Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-04
UNHAPPY JONES
CONTINUED from page ~

men were detectives. On Tuesday af-
ternoon, Jones was taken to police
headquarters where he was questioned.
he round Patrick also at police head
quarters. Patrick told Jones he had
destroyed the will witnessed in his.
Patrick's Office, and number of bogus
letters written on the will matter. On
this occasion, Jones testified that Pat
rick asked when Rice had last been
given mercury.
Il told him on Thursday" Jones
said.
Patrick then told me that there
would not be any traces of that left in
the system at the time of the autopsy.
and that the embalming fluid would
XIII all traces of the oxalic acid which
was vegetable poison
Witness then told of DR.. Curry hav-
ing come to the apartments on Tues
day where he met Patrick. The two
had long talk which Jones did not
hear. The so-called Patrick will was
taken up. Jones said he had told Pat
rick that the provisions for Rice's rela-
tives in the will which was destroyed
on the day following Rice's death were
too small and that it would be i'm
possible to get it probated. Patrick.
Jones said. then had the So called
Patrick Will drawn.
The witness related at length the IN
cidents of the day when the body of
Rice was cremated. Jones then passed
to the happenings of October 4, the
evening of the day he was arrested.
Jones said he was taken to police
headquarters about 10 p. NJ. He then
told of his attempt to commit suicide.
Some time before l tried to commit
suicide, Mr.. House came to me in the
Tombs and wanted to know if a muir
der had been committed. l told him
that there had been no murder On
the day before the attempt was made
Patrick and myself had talk in the
reception room at the TOmbs. Pat rick
told me his means We're exhausted and
that we We're in desperate straits.
Patrick wanted me to shoulder the re-
sponsibility. | told him I would not
confess unless l could tell a straight
story. l said l would rather kill my
self 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
Il small knife in his cell. The knife
would do for one and he would try to
get some carboic acid from Mr.. Potts.
He gave me the knife. l put it in my
shoe and took it to my cell Later Potts
called. Patrick told me Potts would
not get him the poison.
About 4 O'Clock in the afternoon
Gfter | had gotten the knife. l sat in
my cell writing some letters and ore
pairing for the end. Just then l was
called to the district attorneys office.
While there l made a confession.
was brought back to my cell in the
evening. and in the morning tried to
cut my throat"
Jones then told how he was taken
to Bellevue and how he made a new
confession. The new confession is the
one on which his present testimony is
ba sed.
At the afternoon session. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Garvin asked Jones a few
unimportant questions regarding the sum-
of money given by Rice to the VIM.
Marsh Rice Institute.
Jones CrosS-eNamination was then he
gun by Attorney Moore. Asked by Mr..
Moore to state what took place at police
headquarters the first time he was there
Jones said he could not recall just wha.
he had said as the story he had told
then was largely fictitious
Mr.. Moore appealed to Justice Jerome.
who directed the witness to answer to
TIE best of his recollection.
Witness said Captain of Detectives Nc
Cluskey was the first man he had seen
at headquarters.
Did You say anything to Capt. Nc
Cluskey about the checks?' asked Mr.
Moore.
ITO the best of my recollection wit
ness replied. Il did. ! think ! told him
that Mr.. Rice had given them to me. Sat
urday. TO give to Mr.. ratrick h.,,.,, ort
that Edward Reckords. fellow prisoner.
had written on witnesses behalf to Capt.
Baker. arranging an interview with Capt.
Baker in the district attorneys cfIice.
Did you ask him to arrange the in
tcrview with Capt. Baker,?
81 did not II was rather at the insti-
cation of Rcckords that l consented I"
have him write the letter to Capt Ea-
kcr'
You are easily influenced, are you
not?"
II am easily influenced. Otherwise ]
would never have gotten myself into thiS
trouble NV
have no suspicion regarding the death OF
Mr. Rice but he was convinccd mat the
checks and the wills were forgcries.
"Did not Cant Baker ten Y"u. No"
Charlie, we had h"tt?r compromisc I'M
nrv's office and think can convince
then, that voJ are all right?
mo sir he said nothing Of the kind
Homes said that some time between tn't
~ and Oct 20 he was taken to the district
attorpcv's Office and kept until ) clock
in thc morning making his first confess
sion. - o,.aro
produccd the statement made by Jones
IN that occasion. and it was marked for
Identification as Exhibit ~
What did YOU think when you chloro-
Formed old Rice, yOJr henei3tIOT. D'u
Won think that was right? asked MY
IT cannot say what I thought"
Ibid Won say that Short and Meyers
witnessed the wll?
II think | made such statement ,
enid Won saw that old man Rice had
instructed Patrick to draw new VIII!
II have made such statement. WIT
ness replied. -., 1900, 49,,
Selecting sentences at random and ap-
narcntlv reading from the typewriter
document MIR. Moore asked the witness:
"Did YOU make that statement? =.
II think I made such a statement,
Jones invariably Iepfcl. ,,o4
,o Containing something like salt an!
tn,d mo to give Mr.. Rice. as it would
Strengthen him very much?' Was that
statement true? . 1T,
.-rhc sta tement was true. witness Sas".
.if instead of STRENGTHENING hiri you
,,;i, say it will quiet his nerves.
Jones then in answer to questions &c, ue,
,;oJ that other statements made by MN
T., the confession were true. a..
III ..W,hon did YOU make your confession!
..at the house of detention. last jan