The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-12-28
OUT OF SRAD-
OW OF DEATH
CHAIR UNDER WHICH HE HAS
STOOD FOR FIVE YEARS PAT
RICK ENERGIES AT LAST.
AFTER A FIGHT FOR LIFE WHICH
HAS NO PARALLEL.

Az TER A FIGHT FOR LIFE WHICH
HAS NO PARALLEL.
ALBANY. N. Y, Dec. 20.-Albert T. |
Patrick was saved by Gov Higgins to-
day from the death chair, in the shad-
ow of which he has stood for nearly /
FIVE years He was convicted in
Mar, 1902, of the murder Of William
Marsh Rice, an aged New York City
millionaire.
In a brief memorandum, laying
stress upon the dissenting opinions of
! the Judges of the Court of Appeals,
/ who affirmed Patrick's conviction by
I vote of four to three, the Governor
announced he had committed the
( death sentence
!. Later in the day the Governor
strongly intimated doubt of Pat
rick's entire sanity. attributing his
g..mental state to the strain under which
the condemned lawyer has labored
!. all these years in the death cell at
Sing Sing.
The Governor was shown a dispatch
from New York newspaper to a cor
respondent in which it was asserted
that Patrick denied having sent the
Governor any appeal for clemency,
would refuse to accept the commu-
tation and insist upor his right to
die"
Patrick cannot determine what his
punishment shall be- said Gov Hig-
gins. "He is mistaken If he says he
sent me no application. In fact. have
several; one in particular. asking for
"a pardon. He will have to be careful
or he may find himself in Mattewan.
The long strain seems to have been
!. too much for him."
Reasons Assigned.
In announcing the Communication
Gov. Higgins issued the following
memorandum
~ ALBERT t., Patrick has been con
victed of the murder of Vim. M. Rice
and the Judgment of conviction has
: been affirmed by a divided court. I
is not claimed that Patrick committee
the murder in person, but that he pro
cured the act to be done. He has beel
convicted principally on the testimony
of Chas. F. Jones, who confessed tina
: he murdered his master while he Ia,
i asleep, instigated thereto by Patricb
Il and Jones. by his testimony has pun
chased his own immunity from tria
! or punishment Neither this fac
alone. or the review of any of the act
4 already passed on by the courts a
4 some stage of these proceedings woul
9 seem to me to warrant interferin
with the Judgment of death pronoun'
d ed against the defendant; but tire
Of the seven judges Of the Court c
Appeals were so strongly of the opil
70 ion that errors we're committed at tn
l trial which were substantially pref
] dicial to the rights OF Patrick that
feel that the death penalty ought no
under all the circumstances, to be II
z hicted
I'm view Of all these and the gray
doubts expressed by these judges,
IS am satisfied that | ought to relieV
n. the defendant from the extreme pc
tn atty Of the law and commute his Sc
te tence TO Imprisonment for life"
g. Has No Parallel.
The case of Albert/T Patrick is
- many respects unparalleled 1t
doubtful If ever before convictt
man has played so large part in Il
:, conduct of his own case, even turnil
" his narrow quarters in the death eel
on of state prison practically, into
an Law Office. Rice died Sept. %, 100
Patrick and Jones were arrested o.
eN 4. Jones at first declared that Patri
ie himself had chlorformed Rice, but
IL other confessions which varied matt
~ tally. he said he killed his master
'st Pat-ick's instigation. This stateme
CT was the principal evidence to susta
ne the murder charge against Patrt6
w. Jones was never tried either as
D. principal or as accomplice; he was
leased and is said to be living in IT.
as.
Patrick was convicted March
1902. and sentenced to death. In
les cry court in the State open to him
ng has made his appeal, but always
led vain. Patrlck's brother-inlaw, 10
ou' T. MiIliken, of St Louis, is said
es' have financed his battle at great &C