New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-06
GETS PATRICK PETITION.
Governor Considering Appeal a
Behalf of Condemned La7Cyer.

Albany, Jan. 5-Governor Higgins received to-day
the expected petition for the exercise Of executive
cIemency in the case OF Albert T. Patrick, the
New-York lawyer. confined in Sing Sing prison and
sentenced TO die In the week beginning January
%. for the murder Of William Marsh Rice.
The petition is signed by nearly one hundred well
known persons, including lawyers. physicians and
chemists. clergymen and ayTnen, and is based upon
the ground that there Is reasonable doubt OF his
guilt It is especially set forth that the coroners
physician who made the autopsy Immediately after
death gave it his opinion that Rice cleo OF
natural causes and old age. but subsequently on
the witness stand declared that he had been killed
by chloroform; that the subsequent examination
Of the body which formed the basis OF the tssti-
mony adverse to Patrick was made AFTER the
process Of embalming (which would efectuaIy
destroy all minute evidences Of death, either from
natural causes chloroform''; that the conc con-
tanning chloroform would probably have fallen from
position had victim ben alive; that the self
confessed murderer Jones, who turned States evi.
dence, was ia the opinion Of the petitioners, IRE
sponsible, had made least for different and con-
Trajectory confessions. and was OF doubtful sanity
and unworthy of belief
The petitioners call attention TO the dissenting
opinions Of Chief Judge Cullen and Judge O'Brien
in the decision Of the Court Of Appeals affirming
Patricks conviction
The signers OF tie petition include ex-President
Grover Cleveland. John c. Carlisle. ex-Secretary OF
the Treasury; ex-Supreme Court Justice Edward ".
Hatch and many well known members of the New
York City Bar; Samuel L. Clemens mark Twain).
Dr.. Allan McLane Hamilton, the alienist; DR.. Aus
tin Flint, head OF the Bellevue Medical School. and
many other physicians and chemists Of standing:
the Rev DR.. Charles H Parkhurst. the Rev. Dr..
Madison c. Peters the Rev. DR.. Thomas Hughes.
David Belasco. Lieutenant Colonel H. D. Borup.
T. S. a (retired). and Robert Erskine Ely. director
Of the League for Political Education.
The petition brought to Albany by Robert C.
Mccormick. who fled IT personally with the Gov
ernor.
Governor Higgins said tonight that hs did
know when he would act upon the matter, but that
he did not expect to give public hearing. He
would give intination Of his probable action in
the case but assured Mr.. Mccormick that he had
already given it some attention, and would consider
it with the utmost care
Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton, who assisted in get
ting up the petition said yesterday:
7 feel sure that the Governor will grant Patrick
q reprieTe the strength Of my petition He can
not ignore the names attached In securing those
names there no begging my part To the
majority Of the signers I had mailed the opinion
of the minority OF the Court Of Appeals and letter
of Patricks, which was published in the papers
few days ago. Many of the signerS affixed their
names of their accord Mrs Patrick has mailed
to the Governor many letters which her husband
has received, and have no doubt that the number
will be greatly increased by the time the physicians
of the South and West have read the letter which
I published few days ago in The New-York Med
ical Record