The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-25
Body of Avis Linnell Re
moved From Grave and
t AIKEN to Boston.
FIVE EXPERTS NOW
FlGU re IN CASE
Richeson Addresses Letter to His
Congregation Asking for Con-
sideration Until After Grand
Jury Meets-Father of Ac-
cused Man Believes in
His Innocence.

Boston, Mass. October 24-Removed
to-day from the grave in the cemetery
at Hyannis. the body of Miss Avis LIN
nell for whose death the Rev. c. ". T.
! Richeson of Cambridge Is being held
! responsible was brought back to Bos-
ton tonight by order of District At
! torney Pelletier. Uncertainty on the
part OF the prosecution as to the exact
manner in which the young girl met
her death is reported unoficially to
be the reason for the sudden move,
and the announcement by the district
attorneys office that the government
mad enlisted five medico-legal experts
gave some strength to this report.
incidental to the examination of the
body, the officials also will make a
careful search of Miss Linnelrs bath
robe. which was buried with the BODY.
Tor anything which might have been
used as receptacle for the fatal now
der she took. No definite statement az
TO lust what Is expected to be accom-
plished by the re-exauination of the
| body came from the district attorney's
| office tonight.
The experts enlisted by the govern
ment include DR.. Timothy Leary medt-
cal examiner for Suffolk county and
professor of patholog and legal medi-
cine at Tufts Medical school; DR.. VIII
liam F. hitney, medico-legal expert
chemist of Harvard Meo cal School:
| Dr. Charles Sedgwick Minot. professor
| OF embryology at Harvard Medical
School. and DR. r. l. Emerson
| DIR. Leary has had charge of the case
since the discovery of the body. while
| DR.. Whitney has been at, work for
nearly week on the stomach and
other organs of the dead girl, pre-
pairing an ANALYSIS OF their contents.
Letter to Congregation.
| Richeson to-day addressed the fol-
! lowing letter to is congreEat ton at
the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Cam
| bridge:
Dear Brethren: appreciate tito
position In which the church is now
placed. but ask It's consideration up-
Ill after the preliminary hearing. or.
If the grand jury previously meets
then until that time.
Most fraternally,
CLARENCE V. T. RIcHEsoN."
The next regular meeting of the
church Will be held Friday night, ths
aay after the grand jury is expected to
/ begin Its deliberations. The letter
probably will be read then, and IT ia
| possible the grand jury may have
! reached Il finding that the church will
be able to act on. The fact that Mr..
Richeson asked consideration only un-
| I'll after the grand jury meets was
taken by his friends tonight as strong
indication of his hope that the governs
| ment will fail to make out case
| against him.
| Colonel Thomas Varland Richeson.
OF Amherst. Va. father of the prisoner,
arrived in Boston this forenoon from
| his Virginia home. and probably VIII
visit his son tomorrow.
Colonel Richeson declared his belief
! in his sons innocence.
Defense Confident.
The defense declares the search for
/ the other man" has developed many
points favorable to the accused minis
ter What these points are. they de-
cline to divulge.
1t was learned authoritatively to-
day that the defense will be based on
the grounds of reasonable doubt"
Ten distinct grounds will be advanc-
| cd They are
First. Richeson will admit that he
had been engaged to Avis Linneu at
the time he fell in love with Violet
Edmands. the 'heiress, and will admit
| that he was in a quandary as to Just
how to break off the engagement with
| Miss Lnnell
Second Richeson will attempt to
show that when he left Hyannis, Miss
! Linnell was reconciled to the breaking
| of the engagement. and had offered
| MIN back his engagement ring.
Third. he viii! deny absolutely any
| improper relations with Avis Linneu
| and any knowledge OF her physical
condition.
Fourth. he will claim that the only
times he met Miss Linnell this fall
were at her request and to offer her
friendly advice.
Fifth he will admit buying cyanide
of potassium from Druggist Hahn, but
Will deny that ne said he wanted to
Kill "a female dog about to have pip
pies" or that he asked Hahn to keep
| the purchase secret
Sixth he will produce the original
vial o. cyanide. with its contents. 50
| far as can be proven. intact.
| Seventh. he will give as his reason
for not killing the dog that the Car
| tcrs with whom he roomed. were fond
OF the animal and. as he intended to
move. decided not to kali the dog
/ Eighth. he will try to establish an
alibi for his movements on the Sat-
urday that Avis Linnell met her
death. He Will deny having met her
that day.
| Ninth, he viii produce letters show
I ing that Avis Linneli regarded their
enga cement broken.
Tenth. he viii deny most OF the
alleged telephone conversations the b
police claim to have witnesses to sup-
port.
The theory of the defense that AVIS
Linneil knsw the drug she swallowed