Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
R|cHESON, CALM,
GOES TO DEATH
Jesus Doeth All Things Well"
His Song as End
Nears.
CONTINUED from second Page,

might DTSdk uoWn. -
The solemn hour of midnight found
Rlcheson praying, nfter which he recited
the Twenty-third Psalm. He seemed to
find consolation In this part OF the psalm;
Yea, though l walk through the valley
OF the shadow of death | will fear no
evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod aud
Thy staff they comfort me-"
81 am ready now" he said. A moment
later the warden appeared to escort him
10 the death chamber. Richeson did not
falter and walked to the chair with frm
step aud every outward indication Of
calmness and resignation. ,
Richeson paid the extreme penalty pre-
aeribed by law for the murder of Miss
Avis Linnell, the Hyannis choir singer,
whose life he took that he might marry
without fear of disclosure, Miss Violet
Edmands, the daughter of a wealthy
man.
Out in Salt Lake City, In seclusion and
suffering, 1t is said, from tuberculosis
In its last stages. is Miss Patsey Felts,
another one of the first OF the man.
women deluded by this man, whose trail
from the Middle West to the East is
strewn with It's cast-off loves.
Avis Linnell sleeps In a grave in the
village cemetery at Hyannis. Violet Ed
mands has buried herself from the world
In which she lived. seeking to forget by
illustrations to the poor and other un-
fortunates the tragedy of her life.
Seventeen days before the date set for
his marriage TO Miss Edmands he per-
suaded Avis Linnell to tahe a potion
which he told her would save her from
shame. She trusted him and swallowed
the fatal drug. While she was writing
In her death agony Richeson was discuss
ing with Miss Edmands, at her home In
Brookline, the plans for their marriage.
Wedding Invitations Out.
Last August, when Richeson was visit
ing Avis Linnell at Hyannisport and
there acting as her betrothed, and
when he was being entertained at Dub
lin, N. H., at the summer home of
the family of his other ffancee, Miss
Edmands, he was writing nffectionate
letters to the sick woman in Salt Lake
City, promising to be with her soon.
To her he confided his intentions to
leave the East and Join her In the West,
where there was wider opportunity for
an earnest. eloquent young preacher.
On October Is, the day after Avis Lin
nell was poisoned to death, Richeson
while a guest in the Edmands home at
Brookline, wrote to the young woman in
Salt Lake City that soon In that very
month he would be on his way West,
where he would seek n church that he
might preach to thousands instead of
hundreds"
Invitations to the wedding of himself
A~I AItsa I-,.,1l L.I I~.- ---tI~5 -.I
to all the friends Of his youthful days In
St. Louis, Kansas City and Liberty, Mo.
1t was a singular, almost fnexplicable,
thing Richeson did on Sunday, October is.
The previous night he had been informed
of the violent death of Avis Linnell, "a
suicide by cyanide"
On Sunday morning he had preached
to his congregation In Emmanuel Baptist
Church in Cambridge. In the evening
he baptlsed two young girls, and in his
brief sermon on that occasion he referred
with feeling to the young girl, the men,
Der of his former church In Hysnnis, who
had ended her life the night before.
Ills ministrations to his people ended
for that Sunday, Rlcheson FASTENED to
Brookline to be with the young woman
who was making preparations for the
wedding on October 81.
In the spring of 1908 Richeson took
charge of the Baptist church at Hyannis,
Mass. There ne met Avis Linnell.
Mass. There he met Avis Linnell. She
was born in 1891. the daughter of a car
penter In Hyannisport. He baptized her,
and his attentions led to an engagement.
In April, 1910, he resigned at Hyannis.
Promise to Protect Girl.
Avis first took alarm when she knew
that Richeson must leave Hyannis.
what shall we do?'' she asked, and
Richeson, never at loss for a plan, said
that he would get a missionary appoint
ment. and they would marry and go forth
to work in foreign lands.
He went and took with him the ring he
had given to Avis. He said that one OF
the prongs that upheld the diamond was
bent and that he feared she might lose
the stone. Trnstingly she gave 1t to him.
Richeson had to get rid of Avis Linnell
In some way. Miss Edinands had money
and social position. Marriage with her
meant much to him. To throw her over
meant ruin. So he chose what to him
was the easiest way-the sacrifice of Avis
Jinnell.
He purcha sed the cyanide Of potassium
he needed from William Hahn, a drug
gist at Newton Centre. on Tuesday. octo-
Der 10, on the p~retense that he needed u
TO kill a dog. On Thursday he teiephoneu
to Avis Linnell. who was In Boston STUDY
ing music, making an appointment Tor
luncheon on Saturday. On Friday he at
tended a Sunday-sehool convention. On
saturday he gave her the poison In a cap
sule.
After Avis Linnell had been found dead
at the Young Women's Christian Associ'
ntiou. where she lived. Miss Inez Hans
comb sent a telephone message to Hiche'
son. The latter was not at his nome
then. but at the house Of Miss Violet
Edmands. The clergyman's landlord re-
laved the message to him, and several
hours after Miss Linnell bad died Richie
NON called up the Young Women's Chris
tian Association and said:
..-rbis Is the Rev. MIR. Ricbeson."
Told of Girls Death.
'This is Miss Hanscoub at the \. w.
c A., Boston" she answered, and ]
called you to inform Won that Miss Lin
nell has died here and that we want you
To come in Immediately, so that you may
arrive by the time the medical examiner
does
Miss Llnnell is dead, but why do you
cal me?' said Richeson.
because you were the only friend OF
Miss Iinnell near at hand and because
We felt that you should know of the fact
that Won might come at once. Miss Lin,
nell spoke Of but one man, her fance,
and she mentioned your name at all
timess'