The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-09
PATRICK IS FOUND GUILTY
Jury Declares He is the Murderer Of
Millionaire Rice.
PRISONER uNMovED BY VERDICT

Jury Out Lsss Than Three Hours and
Took Only Two Bailots-Patrick's SIS
ter Creates Hystericsl Scene In the
cours.Room-CharGe Of the Recorder
The Convicted Mans Crime.
New York City.-Lawyer Albert 1.
Patrick, for the past nine weeks on
trial. charged with the murder OF Mil
lIonaire William Marsh Rice. on Sep
tember %. 1900. was found guilty by
the jury after less than three hours
deliberation. Only two ballots were
taken. The first stood seven to five
for conviction. On the second oil
were agreed. When the verdict was
learned Mrs. Francis. the defendants
landlady. tainted. and Miss Patrick
his sister, who has borne up bravely
during her brothers trial, collapsed
completely and went into Mysteries.
Recorder COTS charge to the jury
occupied three hours. After compli-
menting the jurors upon their faithful
attention to the testimony during the
long trial. he charged them. that the
peoples case rested on three PROPOSE
lions. which. II proved to the 1urys
satisfaction beyond all reasonable
doubt, they should return verdict OF
guilty: II not, q verdict OF acQuittal.
These three propositions. the Record
er continued. were. (D that Jones on
September q. 1900. placed a chloro'
formed cone over the face Of w. n.
Rice with intent to kill him: ~ that
Rice's death resulted from chloroform
poisoning. and no other cause. and To
that Patrick instigated. aided. abetted OK
procured the commission Of the crime
by Jones. He declared that In consid;
ering the weight to be given Jones's
testimony. his bearing and manner on
the stand should be taken into cons!d-
Grafton. as we'll us his interest. his op-
portunity for knowledge. his motive.
his previous conflicting statements. his
inslstence that he was now telling the
truth, and his frankness In detailing
the part he took in the matter.
Continuing the court charged thar II
Patrick and Jones were engaged III q
conspiracy to murder Rice. Patrick
was equally guilty with Jones. and
that the testimony Of the latter. though
n self-confessed murderer, was compe'
tent. as one Of the perils Of commit.
ting crime was the danger Of betrayal
by IN associate. The law, he said, re-
uuired the testimony Of an accompiice
to be corroborated. but the corrobora-
ton need only tend to connect the de-
fendant with the crime. and must not
necessarily of itself be Sufficient to
prove the defendant guilty. The Re
corder also charged thirty-three OF the
forty-four requests of counsel for the
defense. and Ave supplementary re-
quests.
Patrick heard the verdict which con
demned him to the electric chair with
out dinching. His lawyers seemed
more affected, and were disappointed.
as they had expected a verdict OF ac-
uuittal, or at the most disagreement
Of the Jury. Recorder Gof granted
short postponement Of sentence. and
Patrick's counsel declared q purpose
to appeal for new trial.
What disposition will be made Of
Charles F. Jones. the former valet-sec'
retary of Millionaire Rice. who con-
fessed on the stand that he placed
chloroformed sponge In a cone over
his sleeping employers face. no one
connected with the District Attorneys
Office would state. Jones is not under
indictment for murder. and so far as Is
known Is not under indictment for for.
gerry or conspiracy. He testified on tn,
witness stand that he expected to re.
ceive some immunity for his comics.
sion. Pressed by Mr.. Moore to say that
he had been promised absolute i'm
munity he denied that this was so.
The cost Of the prosecution and con-
viction Of Patrick will amount up into
the thousands. the only estimate that
could be obtained from any one con.
nected with the District Attorneys
office being perhaps $4,000 or more.
In addition to the regular salaries OF
the court officials. the witnesses and
Jurors fees, the expenses will be very
large. The medical experts are ex.
pected to put In bills for about SlOO
a day. The handwriting experts ask
for $50 and $25 per day. and the numer.
Gus paying tellers Of banks Will also
receive compensation for their expert
testimony. while each witness brought
by the State from Texas will be an
added cost Of several hundred dollars
a man. The cost Of the defense can
only be conjectured. but 100000 Is
said to be a conservative estimate OF
the total cost of the trial.
Albert T. Patrick was tried on the
charge of the murder Of William NJ.
Rice. an old and eccentric millionaire.
ON Sentember %. 1900 The stake he
played for was S5.OOO.OO0. which had
been left by n will drawn in 1896 to
the Rice Institute In Houston. Texas.
The cards he used were a forged will.
forged assignments Of property and
forged checks. His chief accomplice
was Charles F. Jones. the valet. who
was induced to kill Mr.. Rice with
chlorofOrm. The result is that Pat
rick will meet death In the electric
chair. unless his lawyers can get the
verdict set aside and their client set
free after new trial.