The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-05-17

\ 1
Boston, Mass, May 17.-Clarence v
t. Richeson's hope of escaping the
death chair next week for the murde,
OF Avis Linnell expired last night. when
GOV. Foss announced he would not re.
fer Richeson's petition for commute.
ton of sentence to the executive coun.
Gil.
The statement from the Governor
came soon after the filing of the re-
ports OF the special insanity commits.
sion, which declared the condemned
man sane, although subject to fits of
hysterical insanity. The commission
found that Richeson was sane at the
time of the murder, and that he is
sane now.
In the death chamber the prisoner
has borne himself calmly since he was
transferred from the Charles street
jail Tuesday. 1t was apparent that he
sui hoped clemency would be extend.
ed to him, and it was believed this
alone was keeping up his spirits.
The statement issued by Gov. Foss
shows that the alienists found that
Richeson's family was afflicted very
generally with insanity, and that the
condemned man himself is a neurotic.
somnambulist and a neurasthenic
and subject to hysterical insanity
Governors Statement.
The statement follows:
Executive clemency will not be OK.
tended in the case of c. v. T. Richie
son. The prisoner was sentenced upon
MS own confession, and without trial |
Tor crime which it appears impossi. |
Die that any normal man could com.
NIT.
After his confession and sentence. a
plea of insanity was set I'm bv bis
counsel and strongly supported by affi-
navits extending over his life. The
character of these affidavits left no
other course for the Governor than to
submit these and the prisoner himself
20 an examination by leading alienists.
n order to protect the commonwealth
rom the charges that the man was ac-
'ualiy insane when the deed was COM
as well as at the present time
THE evidence shows that Richeson's
amily is heavily afflicted with insani.
y that he himself is a neurotic. a
omnambulist and a neurasthenic thar
lie is subject to extreme emotional dis
urbances marked by loss of memory.
which two alienists have diagnosed as
Iysterical insanity, one physician adj
ing the alternative term of historical
elirlum, and the majority opinion in
heating that these attacks are hysteri- :
al attacks marked by emotional dis E
urbances of brief duration, with loss S
memory during the attack and for a (
arying period following 1t. I
Sane at Time.
The evidence, however, while clear
revealing these attacks, indicates =
nat his crime was not committed by
Inn during such an attack. Therefore, :
lille there is some divergence of opin- =
IN among the alienists as to whether ;,
lese attacks indicate actual insanity.
1ere is sufficient ground for the con. =
fusion that he is accountable for his :,
rime, and that the exercise of execu- g
We clemency in this instance would :
contrary to the public good. =
The affidavits and medical evidence :,
to Richeson's unfavorable heredity. =,
Is lapses of memory and periods of :,
are too voluminous to in .
ude In this statement, and are not
lifted to publication. .,
The alienists referred to are: DR.. :,
dward Lane and DR.. Isidore II. Co. !.
at, acting for the defense; DR.. L. ~
ernon Briggs, acting at the personal .,
quest of the Governor, and Drs. Hen
R. Stedman, George t. futile and p
enry p Frost, acting as a commits &c,
on for the commonwealth" ~