Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-21


ton finally amounted to enough poison
to kill 10 men.
As Mr.. Richeson turned to go, Hahn
SAYS he reminded him of his coming
marriage and said.
Don't forget TO come" adding:
| 1t must seem mysterious to you
about my buying this, but you can
| keep a secret
1t was this story related early this
morning to Chief Inspector Joseph
| BHgan Of the Boston police by an at
] torneY whom Hahn had retained that
set the police off with the purpose of
! Immediately arresting Mr. Richesou
| Police officials said tonight that this
was the one link missing in the chain
by which they had earlier connected
Mr. Richeson with the case.
The police party of a dozen, headed
by Deputy Supt. Watts and Inspector
bHean, augmented by as many more
newspaper mon, formed a Gordon
I around the home of Mr.. Iidmands in
the Fashionable Chestnut Hill section
of ErookIine shortly after midnight.
| This followed the failure to secure a
reply from any person in the house,
despite repeated knockings. Efforts to
raise the people in the house by door
bells and by telephone developed the
seeming fact that all wires had been
cut or disconnected.
Throughout the early morning hours
no response could be secured from the
| house, but shortly before S o'clock Mr..
/ I1dmands appeared. following an ul-
timatum by Supt Watts to the effect
that if he did not appear the doors
uould be broken in. MIR Ed1nands
7 then explained that he did not know
| the crowd outside" was officers. %
| thought they were newspaper men.
| he explained.
The story of Rev. Mr.. Richeson' s
arrest is perhaps best told in the
words of Sapt. Watts, contained in an
official statement:
When we went up TO Richeson's
room he WAS in bed and awake, but
| locked much disturbed.
"He tremhed as he dressed himself.
/ told Richeson he would have to go
| to police headquarters and be charged
with the murder of Miss Avis Linnell.
He looked perturbed and asked that
| he might be allowed to drink a glass
Of hot milk He had the hot milk.
"He then asked to talk with Mr..
f.dmands. He did so. He then went
down stairs with us and into the room
where Miss Violet Edmands and her
'"rhen came the most pathetic feature
of the arrest.
across the hall lay Miss Violet Ed
mands. i'll and unnerved by the shock
Her mother stood by the bedside as we
Ioicboeon having asked the DriV-
ilege of saying farewell
1T was an affecting scene. even for
he hardened police officials. Richeson
walked slowly to the bedside and as soon
al he bent over to caress Miss Edmands,
the girl burst into tears, as she partly
raised herself up and threw her arms
about his neck. She said nothing. but
clung to him convulsively.
"Don't cry. dear. said Richeson in a
low, soothing voice. as he gently stroked
her hair Don't cry. Everything will be
all right"
Had Avis Linnell taken the poison
which caused her death In any other
manner than that in which she did, her
death must have been dismissed, as ii
was first believed to be. as suicide The
ldtdt HDNdtE NllCu SIG dIttpttu u uSt
ingly from a friend as corrective foI
the condition which she was trying tt
remedy, was taken while the young wo
| man was seated in a chair in her bait
| room at the home of the Young Wo
| mems Christian Association, where sh,
had been living. Her feet were in tut
| of hot water and a change of clothinl
was laid out nearby. Careful considera
ton of these circumstances induced Med
zeal Examiner Timothy j. Leary Il
| change his verdict of suicide TO one o
murder He said the indications wor'
| all against the young woman's hayins
| taken the poison to kill herself,
| Police investigation of the incidents fol
| lowing the finding of a young woman''
body on Saturday afternoon, developed
Che statement from a young woman at
| tachod to the Y. w c. A. home tha
when Mr.. Rcheson answered the tee
phone he showed little interest in the
announcement OF Miss Linnells death
even saying that he did not see why ne
should be called in tho matter. But be-
fore leaving the telephone he asked, ac
cording TO the young woman;
'Did Miss LnneH say anything before
sac dleof ks.a
The answer was that she did not.
Mr.. Richeson is known to have de-
MED at different times that he was en-
leaged to Miss Linnell and also thai
he was engaged to Miss Edmands
This latter denial was made last weel
to Mrs. LinnelL mother of the deaC
girl, when she was in Boston on
Visit to her daughter Mrs. Linnel
lhad seen the published announcement
of MIR. Riehesons engagement to Mis-