New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-07

BOSTON. Jan. 6.-The Rev. Clarence Y.
T Richeson confessed his guilt of the
vilful murder of his former sweetheart
Miss Avis Linnel of Hyannis IN
document made public by his counsel 10
dav. The confession declares that me
accused is guilty "of the offence of which
he Is indicted" He is charged with
murder In the first degree. Whether
Richeson will pay the extreme penalty
which under Massachusetts law is Geath
in the electric chair, no court official
Jared to predict to-day. The confession
follows:
Boston, January 8, 1912.
John !. Lee, Esq.
William a Morse, Esq.
Philip r Dunbar Esq.
Gentlemen: Deeply penitent for my
sin. ana earnestly desiring, as far as IN
nv power lies, to make atonement, l
hereby confess that I am guilty OF the
offence Of which ] stand indicted.
am moved to this course by no IN
ducemCat Of elf-beneit or leniency.
HeirOus Is is my crime, God has not
,,.hoIly abandoned me, and my con-
science and manhood. however depraNed
md hliChted will not admit Of my stllI
further wrOnging by public trial her
whose pure young life | have destroyed
I-nder the lashings Of remorse ] have
suffered ana am suffering the tortures
# the damned. In this l find measure
nf comfort In my mental anguish
recognize that there is still. by the
mercy Of the Master, some remnant Of
the divine spaTk Of goodness still linger-
Ing with me I could wish 10 live only
because. within some prisons walls.
might. IN some small measure, redeem
my sinful past, help some other despair
ing soul ana at last find favor with my
God
You ar instructed 10 deliver this to
Tic District Attorney, or 10 the judge
~ the court.
Sincerely yours,
CLARENCE V. 7. RICHESON.
The indictment 10 which Picheson's
confession referred alleged that he "felo-
niously. wilfuUy and Of his malice aforc-
thought gave a certain quantity If
cyanide Of potassium 10 Miss Avis Lin
nell with deadly intent. and that be
cause Of her death from poison on Oc-
;ober II last he is guilty Of murder in
the first degree.
District Attorney Joseph G. PclleUlcr
declared this afternoon, after the con-
resyfou had been made public by Richie
sons LAWYERS that the trial, set for Jan
usry -, would surely take place, and
that he would accept no compromise in
the way of plea TO a lesser crime. The
District Attorney did intimate, however,
that the opportunity lay with Richie
sons lawyers to bring their client ito
court before that time
1t was pointed out to-day that if 'he
District Attorney maintained his atti-
tude and demanded the death sentence
only an insanity commission on COM
mutation by the Executive Council and
the Governor would stand between Rtrh-
eson and the electric chair II rests,
however, with the cour, and the Dis
trict Attorney to accept a plea Of mur-
der in the second degree or Of man
slaughter. such modification usually
coming through some weak link in the
governments case.
Confession Not Unexpected.
To-Gays Development in one OF nc
most interesting murder cases I'm the
history Of the state was not altogether
unexpected by some Of those in close
touch with the sensational events since
the death q, Miss Linncn From the
very beginning Of the case It was as
serted by the prosecuting authorities
that the evidence was strong. though
when il came 10 the actual delivery of
the poison 10 the little music student
there appeared 10 the public TO be 4
missing link in the chain.
Then came an nc. Of seeming frenzy in
the narrow cell in the Carries street taiI
where in the early hours Of the morning
oi December ~ Richeson 50 horri1Iv
mutilated himself that his life hung I'm
the balance for some hours, and WAS
saved only by the operation which sur
Gcons speedily performed.
II is said to have been at that tluo
ihdt hichesOn first insisted upon con-
Tossing his crine. Even while blccdlu