Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-20

USES PIECE OF RUSTY TIN
Intellectual Attempt on. the Part OF Oh
ficiaIs TO suppress Ne~s--Dlscharse"
Prisoner Tells the Story.

Roston. Dec. 20.-Rev. Clarence
Virgil Thompson Richeson, former
pastor OF the ultra-fashionable I'M
manuel Baptist church of Cambridge
ho,a in the Charles Street Jail on the
charge of numbering pretty Avis
inneu, attempted to commit suicide
NJ $50 o'clock this morning. %6 He
may recover.
Richeson stabbed himself in the
groin with . piece Of Unjust as
his guards were changing. He was
rushed to the prison hospital in a
critical condition.
There is no escape from confess
sion but suicide" once declared Dam
iel Webster. in famous New Eng
land murder trial, 'and suicide is
confession" Though Richeson is
moi known TO have confessed. many
believe his attempted suicide TO-DAY
was impelled by conscience which
gave him no rest.
Desperate efforts were made by tue
prison officials to prevent the news
of the attempted suicide from becom-
ing known When Richeson was
found in his cell. in pool OF blood,
wrthing in pain, he was carried I'M
mediately into the hospital ward and
al the guards and attendants sworn
10 secrecy.
The story leaked out late in the
morning when a short term prisoner
who had seen the wounded man an
his way to the hospital. went to
!. newspaper Office and sofd informa-
ton.
Later il was denied by prison Off
cials but even rs they were denying
il there came ringing through the
prison corridors Richeson's wild
voice
My God I'm dying" he shrieked
again and again, My God. I'm dy-
ing"
1t was only then that the officials
would confirm the story.
Medical Examiners for the county
and number OF physicians were
hurried to the Jail TO attend TO Rich
eson's injury. They declared the
wounds could not have been inflicted
by normal minded man.
At 1890 o'clock Assistant District
Attorney Lavelle, who was hastily
summoned to the Jail. declared the
physicians believed that the wound
ed pastor might live. but that his
condition at that hour was very crit
ical. the nature of his sclt-intlicted
wounds being OF such nature that
blood poisoning might result at
any time.
Richeson timed his attempted sui
eide well and carried out all his plans
with fiendish ingenuity. How he
secured the piece of jagged tin with
which he tortured himself may never
be known though it is said he picked
il UP while being permitted to eNer-
else in the bull pen"
During the night and early morn
Ing guards are changed at o'clock
I 10
been paid by the night guards to
Richeson, for he has been an ideal
prisoner, never giving them any
trouble. As the day guards came
in. however. they heard moans from
Richeson's cell.
What have you done?" demanded
: the warden.
Il have cut myself and am bleed
ing TO DEATH" moaned the prisoner,
now thoroughly alarmed, it seemed.
despite his desperate attempt at
self-murder.
IL was discovered al one that Rich
cson was in a critical condition and
number Of physicians and surgeons
were summoned. They found Rich
suffering tortures. He was immedi-
ately placed under anesthetic and his
wounds examined 1t was decided
after a hasty consultation. that an
operation was necessary. Drs. Brough
Ames, Sargent and Lathrop. who had
been summoned, assisted.
At noon District Attorney Pelle-
tier said Dr. Richeson's condition was
not regarded as critical as at first
thought. and that the trial would be-