Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-12-24

Patrick was saved by Governor Rig-
gins Yesterday from the death chair
in the shadow of which he has stood
for nearly five years. He was con-
victed in March, 1902, of the murder
of William Marsh Rice, the aged mil
lonaire. In brief memorandum
LAYING stress upon the dissenting opin-
ions of the judges of the court of ap-
peals, which affirmed Patrick's con
yiction by a vote of four to three, the
governor announced that he had com
muted the death sentence to imprison-
ment for life. Later in the day the
governor strongly intimated doubt
of Patrick's entire sanity, attributing
his mental state to the strain under
which the condemned lawyer has la
bored all these years in the death cell
at Sing Sing. The governor was
shown dispatch from New York
newspaper to a correspondent, in
which it was asserted that Patrick
denied having sent the governor any
appeal for clemency and would refuse
to accept Communication and insist upon
his right to die"
Patrick cannot determine what his
punishment shall be-" said Governor
Higgins. He is mistaken if he says
he sent no application In fact,
have several; one in particular, ask
ing for pardon. He will have to be
careful or he may find himself II
Matteawan. The long strain seems
to have been too much for him.
Matteawan, referred to by the gov
ernor, is the state hospital for insane
criminals.
Wants Entire Freedom.
OSsing, N. Y, Dec. 21.-Patrick an
nounced last night that he was not
satisfied with Communication and would
at once begin his fight for freedom
A writ Of ilabeas corpus viii be ap.
piled for, it was said, in the United
States court, making Warden John
son defendant
Case Is Unparalleled.
New York, Dee. 21.-The case of
Albert T. Patrick is in many respects
unparalleled. 1t is doubtful if ever
before a convicted man has played as
large a part in the conduct of his
own case in turning his narrow quar-
tiers in the death cell of a state prison
practically into a law Office. Rice
died September %, 1900, Patrick and
Jones were arrested October 4. Jones
at first declared that Patrick himself
had chloroformed Rice, but in other
confessions which varied materially
he saidf5e killed his master. at Pat
rick's instigation. This statement
was the principal evidence to sustain
the charge against Patrick. Jones
was never tried either as a principal
or as accomplice; he was released
and is said to be living in Texas.
Patrick was convicted March 81
1902, and sentenced 70 death. Since
then his fight has been continuous
Now ne intends to continue ms Ell
forts to establish his innocence.
Patrick Signed Petition.
Patrick only signed the petition tc
the governor, asking for a life impris
onment sentence instead of death to
please his wife and her brother, John
T. Milliken, brother-in-law of Patrick
who has spent a fortune to save his
wife's brother from a felon's death, Is
the one who insisted that Patrick
should ask clemency. The governor
insisted on a personal letter of ap
peal from Patrick.
In the four years and eight months
Patrick has been confined in the
death house he has seen II men tax
en- from the cells and marched to the
electric chair.
When the other prisoners confined
in the death house in Sing Sins
learned that Patrick, their mayor
had signed an appeal for commute
ton of sentence to one of life I'm
prisonment they could hardly believe
that such a thing had happened. Pat
rick has boosted to them right alons
that he would never make such