The Lambertville record., 1911-10-27
ACCUSES PASTOR
OF SLAYINC GIRL
Rev. RlchssOn Charged With
Causing Miss LinneII'S DEATH
CAUGHT AT FIANCEE'S HOME
Druggist Says He Sold Minister
Cyanide of Potassium Before Death
of Girl.

Druggist Says He Sold Minister
Cyanide of Potassium Before Death
of Girl.
Charged with the murder of Miss
Avis Linnell, pretty choir singer and
music student, to whom he was atten-
tive and to whom he Is reported to
have been engaged before he broke
with her to become a suitor for the
hand of Miss Violet Edmands. a rich
Brookline society girl. Rev. Clarence
Virgil Thompson Richeson is in the
Charles street pail in Boston. held
without bail. The case is one of the
most sensational and dramatic that
New England ever has known.
William b. Watts. deputy superin-
tendent of police. declares that Richie
son was arrested on information sub
stantiated by the police that the had
bought a quantity of cyanide of po-
tassium at drug store in Newton
Centre on Oct 10. This was the poi
son which caused Miss Linnell's death,
Richeson, a young. handsome, bril-
liant man, is the idol of his large and
wealthy congregation of the Imman-
uel Baptist church, of Cambridge, and
his wedding on Oct 81 to Miss Ed,
mands was 30 have been one of the
brilliant society events of the fall sea-
son Instead he will be arraigned on
for the murder of Miss Linnell
The young minister was arrested in
the Edmands home, following the dis
covery of what the police declare to
be proof positive that he had recently
heueht cyanide of potassium, the dead
ly drug that killed Miss Linnell.
The police say that they have evi
dence that Rev. Mr.. Rieheson bought
the poison which killed the girl, with
whom he had been friendly and te
whom he was at one time reported
engaged The information was giyeI
to them by William Hahn. druggIs
at Newton Centre. Hahn has known
Rev. Rlcheson well from the time the
young minister was a student at the
Newton Theological school. From
Hahn's tale the poison was bought by
Rev. Richeson on Oct, 10.
Il was in my store on the afternoon
of Oct 10, when Rev. Richeson drop
ped in," said the druggist, Il knew
him we'll from his student days. but
had not seen him for long time. He
greeted me cordially and then began
to complain about a dog he had. He
said that the animal was whining and
growing continually and he wanted to
put ii out OF the way told him that
l didn't know that he had a dog, but
he said that he had, and then went on
to describe 1t.
when he spoke of killing the dog
! suggested that he chloroform 1t, but
he said that this would cause toe
much of smell. Besides. he want
ed something that would do the work
quickly.
Then | said: Well. here Is some
cyanide of potassium That will Kill
quickly enough. and the minister said
Well give me some of that J warn
ed him that ii was dangerous stun
and told him to be very careful abou
using 1t. Then | gave him enough tC
kill three or four dogs. When hat
placed this in the paper the minister
said. Well, you had better put il
some more so | aided two or three
chunks to what | had already Iadlet
out What gave him was enc2gh Il
kill at least ten persons.
After he had received the cyanide
Rev. Richeson said to me:
"'You will receive an invitation e
my wedding, and | don't want You tC
fail to come to it, Then he added
This may seem very mysterious tc
you. Can you keep secret? You know
haven't bought this, Keep Il to your
self With that he went away and
haven't seen him since"
The wedding of Miss Edmands anC
the clergyman was to have takeI
place on Oct 81 In the First Bapts
church, at Newton Centre. More thar
700 invitations had been sent out fo
the wedding.
Avis linnell, nineteen years old
whose home was at Hyannis, Mass.
was found dead in the bathroom of tn,
Young Women's Christian Association
home in Boston last Saturday evening
At first it was believed that she haC
committed suicide, but later develop
ments Indicated that she had un
knowingly taken cyanide of potassium
given or sent her by some other per
son, and which she used In the be
lief that It would remedy physical con
ditlons which were causing anxiety,
Miss Linnell had previously been ;
friend of Richeson, and it was under
stood at Hyannis that an engagement
existed. Later the clergyman became
engaged to Miss Edmands. whose faith
er is trustee of the Newton Theo
logical institution, where Richesol
studied for the ministry