New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-22
R|CHESON'S RELATIVES
DISPUTE OVER BURIAL
Brother Wants Body to Lie Near
Mother'S-WouId Be Desc
Grafton, Says Sister.
LAST QUERIES IMPR0MPTU
Ministers Prearranged Cues
tons to Prisoner in Chair Gave
Out Before Current Was
Turned On.
p, re-esrarh 70 ;he Trihune. J

Boston. May PA family disagreement
ps 10 whether Clarence Y. 7. Richeson
should be buried beside his mother in Vir-
sin,a. as ne wished, caused his body to
remain 1T the morgGe to-day. a confer
ence VIII be he'd tomorrow at the office Of
william g. Morse, Richeson's counsel, in
an effort 10 settle the matter. Miss Kath-
crime RiChcson. OF Saranac Lake, y. Y,
objects TO burial in Virginia. According
10 the Roy. Herbert :. Johnson, RicheGon's
spiritusl adviser. she considers il would be
q dissertation Of the grave Cf ner mother.
Douglas Richesou, Of Chicago, her
lrothor. dlsarrees With her. His father,
Thomas Varldnd Richeson, of Amherst,
Va, who disowncd his son Clarence after
lis confession Of the murder of Avis Lin
nell, was prevailed upon by Mr.. Morse and
Mr.. johnson to-day To. grant Clarence's
diving wish They talked with him over the
telephone from Boston
Miss RiCheson is coming to Boston to-
morrow to present her views. Douglas
came here before his hr'thrr's execution
70 claim the body. Should the relatives bo
unable 10 agree tomorrow The body viii
be buried in Pottors' Field.
At an autopsy to-dav Or. George r.
Naerath. the county medical examiner,
found that tho slaver's brain vas normal
IN structure"
The Rev. Herbert s. Johnson, pastor Of
the Warren Avenue Baptist Church. who,
as spiritual adviser. accompanied Rich"son
10 the electric chair, issued statement
to-day explaining that certain questions
were asked the condemned man as he was
being strapped in the chair for the purpose
T-g,N &c
and to meet Richesons wish to leave some
religious testimony for the witnesses. MI
Johnsons statement i'm part follows:
The warden said that he wished | could
make the man talk from the death char,
as that would take his thoughts off him
self, and his passing could occur without
a period of distressing suspense. Inc wal
den explained TO ne how he YOU'D give
tho signal for the application OF the cur
Tant vbru the mans breath was eXhalcd.
He also requested me, 50 far as possible
before the execution. TO keep HcheSon
from taking about II, and to Keep MS
mind engaged with other things.
Chaplain Stobhins and ] then agreed thaI
we should induce RiChesOn To leave some
kind AZ a religious testimony for the VII
resses 10 the execution. and this plan dp-
paaled 10 RiChCSOn. lie mad WlSnen tld II
lie might do some good before ne dled. ~.
had failed in his ministry, and ne thoueht
that ms testimony at his execution nleht
lead 10 2 RELIGIOUS life any witnesses VINO
might not be Christian men. Warden
Bridges said that he Would give the slShdi
10 the electrician while Richeson was MAX
irE his reply ,,
we thought that probably he would ne
strained in the chair SO quickly thdt only
Two or three questions would be necessary
Although the work of placing the man IN
,he chair was done speedily, Yet II TOOK
ionger than I had estimated. and. Conse-
ouently. | had TO ask more questions lh"Sc
questions were eXtemporaneous. III,
LNiual1y came the question. Are you VIII
ing II live or to die for Jesus sake: ana
his answer. Il am willing to live or 10
die''--- were the last words that he spoke
as the signal was given and his life passed
out. . H. d,
WHY did I put that particular question
II came naturally out OF my conversation
with him that afternoon. In a conversation
with him forty-eght hours before ms
death ! sought I'm vain to bring him 10
the point where he would rather die than
srend a lifetime considering his sin; Two
hours and a half before his execution ne
saw our point RichesOn went to his death
as a brave Christian gentleman