The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-07
Death in the electric chair. Tho la,
Ia. .MAaenChMsCtta pcoNidos ,,n tho

pcath in the electric chair. Tho law
N Massachusetts provides 10 other
4 pnnishm"nt for first degree murder.
Rtcheson's lawyers s,in arc .iopcful
that Mr.. Pclletier may be induced TO
necept plea of guilty in the second
aeEree, which would permit Judge SAN
believe Mr. Pclloticr Will agree II
shail not interfere in the slightest with
~" "s course rs, OF Justice" he said tonight.
confession. YOU undcrataUG lis
not plea of guilty TO the Indictment
Although Richeson has confessed. he
SUI stands before the court rs plead
'ns not guilty If Richcson should
plead guilty in open court before Jan
nary 10. the date set for his trial. there
would be no trial and.it would be legal
and proper for Judge Sandcrson to sen
tcncc him TO death. Just as IL a Jury
had convicted him.
=! ne poisoning of Avis Iinncll is
murder in the first degree You cnu
no; make 1t anything else. have no
discretion 10 accep, less than a plea
Oh guilty OF murder in that degree.
Under no consideration would per
init that man To enter :, plea in The.
second degree. or for granddaughter.
Ills confession undoubtedly will Id.
iniioWed by n chJnSc in his plea, and
II Is possible that Richcson viii be
brought into court before the date
we had decided ;or his January
To-"
II Mr.. f'elleticl maintains ,ha, at
ttude. AN eye for an eye" there is
no. douht that RichcsUn's attorneys wiz
enter the plea he demands ana permit,
tho divine IL. he sentenced to death. in
the hope shat Governor lruss and his
Executive Council will commute tho
sentence TO life Imprisonment.
1t became known tonight that for
thrce days, Attorneys Lee ana Morse
representing the pastor have been!
working with Pclic;icr. urging him to
permit tho entering OF a plea OF guilty
TO second degree murder, SO that Judge
Sanderson might bo at liberty to i'm
pose life sentence.
Knew lie Was entity,
The counsel for the defense knew
iMcheson was guilty. Their detectives
ned confirmed 10 them the fear thcv
haTe all along fclt---tha, tho dayhtuc
young minister lad Killed hi, country
sweetheart But that Elrhcson admit
eed his suit to them is denied by those
an position 10 know There Is every
FeaHon to believe that with proof of
MS guilt laid before him by his OWL
lawyers. Tichcsou still hrazencd II out
to them. even as he had TO his parish
oners.
But three days ago. Messrs. Lee ana
Morse realized that there was no hon.
OF saving Richoson, so they went to
hr Pouetior and pleaded for tho ac.
ceptanca OF tho lcssor plea, believing
That II the prosecuting attorney would
consent they might return to lSichoson
and tell him that In that way alone hiC
life might he saved.
4 They found SIR Pellcticr adnInant
Whether they told Richeson of these
visits IS not known. but Friday. when
they visited him, they found that his
hravado had gone. that coincidence or
nSs
lies. and he handed them his confcs-
sion.
in dramatic. simple language, Lee
told the story Of tho confession rs lie
sat in his room in the Parker House
to-day:
attorney Morse aud wen, to vis,.
Richeson Friday noon. " was ono of
the ilrst visits ] had paid him since
! had returned from my Virginia home
where ] spcnt the holidays. R.chcson
was nervous and i'll nj ease. more SO
man he had been at any time since
entered the case. NJ the hchcat OF that
gallant Old southern soldier. the father
OF iichegon.
'EicAeacn greeted Mo with nervous
aroat ! knew the pangs Of conscience
tntl rcnorso had overcome all else.
re iotd nc he had decided on line OF
tclion We asked him what 1t was
thinNnE 10 hulnnr him, for we had gone
when he inutilatod himself.
I.nh No warming
Nlthout any Warning he handed us
mis- coufcsHicn. written IN a clear, bold
h"nd by tile light or a candir some time
uur!ng tho early hours OF Friday morn
Ing, Up to that second We had no in
timation that tho preacher would CON
Tess lie. told US all along he would
face the charge and light Il out.
IT was 3 o'clock Friday afternoon
when VIC left Richeson's coll We too;i
tho confession this afternoon to Dis
tr!ct ATTORNEY Pclietier That Is all
there is to IL Whether the district
attorney VIII recommend lcnicncy or
whether he will stick 10 his assertion
and demand n first degree murder plea
do not know. he alone knows We
can only hope"
Was Richeson's act in handing YOU
Ills confession the first ntlma,ion YOU
had OF his su!lt?" Mr.. Lee was asked
Tho attorney flushed amgrily ana
spranG 10 his feet
That iS .qhtS tlon.J will answer for
no living MAN. he shouted "If We
cannot continue this interview wIthou,
my answering that question, this in
,lcrview is NJ an end right now"
Then Nr. Lee bowed the newspaper
men on. of his room.
Dir. Pclleticr would not ADMIT ,hat he
mad any hand in wringlng the confes-
sion from 1t!cheson. He was cited 10
THE McNamara case. In which Prosccut-
i1Hs Attorney Fredcricks knew of the
confessions of the Mcnamara brothers
for some time. but declined to admit
even that he had been OFFICIALLY no,i-
fled that Richcson had confesscd.