Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-07-19
A DESPERATE CRIMINAL.
Fred Rice, Native Of illinois, Will be
Hanged.
HIS CRIMINAL CAREER.


having declined to interfere. Fred Lee
Rice, one OF 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.
dcmned criminal is an Illinois man, a
former resident OF Champaign and a
student OF the University of Illinois.
The crime for which he Is 70 he exc
Cuted was the outgrowth OF a less
hcinous offonsc. the robbery of bank,
for which Rice and three coniederates
had received sentences OF twenty'oEe
years imprisonment Rice and his
companions formed gang OF the most
notorious and daring porch'climbers
on the continent Their field of opera
tiuns was Co-eNtonsivc with the con
tincnt. Wherever there was oppor.
tunity for plumber they went. They did
not confinc their operations to porch
climbing Highway robbery. burglary
and forgery were among their accom-
plisEmonts, 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, Canadian, and Frank Stewart.
All were desperate characters. shrewd
in their methods. skilled in the arts OF
the confidence man and utterly with
lut fear They made their headquar-
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
/ vicinity of Champaign and when he
entered the college of literature and
arts OF the University Of Illinois IN
I 1883 he was "A quiet. retired, country
/ boy. whose refined manners and hand
some face made him popular among
I the goods. Like many country boys.
freedom from parental restraint. which
ne prioyod AT the university Tor the
FIRST time. had a serious erect on ms
morals and in his second year he was
/ known as one IT the widest men In
the university HIS evident large
heartodness and kindly disposition
made him friends among both faculty
and students and u was a long time
before furmp, notice was taken OF his
action by the board of administration
/ Finally. however. il was found neces-
sary to oXpcl him.
soon after lac left the university he
became assoc !atCd with the gang or
which he is uuN the only survivor He
/ wa the Cleyerest OF the lot and in
most cases the leader in criminal eN'
rlaits He was called the turger. the
scholar. the poet" of the potarious az
er, cation He looked like a clergyman
prd had gift Of eloquerce that aston
}shod many a pieader. II was charac-
teristic OF MIN that he was the only
one oil the gang that ever attempted
/ diplomaCv COrnerod. he never offered
To Kill. hut. proferring soft words, Sc
! cured for himself the best of treatment
| in an extremity.
Ffanl, Stcwar:. well known as Chr
caco thief, was the first of the gang
10 die We was killed in an attempt 10
escape after a Chicago hold-up. Jones
was the roNt to pay the price. Rut'
ledge committed suicide 10y dashlns
himself IRON The pallery of the Toron'
- ,ail tc the stone paved court thirty
fec, lrlow Tho crime for which the
gang was arrested and convicted was
IN, robbery of hank at Aurora, ont,
from which they secured about SoC'VOo.
on information ~ 'Civod from the To-
rcuto notice The entire gang were ar
rested in Chicago. ENtradltlon pro-
ceedings were stuhhornly fought IN the
. courts. Tut the culprits eventually
were brouch- 20 Canada, where, after
trial they were sentenced TO twenty
one years Imprisonment After their
preliminary hearing they were com
rnitted for trial. While Icing taken
back TO Jail in a carriage in charge on
Constahlcs Stewart and Boyd Wei
dressed man sprang from the sidewalk
nea, the ia,l and ran alongside the car
riage. de gained the open window ana
tossed IN "A soft felt hat. This tell IN
the lap of Ruiledge. Jones grabbed II
and shook out three loaded reviewers
lie grabbed enc and Harris ana hut'
lpCEe took the ether Two. All threo
we're handCufieu together, but TINS dld
not prevent Qu'ck action on their part
Jones shot Constable Boyd dead. con
stable Stewart was cred on a dozen
times hu5 not hit The prisoners got
out of tho carriape. gained the street
and jumped aboard q passing trolley
car. Jones thrust hig revolver nj the
head OF the mojorTan and ordered
him to send the car ahead fast. The
motormau refused, shut of the cur
rent. detached his controller and beat
Jones on the head with Il. Constabie
Stewart hy this time had gained the
rear end of thc car and be shot Jones
. throu.n tho avn. Other officers ar
rived ON the scene and the tire. men
were rcgalturod. Jones was taken To
a hosrt0l and mis- arm amputated. lie
died from the shock and loss oi hiood
and without an expressed regret Tor
his career. Rice and Rutledge we're re-
turned 10 jlil. ANA shortly after"ard'
while exercising IN the gallery Rut'
ledge took the ,eap over the railing
which ended his life almost instantane
ously. Rice was then tried for his part
! in the killing of Constable Boyd his
family and friends came To his rescue
with funds for his defense, but despite
all efforts on the part Of his counsel
he was found guilty after a short trial
ard given the extreme penalty. Every
means known to the law has been en-
naustcd in his behalf without avail and
= tomorrow morning. at an hour not yet
made public, he will mount the scar
, fold,