The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-03-01

DIR. Kennedy and that the prosecu-
ton will then dismiss the case.
The Patrick case is one of the most
famous in the annals of the New York
courts. William Marsh Rice. an &C.
centric millionaire, died at his home
in Madison Avenue, New York City,
on Sept. %, 1900. On the day before
his death he ate Unfortunately of ba-
nanas, and, according to his physi-
clan. he was taken ill with Indigestion
| the next day and died the day follow
ing. Albert T. Patrick was a lawyer,
practicing his profession. He took
charge of the millionaire's affairs at
the solicitation of the latter's wife,
had an undertaken embalm the body
and fixed the day for the funeral. Be-
tween the hour of Rice's death and
the day of the funeral severa suspi-
cious things had happened. Several
| bank for ~certiication- They were all
signed by the dead man. and were
| payable to the order of Albert T. Pat
rick. The banks frankly admitted
that the checks appeared to be good.
But as the checks were for large am
cunts an investigation was started,
and the net began to gather abou
the lawyer. Patrick
Suspicion fell on Charles F. Jones,
Rice's valet. who, it was learned, had
had several conferences with Patrick
Immediately before and just after
Rice's death. While the police were
| striving to straighten out the. details
| Patrick produced a will dated June
| 20, 1900, under which h bulk of the
| entire estate, aggregaIing five mill
ions, was bequeathed to him. He al
| so exhibited severa checks aggrega-
ting $16O, 900. which had een placed
in his custody for various heirs and
| business interests identified with the
late millionaire.
Then it Iranspired that there was
another will in existence, dated four
years earlier, in which the bull of
the estate was left to the proposed
William Marsh Rice Institute at
Houston, Texas. Cropping in the dark,
the police arrested Jones on suspi-
| cion, and then came the first sensa-
ton. Under the questioning of the
| police. Jones made the startling con-
fession that Rice had been murder
ed by Patrick. Though he was in an
adjoining apartment, Jones said he
had O actively participated in the
crime. Patrick had formed a plot to
have the millionaire leave him his
property by will and had found il
necessary TO take the old mans life
to prevent the revocation of the o
ument. A cone saturated with chlor-
oform, a been placed over the old
mans face while he slept, n death
had thus been accomplished, accord
ing to the Wallets confession.
Patrick's arrest followed immed-
lately. He remained cool, and assert
ed his innocence. On April 1 the pre-
liminary hearing in the case began
before Justice, now District Attorney
Jerome. The second great confession
came on the second day of the hear
ing. when Jones, after spending a
sleepless night in the Tombs, went
upon the stand and confessed that
he. and not Patrick, had killed the
aged millionaire. With circumstan-
tial detail he related how he had
fed him poison. and finally placed the
cone v his face. all at the instiga-
ton of lawyer Patrick.
Patrick was convicted, and a mo-
ton for a new trial having been de |
MED sentence of death was imposed
upon him. About two years ago he
succeeded in getting a new trial,
which likewise resulted in a verdict
of guilty. Since that time he has re
manned in the death house at Sing
Sing. spending all of his time in the
study of medicine with a view to for
tifying himself with knowledge to
prove that Heath could not have
come to the millionaire in the manner
alleged without leaving traces other