The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-09

an indictment against Richie
VINO ieaued not guilty. His trial
was fixed for January Is. Later he
resigned his pastorate.
Isicheson is about 35 years old and
was born at Rose Hill. Va.
Church Officer Who Believed Him
Guilty.
Cambridge, Mass, Jan. 6.-Chas. T.
Cummings. of Belmont, clerk of the
Emmanuel Baptist Church, over which
the Rev. G. v. T. I;icheson resided.
said upon learning of the confession:
Il am not surprised. The actions
of the minister have not been con-
sistent with those Of an innocent
man"
What the Indictment Charges.
The Indictment against I;icheson
charged that he "feloniously. Wilfully
and Of his malice aforethought, gave
Miss Linnell cyanide of potassium
with deadly intent, and that because
Of hen death, he is guilty of murder
in thet first degree.
District Attorney Pelletier declared
today after the confession had been
made public, that the trial set for
January Is would surely be called,
and that he would accept no cOmprO-
mise in the way Of a plea to Il lesser
crime.
Only Two OF Escaping EIcc-
trio Chair.
It was pointed out tina if the dis
trict attorney maintained this attitude,
only an inSanity commission OF conn
mutation by the executive council and
| the governor could say Richeson
from the electrict chair. 1t lies, how
ever, with the court and the district
attorney t o accept q minor plea, such
modification usually coming through
m weak link in the governments
case.
Today's Developments in II of the
most interesting murder cases in the
history of the state was not altogether
unexpected by some of those in close
touch with the situation. From the
beginning the prosecuting authorities
have asserted that their evidence was
strong, although when it came to the
actual delivery Of the poison to the
girl, there appeared to be a missing
link in the chain.
His Sensational Act in Prison.
Richeson himself probably provided
the greatest sensation in the case
when. early on December 20, he mutt
lated himself 50 horribly that his life
hung in the balance for some hours
and was saved only by an operation
even while bleeding from his
wounds he is said to have chung to hi
counsel, William A. Morse, and plead,
ed to be allowed to tell him the whole
story. Feeling that his client nigh
be laboring from a loss OF mental a:
we'll as physical strength, Mr.. Morse
refused to hear him and, during hi:
convalescences, Richeson remained
quiet; in fact, almost s~peechless.
Under Great Mental Strain.
When the attorneys visited thei1
client early this week, RichesOn criet
out that he was guilty, and declared
his intention Of making a clean breas
OF the crime. He plainly was undo
great mental stress, and his condition
was such hat his counsel would no
accept his suggestion. They urge,
him to think the matter over calmly
and left him. On Wednesday the at
torneys again visited his cell, and tn
confession, made public Oday, wa
written then by the prisoner in spit
Of efforts of counsel to dissuade him
as they feared the mental strain ha
weakened his reasoning powers
RicheSOn insisted, however, and pre-
pared and signed the confession i
the presence Of the lawyers Withou
q tremOr. AS he landed the dOcu
ment to his counsel, he exclaimed
THANK God, l have eased my con
science Of hat load
A second copy of the confession ha
been drawn up and was signed b
Richcson, and this copy, dated Jar
uary 5, was turned over to distrit
attorney. A conference followed. bl
n whether it had any bearing upon VIII
G is in store for Richeson was not mad
|. known. Everything hat seemed t
# hint at q compromise was discredite
v by the district attorney today.
e District Attorney PeIletier pointe
out today that the confession is not
plea Of guilty to the Indictment, a
2 though it is available as evidence in
trial and to a jury it Oul mean on
conviction.
a Speculation as to Promise OF Glen
ency.
n AS a first degree verdict is II
worst outcome that the defense cou.
expect, astute lawyers remarked t
night that OunSe would rarely pc
not a confession to go forth Witho1
!. hope of something less than the dea
5 penalty, and it is the general opiniC