New-York tribune., 1902-03-15
SAW RICE TALK TO PATRICK
VALET'S TESTIMONY THAT THEY
NEVER CONFERRED

Counsel for Albert T. Patrick In the continual
tion of his trial yesterday ceased calling med
ical experts to show that the death of W. NJ.
Rice was not caused by chloroform poisoning.
They called several witnesses in effort to
prove that Mr. Rice knew Patrick WELL and
talked with him on several occasions before his
death. Jones. the former valet. who said he
killed Mr. Rice with choroform at the instiga-
tion Of Patrick, testified that Mr. Rice never
spoke to Patrick. The first witness called yes
terday TO disprove this statement by Jones was
Maria Scott a colored woman who was en-
ployed to clean Mr.. Rce's rooms when he was
alive. She declared that about a month before
Mr.. Rice died Patrick went TO the rooms. He
remained in the dining room while she went
and told Mr.. Rice that Patrick wanted to see
him. Mr.. Rice went at once into the room where
Patrick was. she said, and closed the door.
Q..;Did you see Mr.. Rice on the. Saturday before
.Q.-What was he doing? Ale was writing on
Q.-was Jones there? Ayes.
.,Q..Did you look in the stove in Mr. Rice's room
stove the sheets from his bed and the drawers and
,Q.-Was the stove clean? Ayes. I had cleaned
it out Saturday.
Jones had testified that he burned the towel
used in killing Mr.. Rice in that stove Assist
ant District Attorney Osborne tried to make
the witness admit that she had told a different
story previously, and she retorted that when
she was called to his office he shouted at her in
a rage. and said she was a liar.
Mrs. Isabella Carpenter. of Dunellen n. j.. a
lifelong friend of W. NJ. Rice testified that she
went to the Rice apartments the Sunday
evening. September %. 1900 the time when
Jones said he engaged in killing Mr.. Rice.
The elevator man told her that the ring at Mr..
Rice's door was unanswered and she went away
again. Before that day. she said. she had seen
Mr.. Rice talking with Patrick.
Q.-what was Mr. Patrick doing when you saw
were talking Mr. Rice handed me a paper and
told me TO sit down, He said he was busy and
room with Mr.. Patrick. and l heard them talking
Odd you and your husband visit Mr.. Rice the
day before he died? A.-Yes.
Q.-What was his condition then7 Ale was
weak and i'll, and cried when put my arms about
Q:-what did he cry for? Ale seemed ashamed
and distressed at his own weakness.
The witness was asked by Mr.. Osborne to
read a statement said to have been written by
her husband. who died recently. She put on
glasses and looked at the paper but said she
could not read the writing, tell IL IL her
husbands writing. She said she had declined to
make any statement to the District Attorney
before talking with Patrick's counsel Her son,
who was in court, identified the paper hav-
Ing been written by his father.
Christian SChepfiin. Of Dunellen, seventy-fve
years old, former neIghbor and friend Of Mr.
Rice, testified that he had heard Mr.. Rice speak
OF Patrick in 1900. when he visited Mr.. Rice in
this city.
Earlier in the session Charles C. Adams. a
lawyer, testified that Mr.. Rice had talked with
him about cremation some time before his death.
The witness also produced a letter which Mr..
Rice had sent TO him in October. 1897, saying
he desired to make some changes in his WILL the
will drawn in 1896.
In the cross-examination Mr. Adams said he
did not believe the signature to the 1900 will
had been written by Mr.. Rice. Mr.. Adams was
named In that viii a beneficiary.