About 1896, Carroll M. Rice, who'd been previously married and had three children, married again to a young woman named Mary, who, at eighteen years of age, was considerably younger than he was. The newlyweds took up residence near the Eleven Points River in eastern Oregon County, Missouri, living at least part time out of a wagon. The couple did not get along almost from the time they married. Rice was described as "an ignorant man" who considered his wife chattel. He thought he could treat her like a hog or cow or any other animal he owned. To escape his brutal treatment, Mary left Rice two or three different times during the first couple of years of their marriage, but his solicitations would always convince her to give him another try.
Finally, Mary left Rice about the middle of June 1898, with no intention of returning to her husband, and went to stay at a neighbor lady's house. One evening shortly afterwards, Rice went to the house where Mary was staying to see if she would come out so he could confront her. She did not, but he hung around eavesdropping and heard voices and laughter, including Mary's, coming from the house. The rifle he'd brought along was leaning against the house, and he angrily picked it up with the idea of storming into the house. He thought better of it, though, and went back home. But he was still galled.
Then on Sunday evening, June 26, a couple of weeks after Mary had left, Rice returned to the house where she was staying, again taking his Winchester along with him. Again, Mary did not appear, but this time Rice was more determined to see her. He watched the house all night, and shortly after daylight the next morning, Sarah Conner, daughter-in-law of the woman who owned the house, and Mary emerged and went to a nearby spring to fetch a pail of water.
Rice approached his wife, calling her "Hon," but she was not happy to see him. He then commanded her to return home with him, but she refused. Flourishing his weapon, he threatened to shoot her if she did not. In order to appease him, she agreed but said she needed to go to the house to get some clothes. He objected, ordering her to leave with him at once. When she instead picked up the pail of water as though to carry it to the house, he shot her through the left breast. "There, God damn you, take that!" Rice shouted, as his wife collapsed and he hurried away. Mary died less than thirty minutes later, and when the news was relayed to Rice, he reportedly said that he did not regret his deed and that he was relieved to know she was dead. The West Plains Gazette, in reporting the murder, called it "one of the most brutal and atrocious crimes that ever shocked the people of south Missouri."
Rice was arrested and lodged in the Oregon County Jail at Alton. He was indicted for first degree murder on August 23, and his trial began in the Oregon County Circuit Court on September 5. It was brought out at trial that, during the days leading up to the murder, Rice had repeatedly threatened to kill his wife if she did not return to him. Rice's attorney tried to mount a self defense argument, claiming that Mary had also threatened to kill Rice and that she regularly carried a gun and a knife. The jury didn't buy the defense argument, and on September 8, they brought in a verdict finding Rice guilty of murder in the first degree. The judge sentenced Rice to hang on October 27, but the defense appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court, automatically postponing the execution.
Hearing the case in May 1899, the high court rejected the defense's contention that Rice should have been granted a continuance so he would have had more time to gather witnesses in support of his self-defense argument. "The evidence," concluded the justices, "showed defendant to be guilty beyond any question of one of the most deliberate and unprovoked murders ever perpetrated by man." They set June 15 as Rice's new execution date.
On the appointed day, Rice arose early and ate a hearty breakfast. Shortly after noon, he was led from the jail in Alton to the gallows and up the steps. He made an attempt to break away when he and his escort of law officers reached the scaffold, but he was quickly overpowered. He was allowed to briefly address the large crowd that had gathered to witness the event, telling the estimated 5,000 spectators that he hoped to meet them in a better world. He was then led quickly to the trap, where his arms and legs were pinioned and the black cap placed over his head. He dropped through the trap at 12:52 p.m. and was pronounced dead fourteen minutes later.
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