Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20

. man of some education, fairly intelligent.
but unable to think and act upon his own
initiative All through the case Valet Jones
had been described as a man utterly IN
capable of devising a deep-laid crime. Out
capable of being induced to commit II
Jones was the sole medium between Rice
and the outside world. and Rice intrusted
to him practically all his correspondence
In this way he became famlllar win tIe
extent and character of the Rice property
In Texas. agents and tenants. This infor-
nation he communicated to Patrick.
After Rice's Millions.
According to the prosecution, the first
open move made by Patrick in his grasp
for the Rice millions was made in Decem-
ber 1899 One night in that month, while
Jones was examining some of Rice's prt-
vate papers In the presence of Patrick,
Jones brought out Rice's last WILL which
was executed in September, 1896. BY Its
provisions only small legacies were be.
queathed to Rice's relatives. The bulk OF
the fortune was left to the Iliam Nj. Rice
Institute for the advancement of science.
art and literature. In Texas Mr.. Rice had
founded this institution in 1891.
Commenting upon his will Patrick told
Jones that he thought it unjust because 1t
gave so much to charity and so little to
relatives. Some time later Patrick took to
Jones the rough draft of a will to be SUD-
stituted for the will of 1896. This draft
provided that the relatives were to receive
double or three times the amount of the
1896 will and Patrick was to be the resi-
duary legatee.
Patrick proposed that Jones typewrite
this will and he told Jones, according to
the argument of the prosecutor, that he
would arrange for the witnessing and sign
ing and promised that IL the scheme was
successful Jones would get whatever he
wanted.
Under Suspicion.
brought Patrick under suspicion. On the
day following Mr.. Rices death Patrick at
tempted to have certified at banks some
checks dated the previous Saturday, and
signed William NJ. Rice" Two of these
checks were actually certified but one,
which was for $4,000, caused suspicion
when 1t was presented to Suenson & Son,
bankers. at - Wall street. New York. The
signature of Mr.. Rice was declared to be a
forgery. and the same was said of the name
on the other check that had been certified.
The arrest of Patrick and Jones on for
gerry charge followed, and it was while
Patrick was held in the Tombs that the
evidence pointing to murder was accumu-
lated
Both he and Jones were arrested on the
murder charge. Patrick was brought to
trial before Recorder Goff and Jones, hav-
ing turned states evidence, was the chief
witness against him. The valet told on the
stand how Patrick had planned the death
OF une ola mlllonaire ana now he, at the
lawyers instructions. had held the chloro-
form cone over the face of Mr.. Rice. He
also told how, after the death, Patrick had
given instructions for the immediate en-
balming of the body. Jones was a wreck
on the witness stand.
Between the time of his confession In the
Tombs and his telling of his story on the
witness stand he had attempted suicide in
his cell by hacking his throat
The prosecution at the trial set forth all
the circumstances attending the death of
Rice and witnesses were called to show
that the aged millionaire had been poison
ed. Patrick was convicted on March 26
1902. Not long after Jones was freed from
the house of detention, where he had been
held during the trial. After that the valet
disappeared.