Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-10-23
PREACHER TRIAL
IN JANUARY.
Boston District Attorney Expects to
Obtain Murder Indictments
Next Month
HAS STRONG CASE
pr tends of Richeson viii Try aud Prone
1 IIbf-MIss Edmands Declares she Is
Ready to go on stand and swear to His
Wher eabouts.

Boston, Oct. 23.-That former
suitor for Avis Linnells- hand was
responsible for her shame, and that
he and not Rev. Clarence V. T. Rich
eson, gave the girl >the drug that
killed her, will be one of the chief
points for the defense when the Cam
bridge pastor is placed on trial. was
youched for today by one of the clos
est personal friends of Moses Grant
Edmands, father of Richeson's fan
Gee.
According to this same friend, the
Edmands family will also attempt to
set up an. alibi for Richeson, and 1t
is declared that Miss Edmands herself
is ready to take the stand and swear
that the pastor was with her all day
on the Saturday Miss Linnell was
given the poison.
In addition, it is declared Edmands
will produce in court a bottle OF cy-
anide of potassium, said to have been
found in Richeson's room. This
will be submitted, it is said, to Drug
gist William Hahn, Of Newton Cen
ter. and he will be asked if it does
not contain the exact amount OF cy-
anide he gave Richeson when the lat
ter asked for poison ito kill a dog. :
Richeson, composed and calm as
ever, slept well last night in the
Charles street Jail. He awakened
early and Immediately called for
morning papers. He sought every
line printed about the Linnell case,
but made absolutely no comment.
Richeson insists on living as the
other prisoners. He was told that
he might have his food sent in to
1iiin, But declared he was content to
eat the prison fare.
He talks freely with the jailers on
matters except the Linnell murder.
On this subject he is mum. He per-
sistently refuses to see reporters or
police officers.
Abandoning their efforts to secure
a statement from Richeson, the po-
lice today began search of every no
tel and restaurant in Boston, IL an
effort to discover where Richeson and
Miss Linnell spent their time to-
gether.
The statement, coming from one OF
the closest friends OF Moses Grant
Edmands, that the defense will seek
to lay Miss Linnells death at the
door of former suitor, came as a
distinct surprise. Up to date there
had never been any mention of any
man other than DR.. Richeson, IN
whom Miss Linnell had shown even
a passing interest. The Edmands
family, it is declared, claim to be IN
the possession Of information that
this other man was responsible for
the serious physical condition IN
which Miss Linnell found herself, and
that he either gave her the drug to
kill her, or that she took it with sui
cidal intent when she learned that
her disgrace must soon become public
To bear out this contention, the
defense, in the hands OF Attorney
Dunbar, a son of James R. Dunbar,
Edmands' personal attorney, is said
to have in its possession bottle Of
cyanide of potassium found in Rich
eson's room.
It is not denied that Richeson's S
rooms were searched by private de-
tectives before the police searched
them last Friday. These private de-
tectives, Dunbar admits, were IN his
employ, and he has assumed full res
possibility for their acts. They TOOK
away from Richeson's rooms a suit
case full of stuff. 1t is said they
found the bottle of drug said to have
been sold to Richeson by Druggist
Hahn. This bottle, the defense
claims, contains exactly the amount
of cyanide that Richeson secured
from Hahn. 1t will be set up that
Richeson really did want to kill a
dog, but that he never used any of
the poison, and that it was not from
this supply that Miss Linnell secured
the drug that killed her.
The Edmands family today was en-
gagged in boxing and shipping back
the numerous wedding presents that
had been received from all parts OF
the country. Miss Edmands herself
is still prostrated and under the care
of a physician.