The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-01-11
CT LARENCE V. 7. RICFESON
CONFESSES HIS GUILT
Boston Preacher Acknowledges Poisoning His
Sweetheart, Miss Avis Linnel, in Docu-
ment Made Public By His Counsel.

of the lawyers without a tremor. AS
he handed the document to his coun-
sci, he exclaimed: Thank God, |
have eased my conscience of that
load"
A second copy of the confession
| was drawn up and signed by Richie
son yesterday. and this copy, dated
January 5, was turned over to Dis
trict Attorney Pelletier late yester-
day. A conference followed, but
whether it had any bearing upon
| what is in store for RichesOn was
not made known. Everything that
seemed to hint at compromise was
discredited by the district attorney
to-day.
TO Escape Death Penalty?
District Attorney Pelletier pointed
out to-day that the confession is not
plea of guilty to the indictment, al
though it is available as evidence IN
a trial and to jury it would mean
only conviction. AS a first degree
verdict is the worst outcome that
the defence could expect, astute
lawyers remarked tonight that coun-
sci would rarely permit a confession
to go forth without hope of some
thing less than the death penalty,
and it is the general opinion that
some understanding must have pre-
ceded the giving out of the docu-
ment.
One possibility suggested is plea
of insanity, by reason of which
Richeson may be sent to an asylum.
Still another course of procedure may
be the calling of the jury and the
reading of the confession, which
would be followed by formal ver-
dict of guilty in the first degree: Af-
ter that an effort could be made to
obtain communication of the death
sentence through executive action.
The crime alleged against Richie
son is the murder of Avis Linnell
on the night of October IA. Miss
Linnell, a girl of 19, was native OF
Hyannis, where Richeson formerly
preached, and was studying at the
New England Conservatory of Music
here.
Girls Death-Pastor's Arrest.
Miss Linnell was found dying in a
bath room in the Young Woman's
Christian Association building, where
she lodged. At first it was believed
that she had taken poison, but day
or two later it became generally
known that she had taken cyanide
of potassium, in the belief that it
would remedy her embarrassing
physical condition.
On the day following Miss Lin
nell's death Richeson went to the
home of Moses Grant Edmands,
father of Miss Violet Edmands, to
whom Richeson was to have been
married October 81 last:
1t was reported to the police that
the young pastor. had been engaged
to Miss Linnell. 1t is also police
theory that the minister was the per-
son to whom Miss Linnells physical
condition would cause the greatest
worry.
On the night of October IA, Will
liam Hahn, druggist at Newton Gen.
ter, reported to the police that few
Gays before the death of Miss Lin
nell, Richeson had purchased cyanide
of potassium from him. The next
day Richeson was arrested at the Ed
mands home in Brookline. The we'd
ding invitations were recalled.
A special grand jury on October
81 returned an Indictment against
Richeson, who pleaded not guilty.
His trial was fixed for January Is.
Later he resigned his pastorate'
Richeson is about 35 years old and
was born at Rose Hill, Virginia.