Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-21
Alleged Murderer of Avis Linnel
Mutilates Himself with
Piece of Tin.
WILL BIZ WELL BY JANUARY 1t
Trial Of the Clergyman to Pro
coed on Date Set-Conjec-
ture Rife as to His Men-
tai Condition.


breaking the stiffness Of the carly morn
ing hours at the Charles street Jail to
Cay led TO the discovery that tho Rev
Clar,noe =. 7. Richeson, awaiting trta
on the Charge OF having murdered Mis-
Avis LinneIl, had mutllated himself
verev with a piece Of tin. SO serious war
the wound which he had inflicted that It
Wne found necessary to perform an oper-
alton upon him imm ediately. Later In
the day tho surgeons who had performed
this operation said that 1t was entirely
successful and that unless there should
be complications from blood poisoning
which was not anticipated. the prisoner
would recover completely within proba-
bly, two weeks.
County authorities, Jail officials and
counsel for Rlcheson all refused to make
any comment upon the possible menta
processes which led the accused man TO
the determination to injure himself or
upon tho hearing which his act might
have upon the further legal progress OF
his case. District Attorney Joseph c.
Pelletier. who will have charge of the
prosecution of Richeson at the trial, set
for January 10 next, made a brief state
ment in which he asserted that the tria
statement was as follows:
About four o'clock this morning while
in his cell. Richeson inflicted a severe
lacerated wound upon himself with what
is apparently a piece of tin can. Medical
and surgical assistance was Z. once sum
moned ana an operation was Immediately
performed I am informed by the doctors
that his condition is not dangerous, and
it has not been necessary to remove him
from the Jail. The trial will be held on
the date originally assigned, January 15.'
WILL BE WE'LL JANUARY y.
The district attorneys >Nlaration that
| Richeson would be strong enough - 1p-
| pear in court January 10, was corro-
borated by pr. Howard 4. Lothrop, ono
! f ,ho surgeons called 10 attend the
! prisoner
Dr. Lothrop said: UNLESS unlocked for
complications set in. Richeson will be
| completely recovered In 10 days or two
weeks. do not think his condition is Sc
! rious. When l arrived at the Jail he was
bleeding profusely and had a<eady lost
! good deal Of blood. II is unlikely that
| blood poisoning will set In. despite the
| fact that tho injuries were caused by a
! piece Of tin
! Although Richeson's counsel would
not give any intimation as to whether
the defense would seek postpone
ment of th's trial or would take any
other action because of Richeson's act.
they ala say definitely that the ac-
cuse1 clergyman had wounded himself
in an attempt at emasculation.
It was about 400 a m. when n TAIL
attendant heard sounds as of man
in
Then words became distinguishable:
Doctor, oh! Doctor come, doc
tor. quick"
The attendant summoned two others
and the three entered the clergyman's
cell The prisoner lay on IT, ooor
bleeding and evidently undergoins In
tense pain. The attendants asked HIM
what the trouble was and he gasped
i've cut myself I'm bleeding 10
death"
EXCITEMENT IN THE JAIL
AS quickly as possible the prison doc
tors We're brought 10 the cell. When
he saw the nature Of the wound he saio
that an Immediate operation was neces-
sary. Three outside surgeons were called
The prisoners cries and Rroans and the
unusual hustle about the tail by TINS
time had aroused other prisoners IN the
same section Of the building and there
was much suppressed excitement Grad
uallv the news Of Richeson's act spread
among them
1t was through a short time prisoner
who was released to-day, that the new
of Rlcheson's act first became known TO
the public The tail officials had made
no announcement in the matter until
they had been questioned about the re
ports brought out by this man.
William A. Morse, one of Rcheson's
, counsel had been summoned by tele
, phone shorty after tho discovery of the
! wounded man. RE came az once to the
, iail and accepted the assurance of tho
, surgeons that there must he an opera
ton Richeson was removed to the in
| Urinary within the jail and given an
, nnaegthettc Tho operation occupied CON
siderable time ana at its conclusion It
was announced that II had been sue
c-ssfu and that the prisoner was cx-
pected tC make Il speedy recovery.
Whethcr the speed with which Massa-
Chusetts justice has acted III tho lin
nell murder case, coupled with failure of
his counsel to obtain delay, or whether
prison cell, with Il possibility of the
death chair as an end, acted upon the
mind OF the young clergyman and in
sugnted the act are among the Coriec-
lures rife IN the City TODAY