The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-07

conscience and manhood, however de-
praved and blighted, will not admit
of my still further wronging, by al
public trial, her whose pure young
life have destroyed.
Under the lashings OF remorse,
/ have suffered and am suffering,
the tortures of the damned. In this
/ find measure for comfort.
III my mental anguish, | recog-
ME that there is still. by the mercy
OF the Master. some remnant of the
divine spark of goodness still linger-
ing within me.
Il could wish to live only because
within some prison walls, ! might, Iii
some small measure, redeem my sin
full past, help some other despairing
soul, and at last, find favor with my
God.
You are instructed to deliver this
! to the district attorney, or to the
judge of the court. Sincerely yours,
| (Signed) Clarence " T. Richeson."
4 Granite Hearted Prosecutor.
I
That the confession will not save
Richeson from death is the confident
belief of lawyers here tonight, who
4 know that Pelletier, hard as granite,
will cling to the last to what he be-
| lieves to be his duty. the carrying out
| of that Mosaic law on which is
based the law of the state he repre-
sents
Although Pelletier and Attorney
! John l.. Lee, the stately Virginian,
1 who is chief counsel for the son Of
his native state, declined tonight to
confirm the story, there is little
doubt that Monday Richeson will BIZ
taken before Judge Sanderson. Pelle-
tier will announce that the minister
desires to change his plea and to en-
ter plea of guilty. Whether he will
enter plea of guilty of murder in
the first or second degree, is prob
lematical. Pelletier demands plea
of first degree murder, and avows he
will accept no other. II such a
plea is entered, Richeson can be SEN
fenced to nothing short of death in
the electric chair. The law, in Mas
sachusetts provides no other punish
ment for first degree murder.
Richeson's lawyers still are hope
a full that Pelletier may be induced to
; accept a plea of guilty in the seconu
degree. which would permit Judge
Sanderson to impose life sentence.
Few believe Pelletier will agree. Il
shall not interfere in the slightest
with the course OF justice, sald
Pelletier tonight
"A confession, you understand, is
: not a plea of guilty Although Richie
son has confessed, he still stands be-
: fore the court as pleading not guilty.
If Richeson should plead guilty in
: open court before January 15. the
date set for his trial, there would be
no trial and it would be legal and
proper for Judge Sanderson to sen
tence him to death just as though a
| Jury had convicted him,
4 THE poisoning of Avis Linnell is
| murder in the first degree. You can
not make it anything else ! have
no disposition to accept less than a
plea OF guilty of murder in that de,
gree. Under no consideration would
permit that man to enter plea in
i the second degree, or for mansiaugh b
ter
| "His confession undoubtedly VIII
he followed by change in his plea,
and il is possible that Richeson VIII
| he brought into court before the date
| we had decided for his trial-Janu-
airy 15.'
i If pelletier maintains that atti-
| ude-"aa eye for an eye"-there is
no doubt that Richeson's attorneys
xyil, enter the plea he demands and
| hermit the divine to be sentenced to
Il death in the hope that Governor Eu'
cane N Foss and his executive coun-
| oil will commute the sentence to
II life Imprisonment.
4 Three Days Work.
Il, T. hecame known tonight that for
| three days. Attorneys Lee and Morse,
ranresenting the pastor, have been
wording with Pelletier, urging him TO
narn,it the entering Of plea OF gull
tIsnk