The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-04-06
Prosecution in Patrick-Ric Case
Claims to Have Evidence Cor
%roborating the Valet.
HEIRS WANT s25o,ooo At ONCE
Wish to Rebuild an Oil Plant That
Burned Shortly Before the Old
MilliOnaire's Death-Pat-
rick Enters Protest.

New York. April 5.-The District Attor-
ney's office this afternoon received from
William l.. Jones of Harris County, Texas. a
brother of Valet Charles F. Jones. ar at
fdavit, in which he declares that in July
and August. 1900. he received letters from
his brother in New York asking him to
send the valet chIoroform and laudanum.
William Jones declares that his brother
said in his letters that a friend desired to
manufacture toothache drops.
William Jones will not be placed on the
stand until the trial OF Albert r. Patrick
for the murder of William Marsh Rice. the
preliminary examination of whom on the
same charge Will he continued on Tuesday
next.
The District Attorneys Office declared
Friday that the prosecution would show by
two telephone operators that Jones talked
to Patrick over the telephone at 6 O'CLOCK
on the day Mr.. Rice was found dead and
told him that the Old mar was asleep. and
that at s O'Clock Jones called Patrick again
and told him that the awful work had been
finished. Further. the claim Is made thai
II will be shown that Jones tod the truth
when he said Patrick spent the Monday
night after Mr.. Rice's death at his office,
No. 27 Broadway, destroying papers al
legged to be discriminating. and that after
Mr.. Rice was dead Patrick had in his pos
session checks which were alleged to have
been signed by Rice, dated the day before
he was killed.
Rice Never Employed Patrick.
The District Attorney also claims it has
already been proved that Patrick was never
employed by Rice and that Patrick offered
for probate a will in which he received nine
tenths of Rice's estate. which was valued
at 5000. O0.
The prosecution declares that it will show
that Patrick's anxiety to cash the Rice
checks was because he needed the money
to fight the will he offered for probate.
Particular stress is laid on the fact that
Patrick made earnest inquiries Of Doctor
Curry relative to the condition Of Mr.. Rice.
and that there was an alleged agreement for
a settlement In the Holt case on a basis
of $3.50. 900 to be paid after Mr.. Rice's death.
though the real lawyer in the case knew
nothing of 1t.
With regard to the remark made by Jus
tice Jerome that Patrick could not be held
fer murder, section 3e9 Of the penal code
says that no person can be convicted OF a
crime without the confederation Of the
testimony Of the accomplice, but that the
confederation may be such evidence as
tends to connect the defendant with the
commission Of a crime.
Furthermore. the code says that the ac-
cessory before the fact is a principal. The
Court of Appeals has held that to show
connection, the confederation would be suf-
ficient II it only tends to connect. In this
connection 1t is asserted that it will be
shown at the trial that Patrick had a tele-
phone put in his home fog the sole reason
of keeping in touch with Jones.
Can Produce JOnes's Brother.
II have made no arrangements to produce
Jones's brother as a witness, but If Justice
Jerome thinks he should be introduced in
order TO prove that the chloroform was
sent from Texas, 1 will produce him." raid
Assistant District Attorney Osborne.
Jones said that Patrick forged Rice's
will. I will produce the forged Will. Jones
said that he killed Rice and that Patrick
was TO profit by the death. I will show that
Mr.. Rice's body was not cold when Patrick
OF the scene and gathered up
everything that belonged to the dead man.
Il don't think it is necessary to produce
William Jones, for I have produced the
express receipt for the chloroform sent to
from Texas"
Heirs Want Money Advanced.
Surrogate Fitzgerald. some days ago. is
sued an order directing Cantwell and Moore,
for Patrick, to file with the Sur
rogate the alleged assignment. dated Feb
ruary II, 1865. by Rice to Patrick. Of the
estate; also the assignment Of
September q. 1900. Of the stock on deposit
With Wall street bankers. ana letters Of in
which Patrick is said to have re-
ceived frcm Mr.. Rice.
Friday Cantwell and Moore filed a notice
appeal. The hearing IN this application
nay not be had for two or three months.
B. p. Rice, a nephew. and Captain Baker.
representing other heirs. offered a motion
Friday TO instruct John P. O'Brien, tenn
,orary administrator of the Rice estate. to
.dvance $3.50. 900 for the purpose Of rebuild
ng the oil plant in Houston, Tex, de-
itroyed by fire about two weeks before Mr..
Sice's death.
Patrick flied objections Friday through
and Moore. stating that the propc-
ition is hazardous and speculative. and
hat II granted the estate would sustain q
terIous and irreparable loss.