The age-herald., 1902-02-04
Physicians Testify as to Cause
 of Mi|IiOnairGs Death
RIGID CROSS EXAMINATION
pr. Witthaus, Who Found the Mer- cury, Says It Was Not in Suffi- cIent Quantity to Cause Death.
 Prosecution Changes Plan.

New York, February 3.-The trial of Albert T. Patrick for the murder of Will liam M Rice, the millionaire, today reached the stage where the exact cause of his death was called in question be- fore the court. The testimony opened up the inquiry. Was MT Rice chloroformed to death, as the prosecution claims, or did he die of heart disease, as the defense maint ains?' These two questions were what the opposing counsel contended over before Recorder Golf and the jury.
 The state placed on the stand Rudolph Witthaus, Professor Henry H. Witthaus, chemical and pathological experts. and E. D. Donlin, a former coroner's physician, to prove the choloroform theory. Dr. Donlin testified that when he performed the autopsy on MT. Rices body he found all his organs normal except that there was a congestion of the lungs co-exten- sive with these organs. Prof.-Witthaus testified similarly, and further said that upon making a chemical analysis Of MT. Rioe's organs he found more than three quarters of a grain of mercury in them and that undoubtedly there had been much larger quantity in the body before death. Professor Loomis gave similar tes- timony.
 Tried to Show Natural Causes. q.
 The defense tried to show that this congestion might result from heart o~ kidney disease, and that the presence of mercury might have been caused by em- balming fiuid
 The days proceedings closed while W. F. Harmon. a bookkeeper in the bank where MT. Rice did business, was testify- ing as to the signatures of the million aire as they appeared on the various doc- uments before the court.
 Dr. Rudolph A. Williams, the analy- tical chemist, testified that he was pres- ent at the Rice autopsy and that certain portions of the body were given him for examination and analysis. He found half a grain of mercury In the intestines and he estimated the mercury in the kidneys at one-fourth of a grain. The liver was not responsive to tests for mercury. The witness could not tell whether the mer- curry found in the body was there before death unless he analysed the embalming fluid. He thought. however, the finding of a three-quarters of a grain indicated that a large amount had been taken dur ing the life of the deceased.
 Dr. Witthaus during his cross -eXamina- ton said he did not find enough mercury to cause death. Cases had been reported, he said. where traces of mercury were found six months after it had been used. He had analyzed several kinds of em- baming f1uid but had not found mercury in any of them.
 Signatures Were Foreeries.
 William E. Harmon, a bookkeeper at the Bank of Swenson & Son, said he had known MT. Rice for ten years and was familiar with his handwriting. He de- clared that in his opinion none of the disputed signatures was made by MT. Rice. He recognized the admitted sigma lures as genuine. MT. Harmon is one of the witness to the will of 1896.
 On cross-examination the defense show ed MT. Herman what purported to be a series of signatures by MT. Rice. Some of them he pronounced genuine, other spurious. They will be offered in evil dence later and an attempt made to show that the witness erred on them.
 Dr. H. B. Loomis, who examined parts of Rice's body. testified that in his opin- ion Rice died from inhalation of an irri- tant gas. The witness was submitted to a long technical cross-examination which was still in progress at o'clock, when the illness of a juror compelled adjournment.
 Assistant Attorney Osborne during re- cess said that circumstances had impelled him to change his programme as original ly announced and that he might call the valet, Charles F. Jones at any time within a day or two