The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-04-24
TERRIBLE PLOT TO KILL
Iones Murdered Millionaire Rice at
Patrick's lnstigation.
CONFESSION WITHOUT PARALLEL

Heard In n New York Court Told by
Charles F. Jones, Valet and Murderer
OF William Marsh Rice, the Hermit
Miliionaire-The Forgery of the Will.
New York City.-Charles F. Jones,
valet of the aged millionaire, W. NJ.
Rice, whose mysterious death resulted
in the arrest of Jones and Albert T.
Patrick, a lawyer, on the charge of
murder, made public second confess
sion Of his part in the crime. He gave
1t under oath in the course Of the e1-
animation in Patrick's case before
Justice Jerome. 1t differed materially
from his first confession" which was
also sworn. In the former he charged
Patrick with the actual killing Of Rice.
In the latter he accused himself of the
actual killing, but charges Patrick
with instigating the act. The valet
makes the singular statement that
Rice did not know Patrick at all, and
saw him only once, and that time by
accident. The forgery of the old mans
alleged will was also rinutely detailed
by the witness, who was allowed to
tell his own story with hardly any in.
terruption from counsel.
The self-confessed murderer told the
story of the plot from it's inception.
Jones began with his first acQuaint-
ance with Patrick in October, 1899,
when ne called at Mr.. Rice's home in
Madison avenue, but did not see him.
He told Of the growing friendship. and
of the gradual approach to the discus
sion of Rice's affairs, which resulted
finally in propositions to defraud. and
Jones yielded. Then came the story
of the transfers and conveyances Of
real and personal property to Patrick
over the forged signature OF Rice; the
stealing of the blank checks from
Rice's check book; their delivery to
Patrick and the forgery Of Rice's sig
nature to them In blank; the PROPOSE
ton to put the old millionaire out of
the way by continuous doses of mer-
curry to weaken him; the rejection, the
wavering and the acceptance; the call
ing in of physician at frequent inter.
walls to provide for the issuance Of
death certificate when the time came.
and the extreme care with which this
plan Of slow poisoning was carried out.
Then, as calmly as though unfolding
the plot of a drama in which he was
interested only as an auditor. Jones
led up to the day of the murder. He
related how Patrick had furnished MIN
with mercury pills of different compo-
sition from those first administered;
how the old millionaire defeated the
purpose of the plotters by refusing to
take them. Then, Jones said, Patrick
began to display impatience. He
brought two ounces Of oXalic acid to
Jones, and Jones swears he told him
to dilute one ounce in twenty times Its
weight in water, and give the mixture
to Rice for the purpose Of weakening
his heart again. One dose was not ef-
fective. 1t was the cumulative effect
that was depended upon to dispose OF
the aged millionaire.
The oXalic acid was too slow for Pat
rick, according to the confession. and
Jones was asked to get chloroform and
laudanum. He sent to Texas Tor
them. They came by express and
were delivered to Jones. who turned
them over to Patrick. This, the valet
said, was followed by q meeting In the
street with Patrick, who told him that
the old man must be put out Of the
way at once; that Jones should do the
work, and that there would be no
harm in it because Rice had threa-
tened to poison his own wife years ago.
Jones says he resisted this command
to commit murder for q time, but
finally yielded.
He described his return to Mr.. Rice's
apartments, and finding the old man
sleeping peacefully in bed: he told OF
his stealthy search for a napkin, and
the fashioning Of it into a cone shape,
as directed by Patrick, and the pin.
ming of a small sponge In the mouth or
the cone. Then he told Of saturating
napkin and sponge with chloroform,
and holding it over his own nostriis to
test the effect.
It was at this point that the crowd
in the court room became still. Jones
continued his story without a break
or q tremble in his tones. He described
his approach to the bed with the satur-
ated napkin in his hand, the placing
of it over the old mans face, the hold.
ing of it in place for a moment, and
then the flight from the room. and the
wait Of thirty minutes, in accordance
with Patrick's instructions. At the
expiration of that time he returned, he
said, and found old man Rice dead.
He threw open the windows. to free
the room from the odor Of chlorof0rln,
telephoned to Patrick that the deed
was done, sent for physician. and,
after expressing his grief for his EN-.
ployer's death, went to bed ana 1ell
into sound sleep.
No words nor phrases in type can
convey the GOODNESS and steadlness OF
the witness as he related these several
circumstances, which he sWore Win
uplifted hand was the truth, the wnoie
truth and nothing but the truth nor is
1t possible to present faltnlul "oru
picture of the attitude Of the man ac-
cused of plotting the crime. Patrlck
listened with attention, and OCCASION
ollv made notes. His hand was as
steady as a rock. His face was an I'M
mobile mask. He displayed neither
anger. fear nor resentment in his eyes
or in facial movement, and when Jones
reached the description of how the
sleeping man was smothered, Patrick
stroked his beard
The confession was the climax or
n remarkable recital, in Whlch WAS
Ioid hare the details Of a subtle con-
spiracy which had for its object tne
seizure of three million dollars IN
cash and negotiable securities and the
conversion Of three millions in realty
to the uses of the chief conspirator.
At the close Of the hearing Assist
ant District osborne WAS