The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-01-11

V. T. Richeson confessed his guilt of
the murder of his former sweetheart,
Avis Linnell, of Hyannis, in a docu-
ment made public by his counsel to-
day. The confession declares that the
accused is guilty ''of the offence of
which l stand indicted" which is
murder in the first degree.
Whether Richeson will pay the ex-
treme penalty, which under Massa-
chusetts law, is death in the electric
chair, no court official cared to pre-
dict to-day.
Richeson's Confession.
The confession was as follows:
Boston, Jan. 3, 1912.-John j.
Lee, Esq, William A. Morse, Esq,
Phillip R. Dunbar, EsQ.-Gentlemen:
Deeply pepitent for. my sin, and
earnestly desiring, as far as in my
power lies, to make atonement, l
hereby confess that l am guilty OF
the offence of which stand indicted.
81 am moved to this course by no
inducement of self-beneit or leniency.
Heinous as is my crime, God has not
wholly abandoned me, and my con-
science and manhood. however de-
praved and blighted, will not admit
of my still further wronging, by
public trial, her whose pure young
life l have destroyed. Under the
lashings of remorse l have suffered
and am suffering the tortures OF the
damned. In this l find a measure OF
comfort. In my mental anguish, l
recognize that there is still, by the
mercy of the Master, some remnant
of the Divine spark of goodness still
lingering with me.
81 could wish to live only because
within some prisons walls might in
some small measure redeem my sim
full past and help some other de-
spairing soul, and at least, find favor
with my God.
"You are instructed to deliver this
to the district attorney or to the
Judge Of the court. Sincerely yours,
"CLARENCE V. T. RICHESON."
First Degree Murder Charged.
The Indictment against Richeson
charged that he ''feloniously, wilfully
and of his malice aforethought," "
gave Miss Linnell cyanide of potas-
SUM with deadly intent, and that be-
cause of her death he. is guilty of
murder in the first degree.
District Attorney Pelletier declared
to-day, 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 plea to lesser
crime.
1t was pointed out that if the dis
trict attorney maintained this atti-
tude only an insanity commission or
communication by the executive coun-
.cil and the governor could save Richie
son from the electric chair. 1t lies,
however, with the court and the dis
trict attorney to accept a minor plea.
such modification usually coming
through some weak link in the gov
ernment's case.
Not Wholly Unexpected.
To-day's developments in one of
the most interesting murder cases in
the history of the State was not alto
gether 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.
Richeson himself provided prob
ably the greatest sensation in the
case, when early on December 20 he
mutilated himself so horribly that his
life hung in the balance for some
hours; this was saved only by an
operation.
Even while bleeding from his
wounds he is said to have clung to
his counsel, William A. Morse and
pleaded to be allowed to tell him the
whole story. Feeling that his client
might be laboring from loss of
mental, as we'll as physical strength,
Mr.. Morse refused to hear him, and
during his convalescence Richeson
remained quiet, in fact, almost
speechless.
Told Counsel of Guilt.
When the attorneys visited their
client early this week, Richeson cried
out that he was guilty and declared
his intention of making a clean
breast of the crime. He plainly was
under great mental stress and his
condition was Such that his counsel