The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-05-24
REV. RICHESON PAYS
The DEATH PENALTY
FORMER PASTOR GIVES Up LIFE
IN ELECTRIC CHAIR.
Calm During Last Night-Eats Little
But Smokes Cigar and Signs
Hymns.

Boston, May 21.-Clarence Virgil
Thompson Richeson, native of Vir-
ginia, pastor of the Emmanuel BapusI
church at Cambridge, was electrocuted
at 1910 o'clock this morning in the
death house of the State prison at
Charlestown. The crime for which
Richeson paid the. penalty this morn
ing was the murder of his sweetheart
19-year-old Avis Linnell. Richeson
confessed to giving her poison, which
caused her death October IA, 1911.
The current was turned on at
12:1O:O2 and the prisoner was declar-
ed dead at 12:17.
q The former clergyman was out
wardly calm when he entered the
death chamber and he maintained his
composure while the straps and cleo
trades were being adjusted as he sat
in the electric chair.
Brother Was Cold.
When Richeson yesterday afternoon
reflected that he probably had less
than II hours to live he expressed
desire to see his brother, Douglas
Richeson, of Chicago, who is in the
city. Douglas Richeson decided yes
terday afternoon that he would not go
to his brother.
The condemne' man slept soundiy
for four hours yesterday morning, af-
ter being awake nearly all night. He
was calm and even cheerful at times
during the night, occasionally singing
a hymn or repeating his favorite scrip
tural passages.
Richeson spent much of his time
yesterday in prayer and in reading
his Bible.
The list of those appointed to at
Atend the execution of Richeson given
out by the warden this evening in
cluded, besides the three physicians
who were official witnesses, the Rev.
Herbert S. Johnson, the prisoners
spiritual adviser; E. c. Kelly, deputy
sheriff of Suffold county, and one rep
resentative for each of three press as
sociations. The three medical wit
nesses were: DR.. George B. MeGrath,
DR.. Joseph 1. Mclaughlin, the prison
physician, and DR.. ]. P. Butler, repre-
senting the surgeon general of the
State. Rev. Herbert w. Stephens, the
prison chaplain; the warden, General
Bridges and assistants made up the
rest of those granted permission to
Renter the death chamber.
Seemed Calm.
Richeson had no supper, saying that
he desired none, After eating a lit
tie fruit, he lighted cigar and he
was sitting on the edge of his cot, ap-
parently enjoying his smoke, when
Deputy Warden Allen entered his cell
with the black suit of clothes to be
worn during the execution. Richeson
nodded calmly to the deputy, but said
nothing.
Sunday and during the afternoon
yesterday the prisoner lay On his cot
but yesterday afternoon and last night
he sat up most of the time. Attorney
Morse, swho visited Richeson during
the afternoon, found his client calm
and anxious to have the sentence Of
the law carried out during the night,
Mr.. Morse in an interview later,
said: "Richeson has made up his
mind to die and he does not want
any delay. This has been long story
and the last chapter is being written
today.
"Richeson is going to die without
holding a grudge against any one. He
had scarcely uttered harsh word
and to me personally and to those
who come in contact with him, he has
again and again expressed his graft
Itede"
RichesOn's Crime.
The crime for which Richeson, at
the time of his arrest pastor of the
Emmanuel church of Cambridge, was
sentenced to die in the electric chair,
was the confessed murder of his for
mer sweetheart 19-year-old Avis Lin
nell, of Hyannis, a pupil in the New
England Conservatory of Music in