Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-01-23
FIGHTING FOR
VENGEANCE
Girl He Was Once Engaged to Makes
Affidavit to Prevent Clemency
for Guilty Richeson.
SAYS HE HOOK HER MONEY
Miss Felts, Daughter Of Baptist Min
lister, Shows That a Woman
scorned is Dangerous.

Colorado Springs, Col, Jan. 20.--
Among the papers in the office of a
Colorado Springs notary public is a
sworn AFFIDAVIT by Miss Patsey Felts,
of Salt Lake, daughter of Kansas
City Baptist minister, that sheds
more light on the perfdy of the Rev.
Clarence v. T. Richeson, confessed
murderer of his fiancee, Miss Avis
Linnell, of Hyannis, Mass. who was
also engaged to Miss Violet Edmands
at the time that crime was COM
united.
The afffdavit and circumstances
under which it was made indicate
that this handsome young man of
the cloth, who is under sentence of
death, lived dual life long before
the light of publicity penetrated his
character. The document also gives
the lie direct to published state
ments credited to Miss Felts that
she never was engaged to Richeson.
A certified copy of the affidavit
has been requested by the prosecut-
ing attorney at Boston for the pur-
pose. it is believed here, of combat
ting any and all movements under
way. or that may be inaugurated, to
save the young minister from the
electric chair. The Boston author
tiles evidently wish to prove beyond
all question that Richeson always
has been trifier with young wom-
en- and that instead Of being insane,
he was always a moral leper.
The original affidavit of Miss Felts
which may do more than any one
thing outside of the murder OF Miss
Linnell itself to send Richeson to
his Deaths in the possession of L.
p. Lawton, a we'll known and re-
sponsible real estate and insurance
man Of Colorado Springs. The afi-
dayit is in the hand writing Of Miss
FeIts, and her signature is sworn to.
In addition to having the original
document in his possession, Mr..
Lawton also has a copy OF the type
written document which was trans
cribed at Miss Felts' personal re-
quest.
On February IS, 1910, Miss Felts
walked into Mr.. Lawton's Office one
day and asked that certain docu-
ment which she held in her hand
be transcribed on the typewriter
She wanted to swear to 1t she said.
Then the circumstances recited In
the foregoing took place.
After Miss Felts swore to the afi-
davit, Lawton asked her its purpose,
but his curiosity was not rewarded.
ri just want to show someone a.
thing or two" was her evasive re-
ply.
Miss Felts' affidavit refers to GER
tain money transactions between
herself and Richeson dating as far
back as the fall OF 1904. It also
states that Miss Felts and Richeson
became engaged to be married on
December 20. 1903. when Richeson
was student in William Jewell
college at Liberty, Mo. The affidavit
also states that these money trans
actions continued up to the time
Miss Felts came to Colorado Springs
from Sheffield, Mo-, In December,
1909.
It gives no record OF anything be-
tween them after that, and 1t is sup
posed the couple had some sort OF
misunderstanding between the last
date mentioned In the aff1dayit-De-
cember 8, 1909-and February 1S,
1910, when Miss Felts appeared be-
fore the notary with request that
she be allowed to swear to the docu-
ment.
The foregoing facts confirm the
press dispatches recently sent out
from Salt Lake City and Boston con-
meeting Miss Fe1ts' name with that
OF the self confessed murderer, and
also tend to confirm the report that
Richeson left chain OF broken
hearts stretching more than two
thirds across the continent.
Injured Girl Recovering.
Boone, Jan. 20.-Miss Ethel Run
yam. the 16year-old girl, who was
injured at the Paris laundry here
Wednesday when her hair was
caught In a revolving shaft, lifting
her from the floor and tearing her
scalf half from her head. will recov-
err Physicians at the hospital sew
ed on the portion Of her scalp which
waa torn of and she Is much i'm