The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-20
LAWYER POOR PLAYER
Requests to All Who Knew
 0f,Will.
This the Defendant. Explained to Jones, Was for the Purpose of Keeping Them Quiet If
 Trouble Arose.

New York. Feb. ls.-Cherales F. Jones was the star witness in the Patrick trial again today. The fact that he was the closest person to millionaire Rice in the latter days of his life and that he at one time confessed that he 1t was who killed the millionaire by administering chloro- form at, as he said. the mitigation of Patrick, drew all eyes in the crowded court room to him.
 There was a mass of evidence concern ing Patrick's alleged drawing of Jones into conspiracy to utter a forged will by which Patrick was to be the principal beneficiary: of Jones's fears of discovery; of Patrick's alleged assurance that the tracks of the two would be we'll covered and many other details.
 During'it all Attorney Patrick listened to the witness's story with what seemed the utmost unconcern. It was late in the afternoon when Jones touched on what the State seemed to take as very important evidence. It was when Jones was shown the will of lsOo, the so called Patrick will He had previously testified that Morris Meyer and David L. Short had been introduced into the Rice house to make out certain papers. Short acting as notary for MT. Rice. Jones now swore that Patrick told him Meyer had typewriter this will and that when he Gones) first saw 1t, the will was unsigned. Then he swore that the only business Patrick ever did for Rice was to pass on thelScorrectness Of some documents of Rice's and this was at Jones's request. He sswore that to the 1900 will and was certain he did not sign 1t June 30. 1900 He had seen, this will in Patrick's offics tw- weeks befors Mir. Rice died and 1t was unsigned then. Mr. Rice died September g, 1S00
 On the point of Patrick's alleged prepa- ration to remove any obstacles to the probate of the will, Jones said that Patrick explained that the legacies un- der the will were designed to remove the possibilities of such opposition and that Patrick had gone over each paragraph of it with the will. After Jones's discharge from the hos pital April g he returned to MT. Rice's apartments. He said he had many talks with Patrick and that they could not reach an agreement, because he Uonesl insisted upon being beneficiary under
 
 agreement some, papers came from Texas for execution and instead of sending for Meyer or Short, as he had promised he sent for James F. Prior of the Fifth Avenue Trust Company, who attested the papers. "I told Patrick" Jones said, T would not help unless I had a paper showing what I was to receive. Patrick told me not to be fooled that no man would give me such a paper; 1t would be ike man signing his own death warrant
 Jones then said that Patrick wished to attract Rice's attention by advertising for the heirs of Mrs. Elizabeth Rice, de- ceased. Jones gave him the name Of the New York paper read by Rice.
 "A few days later" the witness went on Patrick sent me a note telling mo of an advertisement and asking me to call MT. Rice's attention to 1t. did so and afterwards told Patrick that MT. Rice took little notice of it and had said he supposed it was some lawyer trying to bother him." tt Jones said he answered the advertise ment at Patricks direction, asking Pat rick to call. MT. Osborne put In evidence A CODY of the newspaper containing the advertisement. and Jones told of the con- tents of the letter he wrote in answer to ft. He said his letter was copy of a
 
 At the afternoon session of court, Jones said the letter which purported to be an answer to Patricks advertisement was to be used by Patrick in case of litiga- lion to show how he made Rices ac- quaintance.
 When Patrick first talked to me about inc wilI.' Jones said, .'in addition to the other arrangements. he said it would be a good idea if he had letters giving him Instructions as to the contents of the will I agreed to write the letters. They were to be practically copies of letters Rice had written to his agents. giving in- structions and asking advice. I sent the letters in plain envelopes because MT Rce's envelopes had his name on them. took carbon copies of all letters and sent them to Patrick. It was agreed that af- fer Mir Rices death those copies should be filed with the other copies of Mr. Rice's papers so that they might answer as a part of his regular business papers, but Patrick destroyed them. asked him vhv and he said he was afraid to carry them because if he was arrested with them in his possession 1t would be a very strong evidence against him.
 Jones said he left a blank space in the hook he kept of MT. Rice's corres- nondenca. intending after Mir. Rice's death to fill in the space with records of ,ha false letters. He identified the book, and it was admitted as evidence to prove tho blank spaces. The idea Jones said, u,,s to show in case of any investigation ,hat MT. Rice and Patrick were In regu- lar communication. Jones said the sug- aestion came from him. Patrick approv- sd it and though 1t might be very val ,,ahle These letters were not signed when he sent them to Patrick, but when ,'a saw them later in Patricks office they were signed w. NJ. Rice"
 The witness Identified faded square os ,.eIlow paper with some pencilled fig .'..s on it. He said it was memoran- s,,r, that Patrick gave him of postmark- ed envelopes for which he had no letters The writing, he said. was Patrfck's. ri.ors were thirteen such entries. all in August. i9o. between August 8 and Au' gust 3o inclusive ,-. e'Y., r.trick tell YOU what had become