Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-27
Death Sentence of Albert T. Pat
rick COMMITTED to Life In
prisonment.
UNPARALLELED CASE
Made the Death Cell lie Occupied Sc
Long Law Office in which He
Fought to Save His Own life
was Convicted and Sem
fenced to Death.

Albany, n. y, Dec. 2O.-Albert Z. Pat
rick was saved by Governor Higgins to.
day from further peril of the death chair,
in whose shadow he has stood for nearly
five years since March, 1902, when he was
convicted of the murder of William
Mnrsh Rice, the aged New York city
millionaire In brief memorandum lay
ing stress upon the difference of opinions
OF the judges of the court of appeals,
which affirmed Patrick's conviction by a
vote OF four to three, the governor at
noon announced that he had committed
the death sentence to Imprisonment for
life. Later in the day the governor
strongly minated a doubt of Patricks
entire sanity, attrIbuting his 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 despatch
from New York newspaper to a CORES
pendent in which II was asserted that
Patrick denied having sent the governor
any appeal for clemency, would refuse 20
accept the communication, and insist upon
his right to die
MI. Patrick cannot determine what his
punishment shall be-" said Governor Hlg-
gins. He is mistaken if he says he sent
me no application. In fact / have sew
eral; one in particular, asking for q par
don. He will have to be careful or he
may find himself in Matteawan. The long
strain seems to have been too much Tor
him"
tMatteawan is the location of the State
hospital for insane criminas.)
The governor said he had nothing fur
Their to say as to his reasons for cornmut-
ing tho sentence, there was nothing fur
Their for him to consider, he said.
GO ERNORs STATEMENT.
In announcing the communication, Coy
rnor Higgins issued the following state
ment:
Albert r. Patrick has been convicted
of the murder of William NJ. Rice and
the Judgment of conviction has been at
frmed by a divided courtIt is not claim
ed that Patrick committed the murder in
person but that he procured the act to be
done. He las been convicted principally
upon the testimony Of Charles +. Jones,
who confessed that he murdered his mas
ter whele he lay asleep, instigated there
to by Patrick, and Jones by this testi-
mony has purchased his own immunity
from trial or punishment. Neither this
fact alone. nor the review of any ques-
ton or fact already passed upon by the
courts at some stage Of these proceed
ings. would seem to ME to warrant In ter
fering with the judgment OF death pro-
nOUnced against the defenda MT; but three
of tho seven judges of the court Of APP
peals We're so strongly Of the opinion that
errors were committed at the trial which
We're substantially prejudicial to the
rights of Patrick that l feel that the
death penalty ought not, under all the
circumstances to be inflicted.
In view Of these facts and the grave
doubts expressed by these Judges | am
satisfied that l ought to relieve the
defendant from the extreme penalty OF
the law and commute his sentence to
Imprisonment for li1e.'
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
The case of Albert T. Patrick Is in
many respects unparalleled
II is doubtful If ever a convicted man.
himself an able lawyer. h. played so
large n part in the conduct of his own
case, even turning his narrow quarters
in the death cells" of a State prison
practically into a law office equipped
for the direction Of his battle for life.
Rice died September 20. 1860; Patrick
and Jones were arrested October I. Jones
at first declared that Patrick himself had
| chloroformed Rice but in other confea-
sions which varied materially, he said
| he killed his master at Patrck's instga-
ton. rms statement was the principal
| evidence to sustain the murder charge
against Patrlck' Jones was never tried
as either principal or accomplish; he was
| released and is said to be living In Texas
| from which State Rice. Patrick and him
self originally came.
..ood - saath e,t,o 49,
| remarkable fight has been continuous. In