The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-11-02

BOSTON, MASS.-Special.- When
the special grand jury gathered
at the courthouse in Pemberton
Square to take up the case of the
murder of Avis Linnell, the plans Of
defense, which will be set up by coun-
sci for the Rev. Clarence V. T. Richie
son, accused of the crime. were first
made known The defense was for
mulated yesterday at a long confer
ence i'm the office of Lawyer Philip
II. Dunbar.
At this conference were Thomas
Narland RichesOn. the aged father OF
the clergyman, and NJ. GrS Ed
mands, the millionaire father q Miss
Violet Edmands, the fiancee of the
minister.
These are the lines along which the
attorneys will fight for the life and
liberty of the clergyman:
First. An aIibi will be offered,
purporting to show that RichesOn
did rot see Avis LinneII from the
day he bought the cyanide of
potassium until the day of her
death.
Second. That Richeson did buy
the poison from Druggist Hahn,
hut he bought il for the purpose
spcCiiicd-tO kill female dog
that he anticipated would become
n nuisance.
Third. That the dog was kill
eel. The body of the dog will be
produced in court. The clergy
man killed a cat, IL will be shown,
ut the same time.
Fourth. That Richeson loved
Avis Linnell as u very dear friend;
that he learned that she was i'm
trouble. and that his meeting
with her in Boston previous TO
the time the poison was bought
was simply that of clergyman
who was SolicitOuS a. TO the well
fare of the girl and who was try
ing to help her.
Bars Between Father and Son.
The father and other relatives of
RichesOn, as we'll as NJ. Grant Ed
mands. are satisfied of the innocence
of the accused clergyman. This feel
ing was increased when the prisoner
in the Charles Street Jail stood there
with tears streaming from his eyes.
and looking through the mist into
his fathers eyes, cried:
Father. I'm innocent-Tm inno-
cent"
81 believe you, my boy" replied the
father. You could not have done it
Chief Dugan, in a statement today.
intimated that the police have failed to
gether on the Saturday of her death.
1t was on that day that they believe
Richeson gave her the cyanide of po-
tassium with which she killed herself.
against the accused Clergyman to prove
that they did meet on that day.
might have sent the poison to the girl
by mail, but this, at present, is a mere
unsupported hypothesis.
So far nothing is known to have been
established to substantiate this theory.
and it is hardly believed that man of
Richeson's acumen would take chances
with murderouS intent.
1t has been announced that Medical
Examiner Leary found enough poison
in the body of the dead choir singer to
Kill seven men or women, and ii was
limited today that the second eXamina-
ton of the body, made in the early
some new facts that are not entirely in
consonance with the conditions thought
to exist a the autopsy.
Just what these were the police are
carefully guarding.
Fifteen Witnesses Summoned.
About fifteen witnesses were sum
moned to attend the special sitting OF
the grand jury today to testify in the
poison mystery.
Avis Linnell told her that she dined
with ItichesOn on the Saturday after
noon before she took the poison, and
that he gave her headache powder
viii not testify. as the police wish to
keep her identity a secret and spring
her as a surprise on the defense later
The members of the Linnell family
left Hyannis at 1920 today to come to
Boston and appear before the grand
jury 1t is possible that the middle of
next week Will see none of the Richie
sons remaining in Boston
The family is positive in its declara-
tons that the pastor is innocent. Miss
Lilly Riches has called on her brother
in his cell and came away convinced
OF his innocence. She told him she be-
iieved in him absolutely. and would re-
turn to Boston at any time that her
presence would be Of help to him. A
few hours later she left the Parker
phia.
Colonel Richeson declares he is "the |
happiest man in Boston today" His
solutely confident of his sons acquittal. |