The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-05
WHAT VALET JONES SAID
w. q. wEATHERBEE's TEsTIMoyI
AT THE TRIAL OF A. It. PATRICK.
Jones Alleged to Have Attempted to
Induce the Bank EmpIoye to As
sist in Forging a VIII.

NEW YORK. March 4-The evidence OF
John w. Truesdell, a handwriting expert
from Syracuse. was continued to-day in
the trial of Albert T. Patrick. He testified
yesterday that the disputed signatures
were forgeries of the name OF w. NJ. Rice.
To-day Robert NJ. Moore, OF Patrick's
counsel. showed the witness some conceded
signatures which he said resembed more
closely the disputed signatures than those
put in evidence by the prosecution, and the
witness said it was true that i'm some OF
them the shaded down strokes" and
other mannerisms Of Mr.. Rice's writing
were lacking.
Leonard b. Mallally, for eighteen years
paying teller at the Phoenix Bank, testi-
fed that IL his opinion none of the disputed
signatures was written by the same hand
that wrote the conceded signatures.
Walter o. Weatherbee of Swenson's
Bank, recalled, told OF a conversation with
Mr.. Rice on Jan. ]. 1900. and of a subse-
quent visit Jones made to him two days
later. The defense objected TO the witness
testifying 10 this on the ground that
Jones had not been sufficiently corroborated
as to the existence of a conspiracy 10 COM
init murder. The objection was sustained
Assistant District Attorney Osborne then
called William kinsley, the expert in hand
writing. The recorder said there had been
enough handwriting expert testimony, and
told Mr.. Osborne that If he put Mr.. Kins-
ley on the stand he would not let him ex-
anime any more bank tellers. Mr. Kins-
ley was excused, and Mr.. Osborne re-
called Mr.. Weatherbee, and repeated the
questions before ruled out by the court?
The defense objected, but the recorder re-
versed the former ruling and allowed the
questions.
Jones called upon me-" weatherbee said.
on Jan. and told me IL was useless for
me TO ask Mr.. Rice for money, and THAI
Mr.. Rice was done with me. Then he
brought up the subject OF the 1896 will and
asked me II L was not witness TO il. I
said / was"
terms OF the 1896 will with Jones. Jones
told me" the witness went on, MIR. Rice
had accused me OF stealing $1,000. OF
course i told him that was false, but he
said 1 had better not 20 TO Mr. Rice's
house again. Then he said: L have a
business proposition TO make 10 you L
asked him what IT was. He said he had
prepared a new will for Mr. Rice 10 sign
He suggested that he bring the will TO me
for suggestion; L said l did not want TO
see II. He told me the names OF the
executors OF the 1896 will and proposed that
l let my name be substituted for Judge
Bartine. Jones said. Some times Mr.. Rice
goes TO sleep in chair and he wakes up
dopy. On those occasions can get him TO
sign anything We can fix UP the will
You get one witness and I'll get the other
You make a good thing out of il and no one
will be the loser j declined the PROPOSE
ton Jones told me his lawyers had been
after him and had suggested the idea. L
asked him II Mr. Rice knew the lawyers
and he said he mad met one Of them. Jones
said the will could De drawn so that the
mouths Of all the heirs under the 1896 will
would be closed by legacies."
Weatherbee's cross-eXamination was
postponed until tomorrow and Edward g
Manners was called He was a stenogra-
pher at the hearing In the Rice-H litiga-
ton He said that TO the best OF his knowl-
edge during the sixty davs he was en-
ployed at the hearings he never saw Mr..
Rice OF Patrick together They never met
while he was in the room. Crosse xa mined
by Mr.. Moore. Mr.. Manners said he had
done "A great deal OF work for Captain
Baker. He was not present at the hearing
held in Mr.. Rice's apartments in the latter
part OF 1899 and could not say IL Patrick
there not.
The court adjourned until tomorrow.