Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-03-01
patrick CASE UP AGAIN.
THE MURDERER OF WILLIAM
MARSH RICE.
Argument For New Trial Based
On Report of Committee OF
The Medico-Legal


Court of Appeals and argued for
new trial in the case of the man con-
victed of the murder of William Marsh
Rice. the Texas millionaire.
Mr.. Hill used as the basis of his ar
cument for q new trial the report OF
the special committee of the Medico-
Legal Society, appointed TO inyesti-
gate the effects OF the embalmiug be-
fore rigor ON congestion of the lungs.
without Withdrawing blood from the
body. The report was wholly IN favor
Of the convicted lawyer, every mem
ter of the committee signing an opin-
ION that Rice did not die from chioro-
form poisoning, and that the condi-
ton of his lungs was entirely due to
the embalming process employed by
the undertaken. In its report the
committee said, in part
1T would be impossible for anyone
20 discriminate from the post mortem
appearance between the administra-
tion of chloroform as the cause OF
death or as the result of the embalm-
ing process, as stated in the evidence.
No one could truthfully have stated
that death was wholly caused by the
Inhalation of chloroform. from appear
ances as presented at the autopsy, be-
eausa OF the presence of embalming
fluid, and further because chloroform
was not found by chemical tests.
ssThe committee is satisfied, after a
review of all the evidence. that Rice
died from old age, weak heart, etc.,
or, in other words. from the co1dl-
tions embraced in DR.. Walkers certifl-
cate of death, and on which the au-
thorities allowed the body to be ere
mated. 1t is also the opinion OF the
committee that no ehloroform was
ever administered TO Rice by Jones,
as stated by him, because IL would
have been impossible not to have de-
tected the odor of chloroform, either
in the room occupied by the deceased
or onthe body, as the amount OF chloro.
form employed, as alleged, would
have saturated the beard of the deceas
ed and retained the odor for many
hours.
II is confidently believed that on
the strength of this report the Court
Of Appeals will grant n new trial to
Patrick. In this event il is consider
ed probable that Patrick, who has
been in the death house at Sing Sing
for nearly five years, will either be
acauitted, az was Roland Molineux
under similar circumstances, or that
there will be mistrial as in the case
of DR. Kennedy and that the prosecu
tion will then dismiss the case.
The Patrick case is Que of the pniSt
famous of the New York courts. Whl-
lam Marsh Rice, an eccentric million
ARE. died at his home in Madison
avenue, New York city, on Septem-
her %. 1900. On the day before his
death he ate Unfortunately of bananas,
and. according to his physician, he
was taken i'll with indigestion the next
1av and died the day following. Al
bert Z. Patrick was lawyer. prac-
ticing his profession. He took charge
If the millionaires affairs at the So
iicitation OF the latter wife, had an
undertaken embalm the body and fixed
the day for the funeral. Between the
hour of Rice's death and the day of
the funeral several suspicious things
had happened. Several checks had
been presented at the banks for certiti-
cation. They were all signed by the
dead man, and were payable to the
order of Albert I. Patrick. The banks
frankly admitted that the checks APP
neared to be good. But as the checks
we're for large amounts an investiga
ton was started and the net began
20 gather about the lawyer, Patrick.
Suspicion fell on Charles X. Jones,
Rice's valet, who. il was learned, bad
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
% 1900. under which the bulk of the
entire estate, aggregating $1,000, 900,
was hequeathed to him He also ex-
hibited several checks aggregating
sl6O. 600. which had been placed III
his custody for various heirs and bus
mess interests identified with the late
millionaire Then it TRANSFERRED that
there was another will in existence,
dated four years earlier, in which the
bulk of the estate was left TO the pro-
posed William Marsh Rice Institute at
Houston, Texas.
Groping in the dark, the police ar
rested Jones on suspicion, and then
came the first sensation. Under the
questioning of the police. Jones made
the startling confession that Rice tad
been murdered by Patrick. Though
he was in an adjoining apartment,
Jones said he had not actively partic
mated in the crime. Patrick had form
ed a plot to have the millionaire leave
him his property by will and had
found it necessary To take the old
mans life TO prevent the revocation Of
the document. \ cone, saturated with
chloroform, had been placed over the
old mans face while he slept, and
death had thus been accomplished. ac-
cording 20 the Wallets confession.
Patrick's arrest followed Immediately.
He remained cool and asserted his in
nocence. On April / the preliminary
hearing in the case began before JUS
tice. now District Attorney Jerome.
The second great confession came on
the second day of the hearing when
Jones, after passing sleepless night
in the Tombs. went upon the stand
and confessed that he, and not Pat
rick, had killed the aged millionaire.
With circumstantial detail, he related
cold bloodedly how he had fed the
millionaire poison. and finally placed
the cone over his face, all at the in
stigation of lawyer Patrick. Patrick
was convicted, and q motion for
new trial having been denied, sentence
of death was imposed upon him.
About two years ago he succeeded. IN
getting q new trial, which likewise
resulted in verdict of guilty. Since
that time he has remained in the
death house at Sing Sing, spending all
of his time in the study of medicine
with a view to fortify himself with