The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-10-21
REV RICKES0N' EFF|GYI
HUNG IN FRONT OF CHURCH
OFFICIALS BUSY. WEAVING. Evl.
DENcE TO CONNECT UP THE
{ PREACHER WITH THE ACT OF
ADMINISTERING IS CYANIDE OF
POTASSIUM TO AVIS LlNNEL. -.

N !. - t-Lll By lnlteu frcfSD t-sF..4=T-
BOSTON,, Mass. Oct. 2l.-Gaunt
and haggered, physically and mentally
wrecked, Rev. Richeson sits In cell
No. AZ Mn the mqrderers' row, in
Charles street jail today.
The autopsy revealed that Avis Lin.
nell was soon to become mother.
The had q blameless reputation un.
til she fell under the spell Of Rev.
Rlcheson. Y
The police believe that she took
poison to avert the impending shame.
g.. Miss Edmands Is older than the
preacher. and is not beautiful. She
is worth a half million.
The police say that the only miss.
Ing link is how RichesonG gave the
poison to the girl.
They expect to explain that within
q few hours.
They declare that they have wit.
ness that heard the preacher tele.
phone Miss Avis. T'll, see you Satur-
day afternoon. 1t seems q long time
till then"
The police will try to prove he was
with her the afternoon before her
death.
Rlcheson refuses to speak. and
scarcely replies to the guards ques
tions.
He is guarded constantly for 1t is
feared he will commit suicide.
He sat thinking last night, ana
didn't sleep.
His flance and her mother-are con.
WINGED Of his Innocence. The girl is
prostrated.
Hyanis,t Mass. Oct. 21.-Until noon
today the efiigy Of Rev. Rlcheson
hung in IN elm tree In front OF the
Baptist church, whef9 he first met
the dead girl. - - : 81. -
1t was hung late last night after the
weekly prayer meeting.
After the prayer, meeting the Fish.
er folk. towns people, played for rot.
giveness for the girl'and filed out.
At a sign from the leader, man
produced an efIigy clothed in minis.
ter's garb.
The figure bore two ,placards, Gull.
ty Rev. Rtcheson. see. Luke 17:2,
1t were better for him that mill
stone were hanged about his neck, and
cast into the sea lest he offend one Of
these little ones" The other read:
vigilance Committee" They pulled
up the effigy.
]. Wickerson, a Boston salesman.
stopping on a cross street. cut the ef,
hgy down, saying that he couldn't
stand 1t any longer to watch the
ghoullsh thing swinging against the
dreary back ground OF the grey sky.
BOSTON. Oct. 21.-Rev. Charles
Croft, who will occupy the pulpit at
the Baptist church tomorrow announc
ed this afternoon that Rlcheson is pre-
pairing formal statement to be read
in the pulpit by Rev. Croft tomorrow
Sensationallsm has always Leen the
keynote OF Richesons sermons and
avoidance and religious topics. He
fascinated his audience with popular
topics OF the day, such as crime waves
POLITICAL corruption.
The white slave traffic was his fav
orite subject. In bitter denouncla
ton OF men who betrayed women
His parishIoners who were accustom
ed to old time preaching, objected tc
his preaching. Many severed their re
latlons. He was popular with the
younger element especially with
younger element especially with the
young girls. He had the southern
courtesy, which made hit with wo
men and It was mainly through the
womens influence that he was retair
ed rs pastor.
The membership was divided somc
what some wanted him 10 resign
while others opposed It,