The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-01

. ~ . SOuhhst w htot s1uhtV w WV
Texas witnesses Are Shady and Wants
to Get More. but Court Says NO-Mcdls
cal Testimony In a Month, Maybe.
Miss Minnie Gaillard, the Texas school
ma am who says that she saw Mayor H. B.
Rice of Houston, Texas, talking with Charles
F. Jones about the murder of William Marsh
Rice, was contradicted yesterday by Mayor
Rice at the hearing before Recorder Golf
on Albert T. Patrick's motion for a new
trial. Mayor Rice declared hat he had
never seen Jones, n he expressed his
belief that he didn't think Jones would
want to get near him or any of the Texas
Rices.
After Mayor Rice's denial the school,
ma'am, who says she is between 80 and SO
years old, went on the stand again and
repeated her story that she saw Mayor
Rice slap Jones on the back and tell him
that if his Golfers were empty he knew
where they could be filed when necessary.
After she had testified she was allowed to
go, as District Attorney Jerome thinks
| she is eccentric.
When Mayor Rice was testifying Miss
Gaillard sat a few feet away from him.
Mr.. Jerome asked him if he knew Miss Gail
lard and he looked at her quizzically She
looked him over carefully.
"No, / do not recognize her. said the
Mayor. Il think / saw her when I was
about IA years old. I don't think l saw her
after that until after | was married, and that
WAS about twenty years ago.
Mr.. Jerome then went over the story
told by Miss Gaillard in which she described
Mayor Rice as telling Jones that he had
studied his instructions well, patting him on
the back and telling him that everything
had come out all right.
"Let me say" said the Mayor, his eyes
cleaning. that the nephews Of William
NJ. Rice do not pat criminals on the back
and offer them money
Mayor Rice said that he KIN ew Jones's
father, who was considered a very good
man. Questioned by w NJ. X. Oloott,
counse ell for Patrick, Mr.. Rice was asked
how he could be so sure that he had never
sat beside Jones in a Houston street car
when he had never seen him n did not
know him..
don't think there is money enough in this
country to get him near me. I'm pretty
sure that he wouldn't have nerve enough
to sit next to one of the Rices in a street
car.
Marsh Rice had been good friends except
for a short time, when there was a disa gree. |
ment between them. He had called on
Mr.. Rice in this city, but had not been re-
membered by MIR. Rice in his will. His
mother and father were.
But you got $4,000 out of a settlement
that was made at the time the will was
probated," said Mr.. Olcott.
THAT is true" said the Mayor.
"And you got 5000 acres of land from
your Uncle William Marsh Rice"
That also is true, " said the Mayor, at
was a business matter bet weep my uncle
and myself. The property is to-day in the
name Of Capt. James A Baker, Jr., Of Hous-
ton, who is trustee
Mayor Rice said that he was named s a
beneficiary in the will that Patrick forced,
The Recorder refused to allow him to saw
that his mother and father Jared better in
the Rice will than he did under the Patrick
will. Mr.. Olcott said somewhat warmly.
But if Patrick is declared an innocent
man nobody will denythat he will upset the
Rice will"
SDo you believe. asked Mr.. Olcott. that
Albert T. Patrick was guilty Of the murder
of your %unclep".
4 certainly do" said Mayor Rice posi-
lively.
And believing that as you do. is it not to
your personal interest to see him electro
"No-none whatever" said Mayor Rice.
sbut l would like to zee him electrocuted"
Mayor Rice said that the William Ma rsh
Rice institute provided for in the Rice will
had not been erected and would not be
erected until the litigation over the estate
had been concluded. He said the Rice estate
now il worth between 5000 ,OOOand 81 yOOO,-
900, because the land has increased in value.
The estate was inventoried here at 81, 100000.
The Mayor could not say whether or not
any money Of the estate vas used to get
Patrick convicted. He is not an executor.
"Who In paying the expenses of Chief of
Police Ellis Of Houston and the other police
witnesses who are here to testify against
Patrick on this notion asked Mr.. Olcott.
liam, said Mayor Rice, ibid that when
l found out what kind Of men they we're
sending up here as witnesses. l sent out
Detectives and had them work on the case.
They are going to stay here just a. 'ong