Arizona republican., 1912-01-07
CONFESSION WHICH HAS JUST BEEN GIVEN
 0UT WAS LONG EXPECTED BY THE LAWYERS
Case is One of the Most Remarkable in the Criminal Annals of Massachusetts and Was Complicated by Accused Mans Eng agement to a Wealthy Girl of Brookline w ho Since His Arrest,
 Has Believed Him Innocent.

fever. and prepared and signed the con- ! fcSsion in the presence of the lawyer, i without tremor. As he handed tn, document to his counsel. he exclaimed: Thank God. l have caspd my con- science of that load" A second copy O, the confession was drawn up ana signed by Richeson yesterday. This copy iS dated January 5. and was turn cl over to District Attorney Pellptie' late yesterday. \ conference followed but whether it had any bearing upon what k in store for Richeson was not made known.
 Everything that seemed to hint at a compromise was discredited by the dis trict attorney today. Peletier informed Richeson's counsel that they should make the confession public. and to- day. in MOrSe's office. the typewritten confession was handed ta newspaper men. Pelletier pointed out that all though the confession was not plea to the indictment it is available as evidence in a trial. and jury would mean only conviction. As a first de gree verdict is the worst outcome. the
 
 remarked tonight. that counsel would rarely permit confession to go forth without hope Of something less than the death penalty. IL Is the general belief that some understanding must have preceded the giving out of the document one possibility suggested i> plea of insanity. through which RichesOn may be sent to an asylum Still another course of procedure may be the calling Of jury and the reading of the confession which would be fol- lowed by a formal verdict of guilty of first degree murder After that. an effort could be made to obtain d com mutation of the death sentence through executive action.
 The crime of RicheSon is the murder or Avis Linnell the night of October l.. Miss Linnell. aged nineteen, was % native of Hyannis. where Richeso formerly had a church She was a student in the New England Conserva- tory of Music here.
 Miss Linnell was found dying in al bathroom at the Young Women's Christian association building. where she lodged. It was first thought she was a suicide. but a day or two later it became generally known she had taken cyanide of potassium in the be- lief it was q remedy for her embar- rassing physical condition The dayI after Miss Lnnelrs death Richeson went to the home Of Moses Grant Ed mands. father Of Miss Viola Edmands tp whom Richeson was to have been October 31 last IL was re- ported to the police that the young pas tor had been engaged t. Miss Linnell l. was also the police theory that the minister was the person to whom Miss Linnelrs physical condition woul1 cause the greatest worry. The night )f october l9. William Hahn. q drug sist at Newton Center. reported to the 1 police that d few days before the death ! lf Miss Linnell. Richeson had purchas- 1 -G cyanide of potassium from him. Next l lay Richeson was arrested at the Ed | nandS home in Brookline The we'd | ling invitations were recalled. X spe- ,ial grand jury, october 31, returned i ar indictment against Richeson. who 1 pleaded not guilty. The trial was fixed | Tor January 15. Later he resigned his | Dastorate Richeson is about g years )ld, and was born at Rose Hill, Va.