The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-07
Says S2,OOO,OOO Was
Spent Against Her
Husband.
Brands the Trial As.
Fraudulent
Plot.
Accused Tricked Into
Withdrawing
Appeal"

NEW YORK. May ALBERT T.
Patrick, now serving a life SEN
tence for the murder Of the aged
Texan millionaire. William Marsh Rice.
at his home, 500 Madison avenue. I'm
1900 is contemplating asking for a writ
OF habeas corpus on the ground that he
was tricked into Withdrawing his an
pioation for an appeal to the United
states Supreme Court while he was un-
DER death sentence and accepting com
mutation TO life Imprisonment from the
late Governor Higgins
In advance of this application. Mrs.
Patrick has given to the American a
most striking statement OF her hus-
bands side Of this. one OF the most
famous and remarkable cases in crini-
nal annals. 1t is in answer to an at
tack on Patrick made by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Arthur Train in a cur
rent magazine article.
"Two Millions for Prosecution"
Mrs. Patrick's statement bristIes with
startling and sensational charges. She
declares that court, jury and prosecutor
were prejudiced against her husband and
that 100000 of the Rice estate money
was spent to railroad the defendant to
the electric chair She even charges
that two OF the Jurors offered to vote
for acquittal in return for d money con-
sideration.
The charge that Patrick had never
known Rice until shortly before his
death she answers with a statement
that Patrick's father had been for many
years valued and trusted employe of
Rice in Texas and that the prisoner had
known the millionaire since he was a
boy Of twelve or thirteen years. She
says that Rice employed Patrick to
draw up the alleged forged will because
he had gained confidence in the lawyer
through his success in securing a settle
ment of the old mans suit against the
heirs of his wife.
The Cremation Letter"
Regarding the famous cremation let
ter" Mrs. Patrick calls attention to the
fact that It contains an injunction
against embalming, which was not a
probable suggestion from a man plan
ming murder. as the embalming fluid
Is a most potent agent in hiding traces
Of poison.
Everything in favor of her husband,
she declares, was purposely kept from
the jury. She points out the conflict
between the known facts of medical
science and the statements OF the prose-
cution's witnesses regarding the way IN
which Rice was killed by chIoroform.
and attacks sharply the States expert
witnesses.
Wife Replies for Husband.
Parts Of Mrs. Rice's statement fol-
lows:
An extraordinary and outrageous as
sault upon my husband, emanatinR
from the office Of the district attorney
in New York. is published in the May
number Of hitherto reputable maEa-
zinc. Inasmuch as Albert T. PatrIcl,
is, for the time being. legally dead and
cannot reply to the avalanche of mis-
representation and calumny IN question.
]. his wife. must make answer for him. \
TN this, my first authorized state
ment to all lovers of truth and Justice
and fair play, 1 wish to say that the
question involved In this case IS Of far
greater consequence even than the life
and liberty OF the man for whom 1
have gladly given up seven of the best
years OF my life. 1t is a question
whether the administration OF justice in
This vast metropolis has not become so
corrupted and perverted that IL allowed
10 continue, verdicts of juries and de-
cisions OF courts win go to the side with
the most money, openly and brazenly,
as they already do secretly and with
equal shamelessness. The vast machin-
sry of the law, which is supposed to be
employed only for the suppression and
punishment of crime, already includes
IN Its operations schemes so foul and
horrible that could they be exposed and
laid bare the whole civilized world
would stand aghast and exclnim. Can
such things occur in a boasted land of
liberty?
Calls Jones Perjurer.
at warn the public that The article
oesmirching my husband, which has
been inspired by the chief bloodhound
of the law and put into libelous and
odious print by one Of his underlings.
has for its aim and object the further
poisoning Of the public mind with
view to influencing another Jury In the
dastardly work already mapped out for
81. The judicial crime committed against
Albert T. Patrick is to be followed A.
possible. by another similar crime
against two of the witnesses Who dared
TO tell the truth in his behalf and who
swerved not hairs breadth, in spite
OF threats, persecution, arrest. and third
Continued on Ninth PaReD