The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-02
ALBERT T. PATRICK. CONVICTED OF MURDER,
 IS STILL HOPEFUL

Behind the walls of Sing Sing pris- on .s a man who has been described by other attorneys as '-'the ablest orfu,inal lawyer in America" a man Convicted of murder in the first degree and three times sentenced to be cleo trocuted. a man who has spent five years in the death house, and who, through 1t all. has firmly maintained ultimate liberty. It will be twelve years tomorrow since Albert T. Pat rick a New York lawyer, was ar rested the charge of forgery A few months later the charge was changed to murder following the con- fession of. Charles F. Jones, a valet, that he had murdered his employer, William M Rice. an aged and eccen- 1ric millionaire, at the instigation of Patrick; Tn the dozen years that Patrick has aroused interna tional in rerest in his case Eminent physi- clans of America and Europe, includ- clared that the medical testimony which was largely instrumental in bringing about Patrick's conviction was faulty Medical and legal asso- eiatfons in the United States and oth- CT lands have testified to a belief in Patrick's innocence.
 b,eS Depifs S is long eften bn in in face with death, the lawyer was re- gently described by a prison author Ity as being "ti1e picture of health"
 
 and. besides fighting his legal bat- ties, has studied optometry and be- come an expert in that science. Not tong ago he assisted the prison sur seons in making an examination of the eyes Of the more than thousand inmates, of Sing Sing
 Patrick was first convicted of mur-] der ten years ago A few days af- ter the jury had brought in a verdict of guilty, Patrick married Mrs. Addie NJ Francis in his cell in the Tombs. Da% -f<.l~ hoe T1xr d devoted wife through all the years of separation.
 When his death sentence was final y committed to life Imprisonment, Patrick refused to accept the Cover aor's decision, crying dramatically, Liberty or death-'' The motive a1Ieg- that Rice's will made Patrick the trustee of the immense Rice fortune. The defense asserted that under the terms of the document, Patrick was precluded from taking any part of the sstate for himself personally, and that he could administer the property only for the purpose of founding a great Institution of learning in Texas. This disposition of the estate has already been put into effect.
 That Patrick's conviction was due to perjury and miscarriage of justice was the belief expressed by William Mill Butler, a scientist affiliated with he American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science Dr. Allen Mo- declared that Patrick had been ''mer- -iIessly rax.roaded to prison-'' Mark Twain. Grover Cleveland and John G. Carlisle were among hundreds of fa- nous men who signed a petition in 1 Patrfcks favor. IombroSo. the worlds i greatest crirninologiSt, asserted a. belief n Patrick's innocence. The creator i of Sherlock Holiness publicly testi- i led that the statements Of physicians l for the prosecution constituted t-ignor- 1 ant or wLful perjury" Several hand l writing experts have alleged that the | forgery charge against Patrick was l not supported by document proof. l With such influential backing, and 1 with the assistance of able counsel, | Patrick has fought his case to the | United States Supreme Court, and | back again through lower courts. He l has esca ped the death house. but Sing B1ngs walls still shut him off from Me liberty that is his goal.