The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-07

I valet and acted to certain extent as
+ a confidential secretary He was ar
I rested at the same time Patrick was
and on the same charge Of forgery. The
I two were absolutely linked IN all that
/ The authorities were able - discover
I and the evidence against them was by
] no means convincing until Jones turned
3 states evidence.
I Joes was never strong either physi-
cally or mentally. He had dYifted
about in Texas untn Mr.. Rice mad come
/ in contact there with him ami engaged
him. He was brought to me North
/ and for a long time he had lived with
/ mis- employer in an apartment at 800
/ Madison avenue, New York. After his
/ arrest he attempted SUICIDE in the
Topbs. and he afterward declared that
Patrick had handed him n small knife
and had told him that he should kill
| himself in order 10 avoid the electrlc
chair. He jabbed a small blade into
| his neck. but did not intiict a serious
wound.
Jones' Confessions.
While he was still i'll he made his
confessions and he professed the great
est fear of Patrick. At the outset
he declared under oath that Patrick
was not only guilty of suggesting the
murder. but had actually killed Mr..
Rice. For several days he was taken
to the District Attorneys office and
subjected 10 new inquisitions, chang
ing his story from time 10 time under
adroit questioning until he admitted
/ the actual commission Of the deed at
a time when Patrick had arTanged
to be at home and to be ready TO call
at any moment in response to a tele-
phone summons.
To prevent Jones from getting into
Patrick's sphere of influence by any
possibility, the District Attorney had
him taken from the Tombs and sent
to a private boarding house uptown
under the supervision of a detective.
With one escort, Jones went about the
city almost every night, stopping at
Tenderloin. saloons, in hotels and in
places Of amusement to look for wit
nesses for the prosecution.
After Patrick's conviction Jones was
admitted to bail and he went to Texas
presumab bly, dying from consumption
Since then reports have come from the
Southwest that he has done work on
coasting vessels and that he owned
a farm on which oil had been found.
He has remained in bad health
The fortune that Patrick and Jones
attempted TO grab has fallen through
their fingers. The civil courts have
decided that a will produced by Pat
rick and presume bly, executed by Mr..
Rice a short time before his death.
in 1900, was forgery and a will sign
ed 1896 has been admitted to probate.
II was Patrick's anxiety to realize a
considerable sum of money quickly that
led 10 his undoing. According 10 the
best information that could be obtain
ed before the trial by Assistant Dis
trlct Attorneys Osborne and Garvan
whose able work brought about the
convictions Patrick had never come
into contact with Mr.. Rice on terms
approXimating friendship, and had
never been received by the old man as
a visitor, although he produced papers
purPorting TO give him the bulk Of the
Rice fortune
Mr.. Rice was known to be worth
millions. Estimates of his wealth
ranged from $4,000. 900 10 $40 900. 900. He
had no close relatives, and he lived
practically in seclusion.
MI Rice did not hesitate to express
dlsparag ing opinions about the red
bearded lawyer. Both subsequently
came TO New York. and Patrick came
in contact with Jones Patrick in
sists that he was consulted by Mr.
Rice, who placed all his legal affairs
in his hands.
No Evidence of Murder at First.
After Mr.. Rice's death DR.. Walker
Curry was summoned and on a nrelimi-
-4eNA N-ANAAAAAAeAt4Nit lOullQ no evidence OF
foul play. A coroners physician also
assumed that death had resulted from
] natural causes, and il was only cupiditv
that aroused the first suspicious.
Mr.. Rice had kept an account with
the banking firm Of S. ". Swenson a
Sons, in Wall street. A check for S25-
600 was presented to the firm made out
TO the order of Albert" T. Patrick. one
letter having been omitted in the
! Christian name. Instead Of certifying
70 the genuineness of an apparently
good signature a man in the banking
house called up Mr.. Rice's apartment on
the telephone. Jones answered this call
and said the check was all right but
still the bank was not satisfied and
wished to hear from Mr.. Rice in person.
Jones made some excuse and then com
rnunicated with Patrick. on whose al
vice he informed Swenson & Sons that
Mr.. Rice had died the day before.
At the same time representatives of
Patrick were going about New York
with other checks for $50 0O0 They
succeeded in obtaining $4,000 from a
trust company, and then they could get
no more. and the investigation began.
Patrick claimed to have assignments
from Mr.. Rice for a considerable por-
ton of his personal property These
papers purported TO have been executed
by Mr. Rice at 500 Madison avenue IN
the presence of David L. Short and Nor
ris Meyers, who had been in Patrick's
employ. and who stuck to him in his
trial. both having been arrested for for
gsrv.
Mr. Rice had been greatly interested
in founding an educational institution
to be known as the William Marsh Rice
Institute of Houston. Tex. During his
lifetime he had set aside property for
this project. and by the viii admitted
to probate it was the main beneficiary.
Under the will offered by Patrick the
bulk of the estate not already his under
the assignment went to him as executor