill all traces
of the oxalic acid, which was a vegetable
poison
Witness then told of DR.. Curry having
come to the apartments on Tuesday,
where he met Patrick. The two had a
long talk, which Jones did not hear.
The so-called Patrick win was then
brought up Jones said he had told Pat
rick that the provisions for Rice's rela-
tives interest, which was discovered on
the day following Rice'S death, were
toe small, and that it would be impos-
SlDie to get 1t prObated- Patrick, Jones
said, then had the so-calIed Patrick
will drawn The witness related at
length the incidents of the day when
the body of Rice was cremated-
While the testimony about the viii
was being given Captain Baker, of
Texas. who was an executor of the 1896
viii, entered the trial room. He carried
bundle of papers 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 Oc-
tober 4, the evening of the day he was
arrested.
Jones says he was taken to police
headquarters about 10 o'clock in the
evening. and was taken down stairs and
locked up an hour later. He said be-
fore he was locked up that he made
statement which was entirely fictitious,
and Of which he could not recall even
the salient features.
Jones then told Mr. House had been
appointed lawyer of both Patrick and
himself and the events surrounding their
commitment to the Tombs. From here
Jones passed to his attempt to commit
suicide.
Some time before tried to commit
suicide Mr.. House came to me in the
Tombs and wanted to know if a. murder
had been committed. I told him there
had been no murder"
Lawyer Moore objected. He said it
was not question of privilege. but that
where two defendants had the same
counsel what went on between one de-
PENDANT and the counsel could not IN
der the laws of evidence be permitted.
Mr. Osborne said that he did not
want all of the conversation Of Jones
and his counsel and asked the former
to confine himself exclusively to any
conversation that had taken place be-
tween himself and Patrick.
Justice Jerome allowed the evidence
already given to stand
ION the day before the attempt was
made" said Jones. Patrick and I had
talk in the reception room at the Tombs.
Patrick told me his means were exhaust
ed and that they were in desperate
straits. Patrick wanted me to shoulder
the responsibility for the time. told
him I would not confess unless I could
tell a straight story. I said would rath-
er 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
a 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. I put it IN my
S1AJC anu lOOh II 10 my cell Later
called. Patrick told me Potts would not
get him the poison About 4 O'Clock in
the afternoon after I had got the knife
I sat in my cell Writing some letters and
preparing for the end Just then I was
called to the district attorneys Office.
While there I made a confession. I was
brought back to my cell in the evening
and at about o'clock in the morning
tried to cut my throat
Jones then told OF being taken to
2aI5 md III
fession. The new confession is the one
on which his present testimony is based.
Jones explained today what he meant
yesterday when he said that Patrick did
not wish to live until Monday as on that
day draft would be payable Witness
said that a week or so before the death
Of Rice certain oil wells in Texas in
which he was interested were destroyed
by fire. Rice resolved to rebuild them
and bound himself to provide nearly
5000. 600 for the rebuilding. On the
strength of this the oil wen people drew
for $4,000 the draft being payable on
Monday, September "a. Jones testified
again today that Patrick wished to
avoid the payment Of this money.
I said" witness continued on 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
notifying relatives Of Rice's death were
placed in evidence. They all read alike,
setting forth that Rice died under the
care of a physician and that the death
certificate gave as the cause dfarrhoea.
old age and heart failure, concluding
with the notice Of the funeral
a check was then produced and placed
in evidence This check. which it is al
legged was forged, was for the salary of
a Texas emplOye of Rice named Cohen
Jones testified that the check was
forged and forwarded to Texas to see
whether the signature would pass the
banks.