Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-27
PATRICK GUILTY.
Jury So Decides After Three
Hours DeIiberation.
Conspired to Obtain Rice's Fortune
and Had Jones Kill Him.
Prisoner mistaken and Will of Course
Try for New Trial.

NCW YORK, March Z6.-AlDeit l. 1 O.
rick, lawyer, was, this evening". CON
victed of the murder on Sept. rs, I9oV'
of the aged millionaire recluse, VIII
liam Marsh Rice. The penalty under
the statute is death in the electric
chair.
scant three hours of deliberation,
at the close of a trial prolonged for
nine weeks and replete with sensational
interest. sufficed to enable the jury TO
reach its verdict. The issue OF the trlai
establishes the charge that Patr1ck
consDired with Mr.. Rice's valet
Charles F. Jones, to obtain possession
of the aged Texans estate, estimated
at $7,O00,O00, and that Jones killed his
employer by the administration OF
chloroform at the direct instigation of
Patrick.
At the close Of Recorder Goff's charge,
which consumed the morning session
of the court, the jury retired. This
was at 1.50 p. M. At $3.50, they notified
the officer in charge that they were
ready to return to court, rather more
than an hour of the intervening time
having been devoted to luncheon.
In anticipation of painful scene of
excitement in the event of a verdict of
guilty. the unusual step was taken or
ordering all women to leave the court
room. Among them We're the prisoners
two sisters and Mrs. Francis, with
whom he boarded.
With grave faces the jury filed into
their places and some minutes of pain
full tension elapsed while. messengers
were Scurrying in quest of the counsel,
who had departed, looking for no YER
dict for many hours.
Calm and suave as ever and with
confidence apparently quite mistaken.
the prisoner was escorted into the court
room. He walked rapidly and took his
stand facing the jury with head erect
and hands loosely clasped behind his
back.
At the word guilty pronounced by
Foreman Machel in low tone but DIS
tinct enough to be heard throughout the
the court, not the slightest change passed
across Patrick's imperturbable visagc
and he remained standing in an almost
listless attitude while the customary poll
of the jury was being taken. His aged
father, Capt. Patrick, sitting almost at
his side and straining to catch the word
of the foreman, started for an instant
as it's import reached him and then re-
covered bravely and sat calmly awaiting
the further proceedings.
A smile of triumph lit up the fact of
Assistant District Attorney Osborne, who
FASTENED from the court Immediately af
the prisoners counsel fixed on week
4 1t
pronounce sentence.
The verdict was known almost imme
diately in the corridor where the women
relatives and friends of the prisoner Were
waiting, and a scene of distressing ex-
citement ensued. Screaming Historically,
the prisoners eldest sister ran about the
corridor, begging piteously to be allowed
to see her brother. Mrs. Frances tainted
and on recovering broke from the at
PENDANTS and rushed into the court room,
from which Patrick had just been re-
moved, where she again fell in a swoon.
Both women were removed to an ante
room and were sent home in a carriage.
Capt Patrick bore the shock of the ver-
dict bravely and, after taking leave of his
son as he was led back to the Tombs,
WOulu only say. IL Is lldTu, we IL nave
to try again.
None of the jurors could be induced to
reveal how the verdict had been reached,
an agreement having been made to tell
nothing.
A motion will be made for new trial
when the prisoner is arraigned for sell
tence.
Attorney House of counsel for the de-
fence, said, tonight: I'VE can do moth
ing until a week from next Monday.
We will then make the usual motion
fer a new trial, which will of course
be denied and then we will give notice
of an appeal. Notice of the appeal will
act as a stay of execution of sentence.
But Patrick will have to go up to the
death house at Sing Sing and there
he will have to stay until We get de-
cision from the court of appeals. /
don't see how we can get that before
September at the very earliest. | do
not care to specify on what grounds
we will base our motion for a new
trial"