The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-16
Of THE CRIMINAL AND CRIME
FOR WHICH CIV. R|CHES0N IS CONVICTED

which Clarence Virgil Thompson
Richcson. at the time of his arrest
pastor OF the Emmanuel church of
Cambridge, was sentenced to die IN
the elcctrir N.air. was the confessed
murder of his former sweetheart, ~
years OLD Avis Linnell of Hyannis, a
pupil in tho New England conscrNa-
tory of music in Boston.
The girl stood in tic Way of the
ministers marriage to Miss Violet Ed
rnands. a society girl and heiress OF
!Sroohlinc, both trough an nsagc
mer which still existed between the
TWO and because of a CONDITION IN
which Miss Linncll found herself. me
girl was deceived into taking a poison
given her by Richcson. which SHE be-
lieved would ~"dy that condition
and died in her rooms at thc Young
Wonlan's Christian association. on the
evening of Oct. II. 1914. ON h ii
day Invitations had been is*'"d for
the wedding ceremony Was TO unite
Rev. MIR. ftichcson and Miss isdmands.
As pastor "f 2 small church in the
Care Cod oWM Of Ilvannis two years
before. the handsome II eloquent
ininistcr, thoh - Years old. had been
attracted to Mis- Linncll who was an
"Nccp,ion.!ly pretty girl of II years,
she lived WITH her parents, her ia
Their. Edgar I%innell. being a r"ntrac-
tor and builder. Ii Was her ambition
tn become Il teacher and sn" was at
:"nains thu state normal school AZ
tlNanniS.
loves story Began.
Miss linno!l ininoh l;ichoson's
'hurch. WAS baptized ny him and he
came a member of the church rholr'
In a short time. early in 1909. MISS
l.inneil Was displaying Il dianlonf! nm:
and cortidcd in her Girl friends that
sh" was t" y" married 20 til" minister
th" FOLLOW in" %th:nh"r. !th"n""nilG
her plan Of Incoming Il school teach
~ Mie, l.inn"ll began preparation
or her w'ddlne. Some ~ her tr"ns
:rau WIS completed and TIN" t"" pail
:, visit Ia !:"p. Edward : cotton "i
,:roW>tcr Nhu "tg asked I" "~tf'riit'
~ III" ,"rnlm"nt.
Friction d"'"l"l'"'l l'"t"'"n El"l'"-
snn and his ,~l","ons in juno. i"lh,
ov.r tho vn,In. minister's inpetnoris
manner and his violent l%snguag"
There MAS ais" u question a. =" tn
'nsS al $40 N 7"n"N which had t."r
VT ~ - .rishirnor in tho ptstor
study. Tn" minister declared he had
lNocn rni,l,rd "t III" mon"N. shortly
A%ftcrwarl it vas learned that H." ha'
@"nt a similar s'lm hN money order
from n nrarhy town Ia a Woman ir
stt'I 'bif.' ' .t's U Nil'. ms ' >il'f
ii"n followed! aud h" .3crcrto :; cal
20 III" lnman"al Baptist rhlrcA "i
Cambridge.
Who's j;ioj,r%"n ""nt T." C4mhrids,
Miss l.irr"li YOU, {" the CONSERVATION
of music in R"st"m. SIN" Ms induced
IL" attend the rnS"rNntorN by III" min.
7strr in tho idnt that it ,ho "ultiVa.
ton of h"r vnirN which had given
Signs at much nr"inis, in tn" lIYan-
niG rhMr"h "h"ir. sl1" would better III
herself Z" become his wife. ON thu
minister's recommendation til" cir
TOOK a room at the Young Woman's
christian 1850. ALTON quarters on Wal
rcnton street. BOSTON. Sh" proved 3.
dilic"nt student and continued her
day school "f Trenton Temple. tht
l"a"ing Baptist church "f tn" city
There We're frequent meetings hctwcc,
Miss I.inn"ll and Richcson.
Trra'bcrN and Trouble.
The successes which tho young
preaclher attained in his larger sphere
of usefulness made q marked impress
81 upon him. surrounded hr in.
tluential friends and associates hi
ambitions evidenced Ile began to pay
court to Miss Violet l.dmands OF
y okline. the daughter of Moses
Grant 1Idnl"nds. ~ prominent Fa ptist
laNnan and trustee" nj the Newton
theological seminary. from which
Richcson Fad heen graduated. Miss
f2dmands was prominent socially and
WIS wealthy in her rWn light. as well
as entitled 10 share in the estate al
some $3.50. 600 left hv her grandfa-
Their. Entrance to the exclusive home
of tho Edrlards had been easy 10 the
minister as til" pastor of the church
the family attended. and in A short
tim" ''o "aa accepted as sutton for the
daughters hand.
At Nh" %ame time R!cheson Wa
~ecting Mss r.innell as formerly. Pu,
one ~" he borrowed the damon
ring he had given her. on the prctex,
that &c stone needed resettins. He
mot return IT. Eventually Tho
ncN' snhncrS announced the engage.
ment nf Rev. Mr.. Richeson and Mis-.
Violet EdmNAds. The Linncll famil,
d. landed n explanation. The min.
lster promptly declared the story q
"neWsphper fake" and Was believed
The invitations to the wedding OF
~ 1cson and Miss Edmands were
sent out the afternoon of Saturday
o. r ~. That same afternoon
Rl.hes"n dinrI With Avis l.inn"1l a,
2 little restaurant in the Back Bav
W"'n there tho girl appeared dis.
'ressnd. NJ times tears rolled dow,
n"r checks. Whom she returned :,
her lodging place. however. she seem.
cd tlen-" 2lthnllpb ,,inl.J,. 80.