The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-27
ELECTRIC CHAIR LOOMS BEFORE
LAWYER ACCUSED OF SLAY-
ING MILLIONAIRE
JURY OUT ONLY THREE HOURS
Women Faint and Exciting Scenes
Mark Close of the Trial That
Decides Cause of Death
of w. NJ. Rice.
CONDEMNED MAN IS CALM

NEW YORK, March 26.-Albert T. Pat
rick, lawyer, was tonight convicted OF
the murder, on Sept. -, 1909, of the aged
millionaire recluse, William Marsh Rice.
The penalty under the statute is death
in the electric chair.
A scant three hours of deliberation at
the close of trial prolonged for nine
weeks and replete with sensational in
terest, sufficed to enable the jury to
reach a verdict The issue of the trial
establishes the charge that Patrick con-
spired with Mr.. Rices valet, Charles
+. Jones, to obtain possession of the aged
Texans estate, estimated at $7,O00,QOO, and
that Jones killed his employer by the
administration of chloroform at the direct
instigation of Patrick.
At the close of Recorder Goffs charge,
which occupied the morning session of
the court, the jury retired. This was at
$50 p. m. AT 5:55 they notified the Of
ficer in charge that they were ready to
return to court, over an hour of inter
Nening time having been devoted to
luncheon.
In anticipation Of excitement in the
event of a verdict of guilty, the unusual
step was taken of ordering all women
TO leave the courtroom. Among them
were the prisoners two sisters and Mrs
Francis, with whom he boarded.
With grave faces the members Of the
jury filed into their places, and some min
utes of painful tension elapsed while mes
sengers were endeavoring to ind the
counsel, who had departed, not xpacting
a verdict for many hours.
Prisoner Expects AcqufttaI. -
Calm as ever and with confidence seem
ingly unshaken. the prisoner was escorted
into the courtroom. He walked r2p pidly
and took his stand facing the jury, with
head erect and hands loosely clasred
behind his back.
At the wCrd guilty" pronounced by
Foreman Machen, in a tone low but dis
tinct enough to be heard throughout the
court, not the slightest change passed
over Patrick's face, and he remained
standing in an almost listless (ttitude
while the customary poll of the jury was
being taken. His aged father, Capt. Pat
rick, citing near him, and stralning to
catch the statement of the foreman,
started for an instant as its import reach
ed him. and then sat calmly awaiting
the further proceedings.
A smile of Triumph lit up the face of
Assistsnt District Attorney Osborne. who
hastened from the court Immediately af-
ter Recorder Golf had, at the request
of the prisoners counsel, fixed en- a week
from Monday as the day on which to
pronounce sentence. The verdict was
known almost Immediately in the corri-
dor, where the women relatives and
friends of the prisoner were waiting, and
excitement ensUed.
Women Faint in Court House.
Screaming Historically, the prisoner 5
eldest sister ran about the corridor, beg
ging 10 be allowed to see her brother
Mrs. Francis tainted and on recovering
broke from the attendants and rushed in
60 the court room from which Patrick
4 TI0r l,a
again swOoned.
Both women were removed to an ante
room and were sent home in q carriage.
After Capt. Patrick had taken leave
of his son, the prisoner was led back to
the ToInbs. Capt Patrick simply said:
1T is nard; We will have to try again. =
None of the jurors could be induced
to reveal how the verdict had been
reached, an agreement having been made
TO tell nothing
motion will be made for a new trial
when the prisoner is arraigned for SEN
tence.
Careful Instructions to Jury.
In summing up in his charge to the
jury Recorder Goff said:
IF the charge points to one and only
one end, If you cannot reconcile it to the
defendants innocence, circumstantial
though it may be, you are bound by your
oaths to find a verdict upon it as if it
were direct evidence.
Touching upon the evidence given by
the handwriting experts, the recorder said
the fact that it is recognized by the law
was sufficient to demand for it Just and
due consideration. He reminded the iurv
that the doctors who made the AUTOPSY
on Mr. Rices body and the analysis OF the
intestines, had testified to what they ac-
tually saw or found, while the medical
experts called by both sides only gave
opinions on the facts described to them.
Recorder Golf charged the jury to dis
regard the fact that Patrick was under
Indictment for forgery.
When the recorder finished his charge
he took up forty-four requests to charge
presented to him by the defense. He
said he had covered many of them in his
charge, and that he would charge fifteen
OF the forty-four submitted Most of
them referred to the credibility of wit
hesses. Great stress was laid upon the
contradictory statements of Jones.
Inc recorder charged as requested bv
the defense that even if the Jury believed
there was a conspiracy they were still
Continued on Third Page.