CLERICAL MURDERER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10404, 18 July 1912, Page 7

CLERICAL MURDERER.

The Rev Clarence Rjchesoa, murderer of Miss Avis Liincel!, has been electrocuted at Boston. Three shocks were seat through the body of the. clerical murderer, who showed no fear throughout the short; preliminaries It is officially denied that he was dragged. Ha was told shortly before midnight to prepare for death Two clergymen visited him ia bis oali, and the three sang “Safe in tho Arms of Jesus, ” Then one clergyman marched ahead reading the olst Psalm, while the other followed with his arm through Rsoheson’s, who wore the robes of a Baptist minister. Rloheson menaced the death-chair without exhibiting any emotion. One clergyman began to weep, while the other pat ffi aeries of confessional questions to Ksohesoa as the chair straps were being adjusted. Richeson replied : “I confess Christ as mypSaviour. I have the peace of God in my heart Christ gives huh strength. I know God will take care of me, and I pray for all. ’’ rßicbeson closed his eyes, and tie clergyman said : “Do yon repent your sin?” “I do,” came the answer. '! “Are you willing.to die for Jesus's sake?” lam willing to die,” Eiche’cn answered, and at that instant, while the word ‘die” was on his lips, the chief warder, standing in the doorway between the death chamber'and the electrician’s room, raised bis cane. As soon as the carrent'was turned on Richesou’s body strained forward beneath the straps. Then, as the Electricity was turned off, the muscles relaxed in death. Two other shocks were administered as a prenantionary measure before the body was removed for burial. TRAGIC RECORD. The crime for which Clarence YlrgSl Thompson Eicheson, at the time of his arrest pastor 'of the Immanuel Church ‘J of. Cambridge, was seatencsd to die in the electric chair was the confessed murder of his former sweetheart, 19 years old, Avis Linnell. ot Hyaums, a pupil in the New England Conservatory of Music io Boston. The girl stand in the wav of tub minister’s marriage to Miss Violet .■Edm»nda, a society girl and heiress, of gßrookliae, both thoreugh Tan engagement which still existed between the two and because of her condition She was deceived into taking poison given herb? Richssoa. aad died in her rooms at the Young Woman’s Ohrisidaa Association on the eveuing of October 14th. 1911. On that day invitations had been issued for the wedding ceretesouy which was to unite Mr Kicheson and Miss EdiaanJs,

As pastor o t a small oSiaioh in the Oapa God Town of Hyansiis' two yentß before, the handsome and eloquent minister, then 33 years old, had been attracted to Avia Linnell, who was an exceptionally pretty girl of 17 years. Sue lived with her parents, her father, Edgar Linnell, bslrjg'a contractor and builder. It was her ambition to become a teacher, and she was attending the Stats Normal School be Hyaaais.SSSS Friction developed between Richeson aad his deacons in Jana, 1910 aver the,young miaister’a impsfcaoaa manner and his violent language. There wbb also a question as to" the loss of £lO which had boon left by a parishioner in the pastor’s study. Tbs minister declared he had been robbed of the money. Shortly afterwards it fwas learned he had spent a similar sum by money order from a near by town to a woman in Salt Lake Oity, Utah. His resignation followed, and he accepted a call to the Immanuel.. Bassist Olmroh of Cambridge. *The ■ Enoaesaes which the preacher attained ia his larget’sphete of nsefalners made a marked impression on him. Surrounded by influential friends and associates, his ambitions widened. He began to pay court to'HMiss Violet Bdmands, of BrbokKne, the daughter . of 6 Moses Grant Edmunds, a prominent Baptist layman and trustee of the Newton Theological Seminary, from which Rlcheson had graduated. Miss Bdiaands was prominent socially, and was wealthy/in her own right, as we!s as es?ti*l a .d to share in the esxatfi of some £l7fi 000 left by her grandfather Entrance to the exclusive home "of the Edmunds had been saav to the minister ns the pasfcSr of the church the family at tended., and i ■ a short time be was accepted as sntior fqr the daughter’s hand At the same time Rioheson was meeting Miss Lionel! as formerly. But one dav he borrowed a diamond ring he had given to her on the pretext that she stone needed resetting. He did not return it.. The invitations to the wedding of Rioheson and Miss Edmonds were sent out on the afternoon of Saturday, October 14th. That same afternoon Rioheson dined with Avis Linneli at a little restaurant in the Bach Bay, While there the girl appeared depressed At times tears rolled down ner cheeks When she returned to her lodging place, however, she seemed cheerful, although quickly excusing herself and harrying away, to herfjvonru The rmlioe rook up the mystery of the death of Avis Linnell. It seemed apparent at the outset that the belief in a suicide theory was one which the murderer had planned to foster. Given the crime and the reason for it. the next step was to find the man responsible for the condition of the victim The police hart' not far to seek, The girl had but one sweetheart, and she made no concealment of her affection for Rioheson. The most damaging evidence came from? William Hahn, a druggist, of Newton Oeatra. and a friend of Rioheson. According to Hahn, Rioheson came to him four days before the girl died snd bought a considerable quantity of cyanide of potassium, explaining that he wanted it “to bill a dog which was about to have puppies.” A Cambridge confectioner told of Rioheson coming tp bis store on the afternoon Miss Linuail died and purchasing a peculiarly shaped jar of candy, identical wiith a jar found in Miss Linneli’s room The minister had taken a Boston-hound car in front of the candy store. On the evening of October 19th Chief Inspector Dugan and members of hia force went to the home of Mr Edmunds, in Devon street, in Brookline, to arrest Me Elehseon ors the supsicion that ho was guilty of murder. Admission to tha Jhousa was denied, although the hour %as early. The police had no search warrant, land dd not feel justified Tin break-

Ing into the maguifiosnt residence on the uncertainty of Rloheson being inside. They therefore xe mained on guard through the night, frequently knocking on doors and windows,” and calling on tbs occupants to •open and admit the officers. A vigil was kept up n«6H daylight. when, s maid who appeared i« the biteVieo wos ; prevailed upo?r to notify Mr Etimanda that the officers were ontsido-naa would break.in if the door was not opened at At seven o'clock the police were admitted. Richeson waa found in bed, Ha was ordered to dross and accompany the officers. Before leaving the house, he took in hit; arms, Miss Violet Edmands, who was weeping hysterically. “Do not worry,” he said; “everything will come out all right ” The minister came oat ox the htmfe,. in the dawn, passing bseween two rows of police, newspaper men, aad car!-., oua neighbours, and was taken .to .the police headquarters in a tssi cab to be arraigned. Rioheson confessed his guilt in a statement written by himself on Januarv 3rd aad given cat by bis counsel on January (?Uj, '.vhs oonfesaioa was addressed to his counsel