The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-28
In the Issuance of a Pardon by
Governor Dix.
CONVICTED ON MURDER CHARGE
Following the Death of Rice, a
Texas Millionaire.
The Dead Mans Valet Fur
nished the Only Evidence.

Albany, N. Y, Nov. 2S.-Albert T.
Patrick, who is serving a life sentence
in Sing Sing prison for the murder of
William Marsh Rice, an aged million
aire, in New York on September %,
1900, has been pardoned by Governor
Dix.
Patrick, who was saved from the
electric chair by the late Governor
Higgins in December, 1906, has made
! a remarkable fight for freedom. A
lawyer by profession, he protested
when Governor Higgins commuted the
death sentence to life Imprisonment,
declaring the governor had no legal
right to cancel the original sentence
prisonment.
Governor Dix announced that he
had pardoned Patrick just as he was
about to leave the capitol
There has always been an air of
mystery in this important case" he
said. Quoting from the minority
opinion of the court of appeals, the
atmosphere that surrounded the de-
fendant showed that a fair and i'm
partial trial was scarcely possible f"
He Had Many Friends.
New York. Nov. 2S.-Pardon of
ALBERT a 4. Patrick came as good news
sided with him in his celebrated ten
years fight for freedom.
IT'S triumph" said George Fran
els O'Neil, one of the counsel who aid
one."
Mrs. Patrick. the woman who mar
RED the accused murderer in the
Tombs and who spent practicaIIx aII
of her time since in seeking his nsr-
don, was advised of the news and
while overjoyed, she declined to make
a statement.
AS widower with two children Eat
rick came to New York from Te1,as ~,
the late nineties to practice law re-
newing his acquaintance with William
Marsh Rice, a helpless old man of mil
lions, who was formerly friend of the
Patrick family in Texas. He Law he'd
ridden in his New York apartment Iiv-
ing alone with the exception of a valet
Charles F. Jones'
Rice Found Dead in Bed.
When the aged millionaire was found
dead IN bed one morning the coroner
decided he had simply succumbeti to old
age, but suspicious arose Ten davs
afterward a check bearing Rice's name
in favor of Patrick was deposited in
one of the latter's banks. It was de-
clared to be a forgery. On the heels
OF this, murder was whispered. Valet
Jones was arrested. He tried to com
nit suicide in the Tombs. He alleged
that Patrick had influenced him to do
SO. Suddenly he broke down and con-
fessed that he was the actual muir
derer Of his wealthy master, but that
the deed was committed at the fnstf-
cation of Patrick.
He told many conflicting stories. He
said he killed his master with am
monia, then that he gave gray pills.
which Patrick had procured, and finally
that he saturated sponge with .hIo-
roform and held it over the old mans
face until he died. He stuck to this
latter story on the stand, and pur-
chased immunity by his confession.
Medical experts testified that Rfce's
lungs showed he had been killed by
chloroform. On the other hand PAT
rick called experts who maintained that
there was no such evidence, and from
that time to this medical men interest
ed have been divided for and against
Patrick
The state maintained that the motive
for the murder was found in Rfce's will.
There was one executed in 1896 in which
the old man left his fortune to the Rice
institute of Houston, Texas. A will of
more recent date left all of the money
to Patrick to be administered in philan-
thropic work under Patrick's direction.