The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-07
PATRICK IN DEATH CELL.
Convicted Murderer of Millionaire
Rice There 20 Months.
From the Baltimore Sun.

rom the Baltimore sun.
Albert r. Patrick, dean Of the death
house prisoners in the Sing Sing State
Prison, is actually serving his TWEEN
ty-sixth month in solitary confine-
ment. His position is precisely the
same as it was on April z. 1902. when
he was taken there under sentence
10 die in the electric chair some time
in the week beginning May 8, 1892
An appeal taken at that time has serv-
ed as stay Of execution.
His case has never been argued be-
fore an appellate court, but it has I'm
ally been set for the October term Of
the Court Of Appeals. There is q
likelihood Of a further delay for at
least one month. After that many
weary weeks must pass before the
judges Of the highest state court can
familiarize themselves with the volu-
Hinous record and determine whether
Patrick should have a new opportun-
tty before a jury, with the chance Of
ultimate freedom. like his predecessors
in the death house. Roland r. Moli-
neux and DR.. Samuel J. Kennedy.
Patricks case bids fair 10 make a
moral not only for New York state. but
for the entire United States and for
the civilized world William Marsh
Rice, for whose murder he stands con-
victed, died on Sept %, 1900 and Pat
rick was arrested on the following oct.
4. Although he was suspected of muir
der at that time, his arrest was made
on charge Of forgery. and weeks
elapsed before the capital crime was
formally laid al his door The DELAYS
attending his trial were almost with
out precedent, and it was not until
Jan. 20, 1922 that he was finally ar
raigned before Recorder Gof and that
the work of selecting a jury was be
gun.
Few murder trials in history have
covered as much time as his. The i1Irv
that had heard all of the evidence for
and against him brought in the YER
dlct OF guilty on March q. 1902. after
nearing elghty-siX witnesses for the
prosecution and sixteen for the de-
tense. The expenses of the trial and
cts predu&naT1es were roughly eSti-
mated al $2a5,000, not including the
ices OF Patrick's counsel. There were
N all Z5S exhibits, Of which, 204 were
oHered by the prosecution.
AS a lawyer he has taken a keen pro-
iesslonaI interest in his own case. and
ne has discussed the legal phases II. an
Impartial manner as though he h.sd
no direct personal interest. He has
spent DAY after day studying the testi-
mony against him, examining the ex-
hlbits and making notes of his ded1,c-
lions for the use of his legal defen-
uers- Many of the points that he has
Iaised are deemed strong by those who
have seen them.
Practically His own Counsel.
While too shrewd 10 disregard those
VINO had been retained to cefend him.
Fatrick was practically his own coun-
sci at the time of his trial.
In the criminal trial his LAWYERS wAra
Robert NJ Moore. Frederick 3. House
ana Francis D. Turner. in the civil
actlon John c. TCmlinson appeared for
run. Mr.. Tomlinson assumed charge
Of the criminal case after he convic-
lion. preparing papers on which he
argued at great length a motion for a
new trial, which was denied As Mr..
Milliken was less liberal in legal fees
than had been expected, several of
these lawyers have since brought suits
against him.
Ex-Gov. Hill is now in rh1rge of the
case on appeal. and it was VI on his an
plication that the Court Of Appeals on
Wednesday decided to hear The argu-
ments in October. As Mr. Hill viii at
that time be interested in the presiden-
tiel camoaign. * IS deemed probable
that the hearing viii be deferred until
November.
If the judges OF the Court of Appeals
should grant the application for the
new trial, il is doubtful if Patrick could
face another jury any earlier than Sep
TENDER, 1905. or approximately five
years after the commission Of the
crime laid at his door.
MOIiReux's Case shorter.
Roland B Molineux's case, heretofore
one of the longest and slowest on rec
ord. was comparatively short by the
side Of Patrick's. Less than four years
elapsed between the murder of Mrs.
Kate J. Adams and the acquittal of
Molineux on his second trial. Mrs.
Adams died on Dec. %. 1898. Moli-
neux spent twenty months in Sing Sing
and was acquitted on Nov. II. 1902.
Patrick's alleged fellow conspirator.
Charles +. Jones. who has sworn that
he killed old Mr.. Rice though he at
tributed the instigation of he crime
entirely to Patrick, had a very brief
stay in Jail. and he was practically at
liberty long before the lawyer was