The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-05

III Ills well InOOulaIRd
voice n displaying no outward sign
Oh regret or remorse, Charles F. Jones.
secretary and valet to the late William
Marsh Rice today, confessed, unde
oath that he had ended the life of his
employer and benfactor with chloro-
form.
The confession was the climax of a
remarkable recitation in which was laid
bare the details of an alleged subtle
conspiracy which had for it's object the
seizure of $4,000, 900 in cash and nego-
table securities and the conversion
of $1,000, 900 in reality to the use of the
alleged chief conspirator.
There was a dramatic force in the
directness and minute to de-
tail with which Jones approached the
trag~dy-the m when he covered
the face of the sleeping man with the
saturated napkin and then waited for
him to die.
The s-elf-confessed murderer told the
story of the alleged plot from it's in
ception- The capital crime he commit
ed and all the minor OffenSeS that pre-
ceded it were, he declared, at the in
stigatiOn and direction of Albert L.
Patrick. 1t was Patrick, he said who
conceived the idea of forging a Will and
forging transfers n cOnyeyanceS 1t
was Patrick who induced two persons
to witness the forged signature. 1t was
Patrick who determined that Rice
SHOULD die and il was Patrick who
sought to have him killed slowly and
then, becoming impatient, determined
upon quick action; and, according to
Jones, remarkable as it may seem,
Rice never knew Patrick during his
life time and never saw him but once.
According to this remarkable confess
sion, Patrick told Jones that the old
man was lasting too long, that he must
be put out of the way at once, that
Jones ShOuld do the work and that
there would really be no harm in ii be
cause Rice had poisoned his own wife
years ago and deserved punishment.
Jones described his return to Mr..
RiCe'S apartments and the discovery
of the millionaire sleeping peacefully
in q ne told of his Stealthy search
for Il napkin and the fashioning of it
into Il cone shape, as directed, he SAID,
by Patrick. He detailed the story OF
the pinning of a small sponge at the
point OF the cone. hen he told OF S,t.
uTating the napkin and sponge VIZ
chIorofOTm and holding it over his own
nOstrils TO test its effect.
Jones looked straight into the eyes
OF Assistant District Attorney Osborne
and continued his story without Il
break. without Il tremor in his voice.
Charles f. Jones. Rice's valet, when
put on the stand said ne had worked
as storekeeper at the Capitol hotel,
Houston, Texas, owned by Rice. He
met Rice in 1896 and haG been Rice's
secretary, valet and general utility
man. Rice. he said. moved to New
York in September, 1897.
Witness first met Patrick in NOVen-
Der. 1899. Patrick represented himself
as a commercial man from Texas and
wanted to see Rice. Rice was in bed
at the time and Patrick
himself as Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Patrick at
that time, Jones said, had a long talk
with witness. He asked whether Rice
had a legal representative in this city
and showed himself inqufsitive about
the affairs of the old millionaire.
In December. 1899. witness swore,
Patrick first approached him about the
drawing of a will. Jones was to draw
the document on his typewriter and get
Rice 10 sign it when his mind was not
quite clear. Jones told Patrick the
signing of the will might be arranged,
but that it would be more difficult to
obtain witnesses.
Patrick proposed they should try @
get the witnesses of the will of 1896.
Jones afterwards approached Wealth
erbee. the clerk in Swenson & Sons of
flee to get him to act az a witness.
Weatherbee refused and threatened tc
take Jones head off if he dared to suS-
gest any fraudulent schemes against
Rice.
Jones said: Patrick wanted me &c
be a witness to the will, but 1 refused
L was very anxious to become benefici-
ary under the will. though Patrick
said this would never do as there would
be a suspicion of undue influence at
%n@I01 To tho will whiPh thnrQfOrA
would not be admitted to probate
Patrick then said he would arrange fol-
witnesses and mentioned Meyer and
Short
At the afternoon session Jones said
Rice had some papers to execute and
Jones o. them to Patricks office
where he met Short who, at Patrick
request had become a commissioner o.
deeds for the state of Texas. Shorr
went to Rice's house and executed thu
papers.
WAS the will you saw in Patrick:
office dated before it was shown tC
Neyer?" asked MI. Osborne.
mo. it was mad in March. but wa:
not dated until June 30th. Mr.. Patrick
fold me he DESTROYED it on the Monday
night following the death or Mr. Rice
When the signatures of Meyer ant
Short were to be taken as witnesses
Patrick told me it would be well q
have them use the same INK as Wa
used by Mr.. Rice and I took a ootti
of Mr.. Rice's ink to PatricKs once
have not seen that ink bottle since.
Continuing. Jones said Meyer ant
Short were at Rice's fiat on June 3Oti
TO witness certain papers for Rice
did Mr.. Patrick ever do any Iega
work for MI. Rice?' asked MI Os
borne.
HE did not"
Did Mr.. Rice sign any will on Jun
3Oth during the time Meyer n Shor
were in the apartment"
He did not. 1 was there all the tim
and 7 did not see him sign any viii
Had he signed one 1 would have know
of it,"
ZONES her testified that, somewha
later. at the request of PATRICK. n
wrote on his typewriter the assign
mants transferring Rice's property I