The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-08
ON A CHARGE OF MURDER
WIDOW OF MILLIONAIRE RICH
ARDSON, OF SAVANNAH, is
ARRESTED
VERDICT OF coRoNER's JURY
Is That the Dead Man Was Shot
Down by His Wife or by
Some One Her Ac-
complete.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Jan. IA special to
the Daily News, from Savannah, Mo-,
says: The coroner's jury in the case of
Frank L. Richardson, the merchant who
was murdered in the doorway Of his res
idence Christmas eve, returned YER
dict late this afternoon charging that
Richardson came to his death from a
pistol shot fired by his wife or some one
known to her and unknown to the jury"
The jury was out fifty-fve minutes, and
the verdict created a profound sensation.
The jury heard the testimony of Mrs.
Richardson at her residence today. The
widow lay in bed and answered the
questions of Prosecuting Attorney Boehr
and the coroner impatiently. Once she
exclaimed when Will you leave me
alone?" Mrs. Richardson was surrounded
by quite a number of her own and
her husbands relatives during the TAX
ing of the testimony. She denied that
she knew anything about the murder
other than has been told by other wit
nesses and denied that she had had any
improper relations with the men whose
names have been brought into the case.
No warrant has yet been issued for Mrs.
Richardson's arrest and Prosecutor
Boehr declines to say at this time what
course he will pursue.
Following is Mrs. Richardson's testi-
mony in detail:
MRS. RICHARDSON'S TESTIMONY.
'T heard footsteps of two people on the
walk leading to the house and on the
front porch. I heard a buggy just-a few
minutes before Frank came in. Mr..
Richardson was walking naturally. ] did
not hear voices outside. AS Frank came
to the door I stood up. l had been lying
on couch in the bed room and / leaned
against the wall preparatory to saying
hoo c(41 ENrc nh md Mr. {'rnNIy as
l supposed 1t to be. When the door open
ed 1 only heard one footstep in the hail.
way. The door to the sitting room was
open. He seemed to be walking when he
said that he had come and come on or
something like that when a shot rang
out. My recollection was that the body
fell in the hallway.
AT first l did not know he was shot
I did not hear word or any other noise.
My first thought was that he had COM
mitted suicide. I tried to get him On a
and felt for his heart. While 1 was do
ing this l remember hearing a door or
window slam in the rear of the house
I lighted a lamp and looked for a re-
volver. When I could not find one [
knew some one else must have shot him
/ suppose / was very much excited at
of any one but Goldie Whitehead. I
don't know of an enemy of Franks in
Savannah or elsewhere.
He told me several times that he was
before he was killed he said he was go
ing to get a revolver as his life was in
constant danger, but to my knowing. he
had not got one. I did not expect Frank
to come to the house, but was not sur
prfsed. Charles Stanton told me the DIFF
fculty between Goldie Whitehead and
Frank was settled 1t was several weeks
before the shooting that Frank had last
accused me of being intimate with other
men,
Mrs. Richardson gave the names of the
men whom her husband accused her of
improper intimacy.
Mrs. Richardson was arrested at her
home tonight. She gave bond for $l,Og0,
signed by her brother-in-law, John D.
Richardson, of Chicago; w. S. Wells,
cashier of the State Bank of Savannah,
and her attorney, II. 4. White. of St.
Joseph.
The preliminary hearing is set for
Jan. 16.