Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1912-05-21

and sleeping hours have been haunted
by the spectre. of the broad arm chair
with its bright metal base and cruel
network of wires.
Beginning in the little Cape Cod vii.
lage of Hyannis. the love tragedy
which eliminated 1T the murder and
today's execution was the world ole
triangle-two women and a man. Bach
in 1909, Richeson, graduated only /
few months before from the Newton
Theological Seminary, was called &c
the pastorate of the Hyannis Baptist
church Handsome, polished in man
ner. with wonderful amount of per
sonal magnetism. he was soon so
cial favorite Young and old were
attracted to him and the church con
greeation was doubled in the first few
months of his incumbency. Little
comment was occasioned by the fact
that he was seen frequently in the
company of seventeen-year-old Avis
Linnell. the brightest of the loca
high school students. She had been
baptized and received into the ehurel
by the young minister and the ole
gossips of the little village considered
them naturally attracted to each othe
and looked for them to wed.
There was no formal announcement
of an engagement But Miss Linnel
had given up most of her social d
of her time in church work. She
was the right hand" of the pastor II
most of the events and took his par,
in Il dispute that arose from his
methods of preaching. 1t was Richie
sons boast that he always called =
spade spade" and his forcefu'
preaching. in which he asasiled sin In
every guise, soon split the congrega
ton in factions. In April, 1910, Rev
Rieheson resigned and stated that HI
had accepted a charge in Emmanuel
Cambridge He had planned to stay
there only short time and later to
marry Miss Linnell according to
what their friends understood, and tic
go to China as missionary.
Then Avis Linnell, who had a
splendid voice. left the little country
village and went to Boston. She
stated that she was going there tc
study in the Conservatory of Music
so that she might be better able to
laid her husband" in his church
work At that time she was wearing
a handsome diamond ring which it
was understood by her people had
been the gift of the minister,
Meanwhile Richeson had been in
stalled in the fashionable Cambridge
Church. Here his work was crowned
with success and he became favor
ito with many members of the con
gregation who protested to be charm
ed with his plain talks from the pull
pit. One night at a church reception
the Young pastor was introduced 10
Miss Viola Edmands She was the
daughter of Moses Grant Edmands,
one of the wcalthicst residents of
Brookline, and reputed TO be in pos,
session in her own right of half
million dollars received from the es-
tate of her grandfather.
Miss Edmands was a different type
from the little country village maid
who had done so much for the preach
or down on Cape Cod Proud and
imperious in manner she was attract
ed toward the young minister and
soon he was paying devoted attention
to her. In "A short time he was her
slave and soon she told her intimates
that she and the minister were r.
wed soon.
Whether Avis Linnel know Of the
other woman at this time is not
known. 1t is certain, however, that
early in the summer she took the
diamond ring from her finger and
wore it no more. But there was no
announcement to the home people
that the engagement had been broken
..ud thora uara only - few upODlp