The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-12-20
"My God, 1 Am Dylns!"

my 0oo, Am Dyih0!
BOSTON, Dec. 20-Rev. Clarence
Virgil Thompson Richeson, former
pastor of the ultra-fashionable I'M !,
manuel Baptist church of Cambridge, |
held In the Charles street jail on the
charge OF numbering pretty Avis Lin
nell, attempted to commit suicide at
2::s0 o'clock this morning. He may re-
cover.
Richeson stabbed himself in the
groin with piece of tin, just as his
guards were changing.
He was rnshed to the prison hospi-
tai in critical condition.
There is no escape from confess
sion but suicide" once declared DAN
iel Webster in famous New England
murder trial, and suicide Is confes-
sion.'' Though Richeson is not
known to have confessed. many be-
lieve his attempted suicide today was
| ilnpelled hy conscience which gave
| him no Test.
prison officials to prevent the news
| Of the attempted suicide from becom-
ing known When Richeson was
! found in his cell, in a pool OF blood,
writhing with pain, he was carried
/ Immediately into the hospital ward
and all the guards and attendants
sworn to secrecy.
The story leaked out late in the
morning when short term prisoner,
| who had seen the wounded man on
4 his way to the hospital, went to a
\ newspaper office and sold the informa
u ton.
4 Later 1t was denied by prison off
cials hut even as they were denying
1t. there came confirmation through
the prison doors by Richeson's wild
voice:
My God | am coming" he shrieket
again and again. my God. I'm dy
ing"
1t was only then that the offcial'
would confirm the story.
Medical examiners for the count,
and number Of physicians were hur
ried to the Jail to attend to Richie
) sons injury. They declare th
wounds could not have been inflicte,
by normal minded man.
At 10:30,. Assistant District Attol
ney Lavelle, who was hastily sun
Inoned to the jail, declared the phys
clans believed that the wounded pas
tor might live, but that his conditio
at that hour was very critical, th
nature of his self inflicted wounds BIZ
ing of such a nature that blood poison
ing might result at any time.
: Richeson timed his attempted SUI
eide we'll and carried out all his plan
! with fiendish ingenuity. How he 81
cured the piece of jagged tin wit
which he tortured himself may neve
be known. though it is thought h
. picked it up secretly while being pc
mitted to exercise in the ''bull pen
The night and early mornin
! guards are changed at 2:3o in tn
). morning. Little attention had bee
: paid by the night guards to Richeso
Z for he has been an ideal prisoner. A
2 the day guards came in, however, the
heard means from Richeson's cell.
! What have you done?" demande
: the warden.
II have cut myself and I'm bleedin
to death,' moaned the prisoner no
thoroughly alarmed 1t seemed. despit
his desperated attempt at self mu
der.
! 1t was discovered at once that Ricl
eson was in critical condition and
:. number Of hysicians and surgeon
!. were sunoned. They found Richeso
:, suffering tortnres. He was immediat
!. ly placed under an anasthetic an
:. his wounds examined. 1t was decide
= = after hasty consultation, that an O
: Grafton was necessary. Drs. Broug
: Ames, Sargeant and Lathrop. WI
. had been summoned, assisted.
= Every element of mystery possib
= to conjecture is woven into the stol
= OF the life of Richeson and the deaf
Of Avis LinnelL 1t began in a lit
: love affair back in the Cape Cod v
i lage of Hyannis and ended in IL
!, girls tragic death in Boston. TT
- story runs the gamut of human EN-
tions.
Two years ago, when Rev. Richeso
= graduated only few months from Il
! Newton theological seminary. WI
7 called to the pastorate Of the Hyann
= Baptist church, where Avis Lime
was one OF the prettiest of the youn