Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-27
Described in Detail by Valet Jones
in the Patrick Murder
Trial.
GAVE RICE CHOLOFORM
euce Between Jones 81 d Patrick
OF Rice's Papers as Soon as
Death Was Announced.

New York, Feb. 20.-Thc dramatic point
in the trial of Lawyer Albert r. Patrick
for the murder of the Texas millionaire.
William Marsh Rice, was reached TINS III
tornoon. Charles T.. Jones. the valet, had
been relating the circumstances leading
up to the somewhat sudden death OF Mr.
Rice. Then plunsius at once into the de-
tails he held the attention of his audience
to the end of the day. Freed of minor
points ii was this:
In August Patricl, 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 if necessary. He suggested
chlorotorm and Jones got a two ounce vial
of it by writing to his brother in Tex :.
Jones then branchcd IN into the means
used to weaken the already sick old man.
This was by giving him mercury and iron
pills. Then unwittingly a friend brought Mr.
Rice u present of bananas. OF these the
odd man ate nine. The fruit made him cX-
v'cdingly i'll. and yet the weakening doses
~ mercury were Kept up. BY saturday.
- n about tho eighth day of tn" last
illness, Mr.. Rice bccam" d.lirious. This
tcS .inony brought the events up to Sun
day. the day of death and the witness
had said that during these ten days of
illness he had Kept Patrick Informed or
tn" details personally and by telephone.
itiCr'S quick death declared tn witness
Nas decided AZ " conference between l'at-
rick and JCres lcld Saturday night. Pat
rick told him it was time to apply tho
chloroform or they would lose all. Jones
agreed. Jones here told his story ct the
actual killing. He made 4 cone Ct a towel
in the small ord of which wa Il chluro-
Ton m-Soakcd sponge. cree ping into the
room where Mr.. Rice 10y sleeping h'
quickly covered the sle,lcr's face with TIC
large end of tn cone. Jones rushed ott f
the room. In hajf ap hodr he came back
and remov ii the cone. Nj. Rice was dead
Jones sworc he telepholtd :" Patrick III
"Mr. Rice is very in the agreed signal
of death.
Jones story If the end Was concluded Iy
the statement that Patrick came to the
hurso anl removed all of Mr.. i:i?r'S
pHl'crs.
Giving the story of Mr.. Iticc's death in
detail Mr.. Jones' said:
II mad" a cone of Il towel saturated will
,hloroform and placed it over my
face. felt the effect and then put moro
vhlorolorm ON II and went into Mr.. Ric"'s
roam. lie was still sleeping. put the
conc over his face and ran out of the room
There was a violent ring at the door hell
Just then ! ooked out and saw some" one.
! think il was Il woman. but | was too eN-
cited to be sure. ! went hack to MIR. Ricc's
room. lie was lying just as | left him. |
took the towel off his face and put 1t in
the fire. | burned it. Then opened all
the windows and tnlephoned to, Patrick.
Patrick told M to say If all WAS over that
Mr.. Rice was very i'll ana that was tn,
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 together. ! met them
and told them lie is dead Patrick "X
claimed: "Oh my God. THAI is the worst
thing that could have happened to me
lie told me before that he intended to say
that to- deceive Dr. Curry. The doctor
said he would need an undertaken ana
Patrick said Yes. and a death certificate.
Dr. curry made ont the certificate and the
undertaken was sent for. Patrick visited
the room where MIR. Ricc's papers Were
kept and took away with him all the pa
pers ho could find. Patrick talked to me
in Or. Curry's presence and gave no hint
of anything wrong
jones told of the happenings tho day af-
or Mr.. Rice's death. He said Patrick called
him on the telephone and told him he had
made. "A mistake in the Sw-nson check.
If they call You on the telephone =
Jones said Patrick told him to tell them
the check is all right They did call and
| did as he directed. Later Patrick told
me over the wire, thai if any more IN
ql;,ries were made TO say that Mr.. Rice
was dead
Mr.. Osborne suggested an adjournment
here but the recorder vented "A more min
ltc description of the towel con" and
chiorororm and questioned the witness
himself.
Jones told how he made the cone 10y
turning the towel in his hand and piuniue
over the overlapping end. Then he SAL
he placed a yponge in the small emf of TIE
cone and saturated it with chloroform.
How Ions did you leave the cone on the
face of Mr.. Rice" asked the Recorder.
= don't know. 1t was "A lutte more
than a half, An hour. Patrick told me tc
leave il there twenty minutes
"Did Mr.. Rice know what You were do
ina"'
II don't know, I believe ! heard some,
thing AZ if he had laughed. was pre-,
pared for that because Patrick had tod
me he would probably laugh when hC
first inhaled the chlcroform."
Court was adjourned at this point unit
tomorrow.