The Death of Old Man Rice: A True Story of Criminal Justice in America

In his reinvestigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Rice University founder William M. Rice in 1900, Friedland (Detention Before Trial) proves himself an indefatigable researcher, breathing life into a case laid to rest decades ago. Rice, a Texas multimillionaire, was found dead one Sunday in his New York City apartment. The following day, his lawyer, Albert Patrick, attempted to cash four checks totaling $250,000 made out to himself and bearing Rice's forged signature. Additionally, a will named Patrick as the recipient of Rice's estate. Murder was suspected, and Rice's valet implicated Patrick. The lawyer was found guilty and sentenced to death in 1902. Pressure from influential people caused his sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment in 1906, and he received a gubernatorial pardon in 1912. Friedland concludes that Patrick was guilty of forgery, but not of murder. But was Rice in fact killed? Or did he die of natural causes? The author leaves that question unanswered. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)