Evening star., 1902-02-21
CONFESSED TO MURDER
VALET JONES TELLS OF KILLING
HIS MASTER.
Climax Of the Prosecutions Case in the
Trial of Lawyer Albert
Patrick.

A dispatch from New York last night
says: A very dramatic point in the trial OF
Lawyer Albert T. Patrick for the murder
of the Texas millionaire William Marsh
Rice, was reached this afternoon. Charles
F. Jones, the valet had been relating the
circumstances leading up to the somewhat
sudden death Of Mr.. Rice in September.
Then plungng at once into the details, he
held the attention of his audience to the
end of his recital. Free of minor points,
his story follows:
In August Patrick grew impatient Mr..
Rice, though an invalid. was living too
long to suit the lawyers purposes. Patrick
said he would come to the house and kill
him himself IL necessary. He suggested
chlorcform and Jones said he would get
some The idea of chloroform as a means
was suggested by a magazine article. 1t
was determined on after Jones talked with
a physician. who said person whose heart
affected was Mr. Rices could be
most easily killed with 1t, and that little
trace of the drug would be left. Jones got
a two-ounce vial of 1t by writing to his
brother in Texas.
Jones then branched off into the alleged
plan adopted to weaken the already sick
old man. This was by giving him mer-
curry and iron pills. The pills brought on
H. tts w.
a friend brought Mr. ice present of ba-
nanas. OF these the old man ate nine. The
fruit made him exceedingly i'll. and yet the
weakening doses of mercury were kept up.
BY Saturday, being about the eighth day OF
the last illness. Mr.. Rec became delrious.
This testimony brought the events up to
Sunday. the day of death, and the witness
had said that during these ten days of ILL.,
ness he had kept Patrick informed of the
details personally and by telephone.
William Marsh Rices quick death. declar.
ed the witness. was decided at a confer
ence between Patrick and Jones held Sat-
urday night Jones had told the lawyer Of
the arrival Of a draft for $4,000. Patrick
told him 1t was time to apply the chloro-
form now that the draft had come and
Capt. Baker was coming. or they would
lose all. Jones agreed.
Jones here told his story OF the actual
killing, follows:
it. / telephoned Patrick and he met me at
the telegraph office. Patrick said 1t was
time to give Mr.. Rice the chloroform. Now
that the draft had arrived from Texas and
Capt. Baker was coming, We should lose
ali we had gained IL Mr.. Rice was not put
away at once. / objected that 1 had never
agreed to do anything of that sort. but
Patrick insisted and I yielded. / made q
cone of towel saturated with chlOroform
and placed it over my face. / felt the ef-
feet and then put more chlorOform on 1t
and went into Mr. Rice's room. He was
still sleeping. put the cone over his face
and ran out of the room. There was a vio-
lent ring at the door bell just then and I
looked out and saw some one. / think 1t
sure. 1 went back to Mr.. Rice's room He
was lying just rs / left him. / took the
towel off his face and put 1t in the fire. It
burned Then l opened all the windows
and teiephoned to Patrick. He told me to
say that IL 1T was all over that all was
WELL and that was the message gave.
Patrick said he would come over. but that
he did not want to get there before DR..
Curry arrived. They reached the house to-
getber. 1 met them and told them He Is
dead Patrick exclaimed. oh. my Godi
That is the worst thing that could have
happened TO me- He told me beforehand
that he intended to say that to deceive DR..
Curry.
taker and Patrick said. "Yes, and a death
certificate DR.. Curry made out the certi-
ficate and the undertaken was sent for
Patrick visited the room where Mr.. Rices
papers were kept, and took away with him
all the papers he could find. Patrick talked
to me in DIR. Currys presence and gave no
hint Of anything wrong"
Jones told Of the happenings the day at
ter Mr.. Rice's death. He said Patrick cali
ed him on the telephone and told him he
had made mistake in the Swenson check.
If they call you on the telephone"
the check is all right They did call. and
I did as he directed Later. Patrick told me
over the wire. that IL any more inquiries
were made to say that Mr.. Rice was dead"
here, but the recorder wanted a more M
mute description Of the towel cone and
chloroform, and questioned the witness
himself.
Jones told how he made the cone by turn
ing the towel in his hand and pinning IL
over the overlapping end. Then ne sald ne
n,cced sponge in the small end OF the
cone and saturated 1t with chloroform.
ssTIow Ions did you leave the cone on the
face OF Mr. Rice?" asked the recorder.
saI don't know. II was a little more than
a half hour. Patrick told me 70 leave Il
there twenty minutes"
ibid Mr.. Rice know what you were do
ingrs
II don't know. I believe ! heard some
thing as it he had laughed I was prepared
for that. because Patrick had told me he
would probably laugh when he dfst inhaled
the chloTo6orm.s