The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-20
Charged He Gave Miss Avis Len
nell Poison as Medicine.
WOULD WE'D ANOTHER
Had Broken His Engagement
With the Girl.
Pastor of a Baptist Church at
Cambridge, Mass.

J
Virgil Thompson Richeson, pastor Of
the Emmanuel Baptist church, Cam
bridge, was arrested here today charg-
ed with the murder by poison of Avis
Linnell of Hyannis, Mass, to whom
It is said he promised himself in mar
riage but had broken the engagement.
The arrest was made after a group of
policemen had been on guard over night
at the home Of Moses Grant Edmands
| in the fashionable Chestnut Hill dis
tf1ct whose daughter, Violet Rfcheson,
expected to marry on October 81. At
a brlet formal hearing in the munich
pal court after his arrest, Richeson was
! held without bail for further exarni-
nation October 81, the date set for his
| wedding, and was sent to Jail pending
further proceedings.
Just previous to going to the place
where she died the evening of October
Il Miss LInnel had read the announce
ment IN newspaper of the approaching
nuptlals of Mr.. Richeson and Miss Ed
nands. AT first it was believed to be
a case of suicide but substantial evi-
| dence showed that the girl had re-
| ceIved the poison and taken it in be
| lief 1t was medicine.
After his arrest today Richeson de-
cl1ned to answer any questions by the
police and when taken before Judge
Murray of the municipal court, waived
a reading of the complaint Miss Ed
inands and her mother are overcome by
the deVelopments and it was announc-
4 ed today that the wedding had been in
definitely postponed.
Girl Took Cyanide.
1t was intimated that the discovery
/ of new facts in connection with cir
cumstances surrounding the death of
| the girl, who took cyanide of potas-
sium, believing it to be medicine
caused the visit.
The officers visited the home of
Moses Grant Edmands. the father of
! Violet EdmandS, to whom the Rev.
/ Mr.. Richeson is betrothed, and where
he is stopping, accompanied by
stenographer-
Miss Lennei is believed formerly
/ to have been engaged to the Rev.
| Rlcheson, but it is said the engage
ment was broken and the clergyman
| later became engaged to Miss Ed
mands. Friends of the minister, how
ever, have insisted in public state
ments that no engagement with Miss
Lennell ever existed.
Mr.. Richeson, who has been i'll at
the home of Miss Edmands, has
steadily refused to discuss the case.
The minister is a native of Rose
Hill, Va. and has lived in Liberty.
Mo, Carrollton, Mo-, st. Louis and
Louisville. He is 35 years old.
Wedding Set for Tuesday.
For nearly seven hours eight po-
licemen had been waiting outside of
the Edmands home in Brookline for
an opportunity to make the arrest.
No attention was paid during the day
to the police attempts to gain admiS-
sion to the house. The officers had
no warrant for the pastors arrest and
for time the occupants of the house
paid no attention to the repeated rings
on the doorbell, but finally someone
disconnected the wires. Later the
telephone also was disconnected.
Realizing that there was no pros
pect of seeing the minister before day
! = L
Watts of the Boston police depart
ment and Chief Inspector Joseph Du-
gan of the bureau of criminal inves-
tigation placed their men about the
house in such a manner as to cut off
every avenue of escape. After that
the police waited until shortly before
s o'clock when Richeson was taken
into custody.
A day or two before Miss LennelI's
death, cards were issued for the mar
riage of Mr.. RichesOn and Miss Violet
Edmands, which was set forTuesday.
Richeson Bought Poison.
Deputy supt. Watts states that
Richeson was arrested on Information
substantiated by the police that he
bought a quantity of cyanide of potas-
SUM at a drug store in Newton Cen
tre, on October 10.
Were at House All Night
Mr.. Richeson went to the Edmands
home last Sunday night almost imme-
diately after he had been informed of
the sudden death of Alice Linnell Who
it was said, had been for some time his
fiancee- From Sunday night until yes
terday the minister denied himself to
all callers and to every plea for
statement as to his relations with Miss
Linnell. So insistent were the calls
h-wever, that yesterday Mr.. Richeson
| left the Edmands home and eluding
pursuers, came to Boston and sought
counsel calling on James R. Dunbar
Mr.. Richeson was accompanied by Mrs
Edmands. After the call on the au-
tho-ity both returned to Brookline
The police of Boston at last discovered
clues which they had long sought and
which led them to take summary ac-
tion. Police Chief Dugan and Deputr
Superintendent Watts at o'clock pre-
sented themselves before the Edmands
home which was completely surround
ed by police.
I'VE have found out who purchased
cyanide of potassium, we know when
it was purchased and where, and we
are going into that house to ask Mr.
Richeson if he purchased the deadly
drug and at the place in question If
he denies it he viii come out as my
prisoner and be charged with the mur-
der" said Deputy superintendent
Watts to the newspaper men, All
night long the officers waited outside
the house, as the occupants refused to
open the door and without a warrant
the officers could not enter by force
At daybreak evidences of life inside
the house were observed.
An hour and a half later Chief
Dugan saw q maid at a kitchen win
dow and asked her to say to Mr.. Ed
mandS that there are officers out here
and that they want to speak with
him; tell him that we don't want to
breaI r down the door h11t that we must