The sun., 1901-04-03

Ready Meyers and short Described AZ
Agents In the Plot 1t Was Jone. Who Gave
All the Poisons and Finally the ChIoroform.
Valet Charles +. Jones. who confessed
originally that LAWYER Albert r Patrick
chloroformed the old millionaire. William
Marsh Rice, and confessed secondly thu.
Patrick killed Rice by administering mer-
curry, testified Yesterday that he himself
poisoned Rice with mercury and oxalic acid,
and killed HIM with chloroform. all at Pat
rick's suggestion. because Patrick's plot to
get the old mans money had reached a point
when Rice must die to make things safe
Jones's story which was told in the pre-
limnary examination OF Patrick before Jus
tce Jerome. is remarkable both for the man.
ner Of its preeentment and for the conspiracy
which it purported TO detail Jones swore
that in all the months in which Patrick SAYS
he served Rice as an attorney tho old million
uire saw Patrick but once and then not to
know who he was that Patrick, working thus
in the dark. built mp for himself. with an at
tention TO detail that suggests a Gaboriau
romance, q fictitious attorneyship. bolstered
by innumersble forgeries that to enforce his
grip on the estate he forged deeds, assign
mFUb-' tu''hN anu u VIII, uuu InhI nnallN,
when the old man. who was past
SO would not die despite all the poisons
they prevailed upon him 10 take, Jones az
tho instgation Of Patrick murdered him by
putting a chloroform-so soak ed sponge over his
face as he lay sleeping In his bed
CircumstantIai story of Murder.
When Jones was brought In he was very
pale. He was dressed In black cutaway suit
and a black spring tie which accentuated
rather his pale appearance. He seemed,
however, quite AZ his ease Patrick, who had
been sitting behind with his chair, got up
when Jones came in and sat beside hi lawyers
in order that he might look the witness square
in the eye. Jones was "a cool as a cucumber
while he testified and Assistant District At
torney Osborne. who questioned him. had
little to do. Here il the murder chapter Of
the story dating from the day when, Jones
said, Patrick first suggested murder:
"On a saturday afternoon last August,
when ! was at Patrlck's office receiving his
dictation Of transfers and letters. TO which
Rces name was to he signed. Patrick asked
me II did not think Rice was holding on too
long for our interests. ! said thought he
was He asked me II there wasn't some way
in which we could get rid Of him. and very
foolishly. thinking that he was only Joking,
said Not unless you get a Gatlng gun
Then he showed me- that he was in earnest
and said Of course there was no way to get
rid Of him. told him thought he had Dr.
Curry for that purpose but he said DR.. Curry
wouldn't do anything like that
PATRICK oFFERED TO MURDER SLEEP
Later he said to me that if would lot him
know when the old man was sleeping hs
would put him out Of the way. told him
that it would be hard 30 do il, because Rice
was very light sleeper. He told me Of
drug store in Coney Island where I could get
laudanum but I didn't 90 there. He nlso
said that | should get it from a nurse In the
Presbyterian Hospital. but ] didn't go there
either
SENT 10 TEXAS FOR CHLoRoFoRM.
Il got some laudanum and chloroform. two
ounces Of each, from my brother in Texas
and gave them 10 Patrick, but | did not tell
him where had got them. This was about
three weeks before Rce's death They came
from Texas by American Express. had
previously sent to my brother for chloroform
because in July Patrick had said 70 me that
he wanted choroform for rheumatism medi-
cine There was then no talk OF killing Rice.
Patrick said hN couldn't get the stuff without
exciting suspicion because there was cast
iron law about selling it.
GIVE HIN MERcrpY, SAID rATnrcT
Soon after | had sent for tho ch'oroforr
in the latter part Of AuEust, Patrick asked
me II | had done anything about ge''iNg
drugs ! said no. IIe 50 4 that n would
give Rice Sapolio it would weaken him !
told him ! had no opportunity - give him
Sqpoio He suggested 'Enl soda hn given
10 him told him that thu' VAS hard 20 a.
Rice was a very particular man ! h0d Z"
taste all his medicine. he a-krd me- what
medicine was taking, and said had some
mercura pills lprotpiodido from nr Curry.
He then told me 10 give Rico som" Of those
pills in order TO weaken him and bring oout
his death took some a. those bills and
left them IN a box on Rice- bureau, having
first swallowed one or 'wo mt self Mr Rico
took several They gave him rho darrhpa
which he atryU,od 10 eating eggs Ho
stopped these cgIs and kept ON taking the
pills. but improved ns'eud Of breaking down
coRrosIvE suHLIMATf AND CtloMEL NEXT
when | told Patrick .als he told mo thai
he had some vcllOwi~u white mercurial tab
lets which lie would give nl" 10 give 10 Rice
lie said he took them for his own liver. He
gave mo six or eight. telling me 10 take one
IN Rice's pre- .cuce did 40. aud Rice took
Two They made him .,t Then he used
a caIomel prescription o. DR. curry told
Patrick Of this and he SAID that wonld help
weaken him. too Rice kept on taking my
pills, Patrick's pills aud the Calomel He
would take anything I tool, II" took them
up to a week before his death. when he stopped
About q week before M, death Mrs Van
Alstyue called on him aud sand hat baked
bananas were good for the digestion
bought a dozen and half and he ate five
baked bananas They made him sick and ne
took some more pills He got worse and d.
Curry was IN every day
"On the Thursday before his death he
said that he wished he wa- dead | told
If the impression could be- Cotton out that
he had committed suicide That night
when | went out loci, ed the door and threw
the kov over the trnn-um, 10 give the lmpre~'
sion that ! had been locked out by Rio"
on saturday Rice got out Of bed and talked
foolish lie wanted the ColUred woman
tn hold his head Dr Curry called, but Rice
snd he did not want to see him lie put
H. both out Of his room and sald We botl
wanted 10 Kill him Then he rallied and
W Inted q So. curry | sent for him Mr.
& C,Tpcntar came in Rice became dsllriOus
bnhind him lie sat down In a char and
fell asleep
rNrrICR PROVIDES oNArIC ACID.
At i?3l saturday sept .! last ! tele-
IhOuri to pr'rIrl that l,lce Wu- weak and
ncryous and mat VH- going - lunch, Pat