The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-03
Says He Acted for Lawyer Patrick,
Who Is Charged with MUIR
der and Forgery.
SCHEME TO GAIN MILLIONS
RICE's WILL ALLEGED TO HAVE
BEEN FABRICATED BY PATRICK,
Who Is Also Said to Have Engineered
the Conspiracy 10 Put the Aged,
Wealthy Texan TO Death.

NEW YORK, April 2.-Without the slight
est quaver in his well-modulsted voice and
displaying no outward sign Of regret or re-
morse, Charles l.. Jones. secretary and valet
TO the late William Marsh Rice, to-day cons
fessed. under OATH that he had ended the
life OF his employer and benefactor with
chloroform
The confession was the climax OF re-
markable recital in which were laid bare
the details Of an alleged conspiracy which
had for its object the seizure OF ss.OOo.Oo0 in
cash and negotiable securities and the con-
version of $S.0O0.OOO in realty to the uses of
the alleged chief conspirator.
There was a dramatic force in the direct
ness and minute attention to detail with
which Jones approached the tragedy-ths
moment when he covered the face OF the
sleeping man with the saturated napkin
and then waited for him TO die.
The self-confessed murderer told the story
CT the alleged plot from it's inception.
The capital crime he committed and all
the minor offenses that preceded it were.
he declared. done at the instigation of Al
bert T. Patrick 1t was Patrick, he said,
who conceived the idea of forging a will
and forging transfers and conveyances. 1t
was Patrick who induced two persons TO
witness the forged signature. 1t was Pat
rick who determined that Rice should die,
and it was Patrick who sought to have him
killed slowly, and then. becoming impa-
tient, determined on quick action. And,
according to Jones, remarkable as 1t may
seem, Rice never knew Patrick during his
lifetime and never saw him but once.
Jones, according to his story. first began
his acquaintance with Patrick when ths
lawyer called at the residence of millionaire
Rice on Madison avenue, this city, i'm Oc-
tober, 1899 The witness told of the grow
ing friendship and the gradual approach
to the subject of the affairs of Mr. Rice,
which finally resulted in the conspiracy TO
defraud and to which proposition Jones
finally yielded. Then came the details OF
the story of the transfers and conveyances
of real and personal property TO Patrick
over the forged signature OF Rice the steas-
ing of blank checks from the milionaires
checkbook. the delivery to Patrick and the
forging Of Rice's signature, the proposition
TO put the aged millionaire out OF the way.
first weakening him by continuous doses
of mercury the calling in OF a physician ar
frequent intervals. thus apparently provid-
ing for the issuance OF death certificate
and the extreme care with which the plan
of slow poisoning was carried out.
TOLD WITHOUT A TREMOR.
Thus, as clearly as though unfolding
the plot Of a drama i'm which he was in
terested only as a spectator. Jones led
up to the day of the murder He swore
that Patrick had furnished him with mer-
| curry pills of different composition from
those first administered. told how the mil
honaire defeated the purpose Of the plot
| ters by refusing TO take them. Then. said
| Jones, Patrick began to display impatience-
| He swore the lawyer brought two ounces
| oil oxalic acid to Jones, and Jones swears
| he told him to dilute one ounce in twenty
two times its weight in water and give tho
| mixture TO Rice for the purpose of weak
ening his heart action. To induce the old
man 10 take these several poisons, Jones
| says he was compelled to take doses himself
| in Rce's presence. One dose was really not
| dangerous 1t was the cumulative effect OF
| the drug that 10 be feared.
According to this remarkable confession
the oxalic acid was too slow, and Jones
was asked 10 use chloroform and lauda-
num- Jones said he was afraid TO buy
the drugs i'm the neghborhood. and he
sent 10 his brother i'm Texas for them
They came by express. This was followed
| by a meeting in the street with Patrick.
who told him that the old man was
lasting too long. that he must be put out
OF the way AT once. that Jones should
| dc the work. and that there would really
be no harm'in it. because Rice had poisoned
his own wife years ago. and deserved pun
ishment.
Jones described his return 20 Mr.. Rice's
/ apartments. and discovery Of the million
aire sleeping peacefully in bed: he told OF
his stealthy search for a napkin and the
fashioning OF il into cone shape. as di-
sected. he said. by Patrick. He detailed
the story Of the pinning OF a small sponge
at the point OF the cone. Then he told
o. saturating the napkin and sponge with
ohloroform. and holding IL over his own
postrils 10 test its effect
Jones looked straight into the eyes OF
Assistant District Attorney Osborne ani
continued his story without a break with
cut tremor I'm his voice. lie described
! his approach 10 the bed with the saturated
napkin in his hand; OF the placing OF 4
over the sleeping old man: OF the flight
from the room: OF the weary wait OF thir-
~ minutes in accordance with Patrick's
alleged instructions: and OF his return AZ
the expiration OF the half hour. when he
found Rice dead. lie then threw open
the windows 20 free the room OF the odor
Of chloroform. telephoned 10 Patrick that
Rice was dead. sent for physician. and
then. after expressing his grief al the loss
OF SO good and kind an employer. ne said
he went TO bed and fell into a sound
sleep.
Patrick. accused by the witness OF be-
Ing the arch criminal listened TO the wp