New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-21
RICHESON'S RISE AND FALL
STRIKING CASE OF DUALITY
Development and Degeneration Found Side by Side in
the Murderers Nature

clarence Virgil Thompson Richeson was
sane in the eyes of science and OF the law
nv those tribunals he was held responsible
for the most heinous OF crimes. the be-
travail and murder Of an innocent, trusting
pirI Yet the unfolding OF his career mas
betrayed one of the most remarkable cases
% tho dual nature IN the records OF Grim
inal psychology.
In his nature flowed AT the same uiho
two conflicting Acknowledgment and de-
generation. step by step the poor laTilei =
nov fought his way by his own efforts
through school and college ana se'i'"i"''
to a high place in the social ana pIoi'
sional world; and step by step the s'uluy
vouth of clean. rugged ancestry anu MS"
ideals wallowed down into the tnfne u
moral degradation. Then came the tragic
climax The spiritual leader stood reVea'eu
as a foul murderer
Richeson came Of progressive btocH' ~
the time Of his birth. thirty-hVe years aeO
his father Thomas Varland Rcheson' was
q poor farmer at Rose Hill. Va lo-uaS
,ho father is the prosperous owner Oh
,otacco nlantation near Lynchburg. 30 IN
,ho oarlv davs the ambitious boy had TO
ebift for himself. He attended hish s'hoo'
AT Amherst, Va. when not al "oih ''' $40
father Then. when ready for coAese' ho
oct about earning the needed money
For a time he worked for his uncle on q
farm at Carrollton. Mo. Next ne ran al
elevator I'm a St Louis hardware store ti'
hio faithfulness was rewarded by clerk
chin In 1900 his love OF contest lnuuceu
It,, % take work with the streetcar coIh-
ran,, when a strike was impending lie
i,.a, ,,,ade q conductor on condition that ne
.,,d nv the company in case OF rouple
The strike came, and with II hlcheso" >
a., ,etraval of a weak spot in his char-
oo,or The desire for leadership lnuuceu
him 10 break his agreement WIN INC 'o'i
many and head the demonstrat'o''s "e''''9
Il HIS eloauence proved so powerful WIN
tho crowds of workingmen mat the co'n
many was forced to get an llju"'' '''
against him. $500 1,,u, nam
Gu ofterward he Joined the Third bap-
,ist church OF St Louis and began prepar-
ir, for the ministry. He made sucIi d Ie'-
ord for earncstness and eloqHehCe do
-.ocber I'm the Sunday school that ne was
e., charge of a mission, and there his
,raoching began to draw crowds Ever!
a,,o,inr and all day Sunday he worked at
,bo mission. At the same time ne earheo
his living as a bread salesman
Ordained to Baptist Ministry.
l., tbe summer Of 1907 he took speciai
oo,,rse At William Jewell College, in LAD
or,,, Mo and in the fall he was ordained
60 the Baptist ministry In st. LOUIS.
Al Liberty Richeson met the hrst young
,,.or,gn who has figured in his career OF
,,,is.or romance HIS tall figure. studlous
Co., fuu dark eyes and shaggy black
,',t, oounled with his undoubted eloquence'
ned IN possess a dangerous attraction.
mi, orst dancee was Miss Patsy telts'
- either WAS a member OF the faculty
", w,u,Iam Jewell College. When Rcheson
.,.ur,ed to college as a regular student IN
tao2 ne showed her much attention. once
mil. calling at her home the young stu
don't tainted. Overwork, physician pro-
no,,nced II That won the girls pity. They
hooar,c engaged and she began lending him
money. MI,
,vbne a. william Jewell College Richie
.o, croated a sensation one night by going
a. the home OF young woman who was
said 10 have Tilted him and refusing TO de-
mart tili . o'clock in the morning AT the
time nc apparently had a mt and was re-
moved by fellow students who We're called
I'm by the family The AFFAIR was huShed
up at the time.
Another sensational incident OF his career
forced his resignation from ncth""9 odP-
tia Church. OF Kansas city. Ia 1874 Three