Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-07-17
A DESPERATE CRIMINAL.
Fred Rice, Native Of Illinois, Will be
Hanged.
HIS CRIMINAL & r.

Toronto, Ont, July 1.-THE cabinet
having declined to interfere, Fred Lee
Rice, one or the most desperate crimi-
mails with which the Canadian authori-
ties have had to deal in many years,
will pay the penalty of his misdeeds
on the gallows tomorrow. The con-
demned criminal is an Illinois a a
former resident of Champaign and a
student of the University of Illinois.
The crime for which lie is to be exc
.cuted was the outgrowth of a less
heinous ~offense, the robbery OF a bank,
for which Rice and three ~confederates
had received sentences of twenty-oIe
years Imprisonment. Rice and his
companions formed a gang of the most
notorious and daring porch-climbers
on the continent. Their field OF opera
tions was co-extensive with the con-
tinent. Wherever there was oppor-
tunity for plumber they went. They did
not confine their operations to porch
climbing. Highway robbery, burglary
and forgery were among their accom-
plishments, and for many ears they
banned the efforts OF the police to effect
their capture. Originally the gang
was composed of Rice, Frank Rut-
ledge, a Canadian, and Frank Stewart.
All were desperate characters, shrewd
in their methods, skilled in the arts of
the confidence man and utterly with
out fear. They made their h%eadquar-
tiers in Chicago, but conducted their
operations principally in other cities,
returning to Chicago to dispose of and
divide their plumber at stated inter
walls.
Rice was reared on a farm in the
HIT. e anI uyhnn hn
entered the college of literature and
arts of the University of Illinois in
1888 he was a quiet, retired, country
boy, whose refined manner and hand
some face made him popular among
the goods. Like many country boys,
freedom from parental restraint, which
he enjoyed at the university for The
first time. had a serious effect on his
morals. and in his second ear he was
known as one Of the widest men in
the university. His evident large
h~eartedness and kindly disposition
made him friends among both faculty
and students and ii was a long time
before formal notice was taken OF his
action by the board of administration
Finally, however, it was found neces-
sary to eXpel him.
Soon after he left the university he
became associated with the gang OF
which he is DOW the only survivor. He
was the cleverest of the lot n in
most cases the leader in criminal ex-
pIoits. He was called the forger, the
scholar, the poet" of the nefarious ag-
creation. He looked like a clergyman
and had a gift of ~eloquence that aston
ished many a pleader. 1t was charac-
teristic of MIN that he was the only
one OF the gang that ever attempted
diplomacy. Cornered, he never offered
to kill, but, preferring soft words, Sc
cured for himself tine best of treatment
in an extremity.
Frank Stewart. well known as a Chi
cacn thief. was the first of the gang
to die. He was killed in an attempt to
escape after a Chicago hold-up. Jones
was the next to pay the price. Rut'
ledge committed suicide by dashing
himself from the gallery of the Toron-
u Jail to the stone-paved court thirty
feet Ielow. The crime for which the
gang was arrested and convicted was
the robbery of a hank at Aurora, Ont,
from which they secured about $4,000.
On information received from the To-
ronto police the entire gang were ar
rested in Chicago. EXtradition pro-
c~eedings were s%tubbornly fought in the
courts, hut the culprits eventually
were brought 70 Canada, where, after
trial. they were sentenced to twenty
one years Imprisonment. After their
preliminary hearing they were COM
mitted for trial. While being taken
back to Jail in q carriage in charge OF
Constahles Stewart and Boyd a we'll
dressed man sprang from the sidewalk
nea. the iail and ran alongside the car
riage. He gained the open window and
tossed In a soft felt hat. This fell in
the lap of Rutledge.. Jones grabbed it
and shook out three loaded revolvers,
He grabbed one and Harris n Rut-
leCge took the other two. All three
were ~handcuffed together, but this did
not prevent Qu'ck action on their part,
Jones shot Constable Boyd dead. Con
stable Stewart was fired on a dozen
times. but not hit. The prisoners got
out of the carriage, gained the street
and jumped aboard a passing trolley
car. Jones thrust his revolver at the
head of the motorman and ordered
him to send the car ahead fast. h
motorman refused, shut OF the cur
rent. detached his controller and beat
Jones on the head with it. Constable
Stewart by this time had gained the
rear end of the car, and he shot Jones
through the arm. Other officers ar
rived on the scene and the three lei
were recaptured. Jones was taken to
a hospital and his arm amputated. He
died from the shock and loss of blood
and without an expressed regret for
his career. Rice and Rutledge were re-
turned 10 Jail, and shortly afterward,
while exercising IN the gallery, Rut-
ledge took the .eap over the railing