New-York tribune., 1911-10-22
Police Say Evidence Points to
Richeson as Avis LinneIl's "MaIe
Friend" at Luncheon.
TELEPHONE TALK A CLEW
Il Dined with Mr.. Richeson,"
Declared by Witness To Be
Last Words Avis Linnell Ut
tered Before Taking Poison.

D
which the Rev. Clarence V. T. Richeson
was arrested Yesterday for the murder
~ Avis Linnel. nineteen years old. tho
police to-day concentrated their Efforts
toward ascertaining dehnit, = whetnsr
it was Mr. Richeson or another person
! who had luncheon with the young music
student last Saturday afternoon, few
hours before she took the cyanide of
potassium from which she died.
According 10 the police tonight tneY
! have evidence indicating that Mr. hlcn-
eson is the male friend" who was nsr
companion. They have worked on the
theory since the discovery Of the crims
| that the man with whom Miss LinnelL
! too, luncheon on Saturday afternoor
was the person who gave 10 her the fa'ai
poHder which she took IN the pehes
that It would remedy her physical coa"
dtion.
Attempts By the police to-day 70 secur"
| from the rooms in Cambridge occupied
| by Mr.. Richeson some article which
might further connect him with ths
| poison were frustrated unexpectedly.
| Chief Inspector Joseph DuEan declared
that when his inspectors went 10 tfe
pastors rooms they found everything IN
disorder. the result Of general ransacs-
| ing which occurred prior to the visit ot
the police The identity of the person oe
! persons who thus destroyed apparently
al, possibility Of the police securing any
evidence in the room Is unknown, thouzn
/ it has been given out that newspaper
reporter impersonated an officer and
1 secured entrance 70 the apartment
! Say Richesor Lurehsd with Girl
/ The police reported to-day that they
/ had discovered the restaurant at which
I Avis Linneu lunched on Saturday and
| that Mr.. Richeson was the man who
| accom- pa MED her. II was said that
Young woman who, like Miss Linneh,
| lived at the Young Womens Christian
/ Association Building gave this lnforma-
/ tiOn to Chief Inspector Dugan This
witness. who is believed 20 be the last
person To have talked with Avis Linnell
before she went to her room and TOOK
the fatal dose. says that almost the Il 81
words uttered by the unfortunate girl
were.
! "I dned with Mr.. Richeson
The polio. were encouraged Yesterday
| 10 pursue their investigation in the di-
rection OF determining definitely whether
Mr.. Richeson lunched with Miss Linneil
on Saturday afternoon by learning from
a Cambridge man that on Thursday OF
last week the minister was overheard TO
make an appointment for luncheon on
saturday AT the Young Women's Chris
ton Association Building, which he had
called on the telephone. John F. Dan
skin. the informant Of the police. stated
that Mr. Richeson had called Miss Linz
nell on the telephone from the panskn
home on several occasions, and that Mrs.
Danskin heard tho conversation.
The Dansr-sn residence is at 80. IA
Magazine street. Cambridge. Across the
wav is the house in which Rcheson re-
sided. According 10 the story which MIS-
Dans<in told her husband. the minister
called al her home on Thursday OF lasr
week about 8 o'clock and asked permis-
sion 70 use the telephone His request
was granted. and Mrs. Danskin says she
overheard him call oxford 2-f'o''
which is the number Of the telephone as
the Young Women's Christian Associa-
ton.
81 VIII See You Saturday
Mrs Danskin was near by and declares
she heard the conversation which the
clergyman carried on with the person
AZ the other end OF the line. He spoke
IN a low voice and frequently he laughed.
His parting words. Mrs. Danslin says.
were. Well. I will see you on saturday,
Mrs Danskin has no doubt that ths
person 10 whom the minister spoke "as
a woman. The number he called re-
manned in her memory, and she. oeing
curious. later found out that this was
the phone number Of the Young Wom-
ems Christian Association home. Shs
mentioned the conversation To her nus
hand when he came home but thers-
after the incident was not recalled unui
the clergyman became involved IN ths
death OF Avis Linnell The information
was then given 10 the police.
There is evidence hat about the ums
on the Thursday afternoon when Riches
son asked II he might use the Danskln
telephone. Avis Linnell was called 20 the
reIephone i'm the Y w. G. 4. home. she.
TOO was heard 10 laugh as she talked.
and when she was through she turned TO
q voung woman who stood near her. and
said:
Il have made an engagement TO mncn
with my gentleman friend on saturday
Chief Dugan claims TO have learned
that Richeson dined last Saturday at tho
home of Mrs. Frank r. Riley, of Somer-
viue who has been a member OF the
Emmanuel Baptist Church many years.
After throwing himself ON couch and
exclaiming that he had lost dear friend,
Richeson said she died OF convulsions,
accorIing TO the police account OF Mrs.
Ruev's story. The police now seek 10
know how the minister knew this friend
died Of conyulsions.
Writes His Resignation.
II is understood that Mr.. Rcheson
wrote i'm his cell to-day letter in which
he resigns from his pastorate of the In
manuel Baptist Church, Cambridge. His
psrishioners were given TO understand
| last night at the regular weekly prayer
meeting Of the church that his resIgna-
/ 80, y,orld no forthcoming AZ the seryica