The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-27
PATRICK CONVICTED
OF RICE NOW FACES
DEATH CHAIR.
PATRICK'S NERVE STILL GOOD.
BUT FEMALE RELATIVES TOOK IT
HARD.

cution as to the Conduct of Pat
rick and JOnes-PatricIx's Guilt
Not Lessened by His Absence, Said
Recorder.
New York, March 26.-Albert T. Pat
rick, lawyer, was this evening convict
ed of the murder on Sept. 20, 1900, of
the aged millionaire recluse, William
Marsh Rice.
The penalty under the statute is
death in the electric chair.
A scant three hours of elaboration
at the close of a trial, prolonged for
nine weeks and replete with sensa-
tional interest, sufficed to enable the
jury to reach their verdict The issue
of the trial establishes the charge that
Patrick = conspired with Mr.. Rice's
valet, Charles F. Jones, to obtain pos
session of the aged Texans estate,
estimated at $1,000, 900, and that Jones
killed his employer by the administra-
ton of chloroform at tn direct instiga-
ton of Patrick.
At the close of Recorder COTS
charge. which occupied the morning
session of the court, the jury retired.
This was at 1;5O p. m. AT 5: So o'clock
they notified the officer in charge that
they were ready to return to court,
rather more than an hour of the in
tervening time havinog been devoted
to luncheon.
In anticipation of a scene of excite
ment in the event of verdict of
guilty, the unusual step was taken of
ordering all women to leave the court
room. Among them were the prison
er's two sisters and Mrs. Francis, with
whom he boarded.
With grave faces the members of the
jury filed into their places and some
minutes of painful tension elapsed,
while messengers We're endeavoring to
find the counsel who had departed, not
expecting verdict for many hours.
PatriclS's Nerve mistaken.
Calm as ever and with confidence
seemingly mistaken, the prisoner was
| escorted into the court room. lie
walked rapidly and took his stand fac
| ing the Jury with head erect and hands
loosely clasped behind his back.
At the word guilty pronounced by
Foreman Machell, in a tone low, but
distinct enough to be heard throughout
the court, not the slightest change
passed over Patrick's face and he re-
manned standing in an almost listless
attitude, while the customary poll of
the jury was being taken. His aged
father, Capt. Patrick, sitting near him,
and straining to catch the statement
of the foreman, started for an instant
as its import reached him, and then
sat calmly awaiting the further pro-
ceedingS.
A smile of triumph lit up the face
of Assistant District Attorney Osborne,
who FASTENED from the court imme-
diately after Recorder Golf had, at the
request of the prisoners counsel, fixed
on a week from Monday as the day on
which to pronounce sentence.
Sad Scene in Corridor.
The verdict was known almost i'm
mediately in the corridor where the
relatives and friends of the prisoner
were waiting, and scene of excite
ment ensued.
Screaming Historically, the prisoners
eldest sister ran about the corridor,
begging to be allowed to see her
brother.
Mrs. Francis tainted and on recov-
ering broke from the attendants and
rushed into the court room, from which
Patrick had just been removed. There
she again swooned. Both women were
removed TO the dHlG-IOOIl NCAS
sent home in a carriage.
Capt. Patrick, after taking leave of
his son, who was led back to the
Tombs, would only say:
1T is hard; We'll 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.
A motion will be made for new
he T0ric ic aG
for sentence.
Recorder COTS Charge.
"There are three main propositions
in this case" the recorder said in his
charge to the jury, land if they fail
of satisfactory proof, the whole fabric
of the prosecution fails. The propo-
sitions are, first, did Charles F. Jones
on Sept. %, 1900, with the intent to kill,
place a towel cone with a sponge sat
urated with chloroform over the face
of William M. Rice; second, did Will
liam NJ. Rice die from the effect of
chloroform and from no other cause;
third, did the defendant with the in
tent to procure the death of William
M. Rice, counsel and induce Jones to
place the chloroform over his face.
IF you find" he continued, that
Patrick did counsel Jones and that
Jones did kill Mr.. Rice, the guilt of
the defendant Is not leSSened because
Patrick was not present. Neither shall
you deem it lessened if you find that
Jones was easily induced to do the
murder.
1.-The fact that Jones is a self-con-
fessed murderer does not make him an
incompetent witness. But the evil
dence of such an accomplice should be
received with great caution.
You must take into consideration
Jones' apparent frankness in telling
his own part in a treacherous murder.
Then you will ask yourselves was he
actuated by a motive to sacrifice Pat
rick to save himself? If So why did
he select Patrick"
The Handwriting Experts.
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 lust and due consideration. Recorder
Goff charged the jury to disregard the
fact that Patrick was under indict-
ment for forgery. The Recorder charged
as requested by the defense, that even
If the Jury found the will of 1900 genu-
inc, they must find that the prosecution
had failed to show any motive for the
crime, and that Short and Meyer, who
testified that the will was genuine must
not be discredited because they are
friends and business associates of Pat
rick. When he was through with the