The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-01-12

AccUsED NiNisTEkApNiT MUIR.
DER or GIRL WHO WAS TO
HAVE BEEN Hls WIFE.
MAKES FULL CONFESSION
States That His Motive Was to be
Free to Marry the Heiress, Violet
Edmands- Prosecutor De-
mands Death Penalty.

Boston, Jan. S.-That he was re-
sponsible for the death of Avis Lin
nell, was the confession made by Rev.
Clarence v. T. Richeson, in order
that he would be free to marry Violet
Edmands, Brookline heiress. The
confession is in the form of . letter
written by the minister to his attor-
ney, in which he recites the story of
his crime. The complete text of the
confession follows:
Boston, Jan. g., 1917. - John L.
Lee, Esq, w. A. Morse, Esq. Philip
R. Dunbar, Esq.
"Gentlemen-Deeply penitent for
my sin and earnestly desiring, as far
as in my power lies, to make atone
ment, hereby confess that am guilty
of the offense of which stand in
dicted.
Il am moved to this course by no
inducement of settlement or lenience.
Heinous as is my crime, God has not
wholly abandoned me and my con-
science and manhood, however de-
PRAYED and blighted, will not admit
of my still further wronging by a
public trial her. whose pure young
life have destroyed. Under the lash
ings of remorse l have suffered and
am suffering the fortunes of the
damned.
''In this I find measure of comfort
In my mental anguish recognize that
there is still, by the mercy of the
Master, some remnant of the divine
spark Of goodness still lingering with
in me. I could wish to live only be-
cause within some prisons walls
might in some small measure, redeem
my sinful past, help some other de-
spairing soul and at last, find favor
with my God.
You are instructed to deliver this
to the district attorney or to the judge
of the court
Sincerely yours,
Clarence v. T. Richeson."
After receiving the letter, his law
yers went hurriedly to the Office Of
District Attorney Pelletier, in charge
of the prosecution, and pleaded with
him for leniency for the murderer.
Pelletier refused. Nothing, he said,
would be promised If Richeson wish
ed to Change his mind about his
plea of mot guilty." he must do SO
in the full knowledge that at the end
of the story stood the chair of death.
Crime Strange one..
T>1,1 or;vo1 tho Y,orc1v, inv11vod
and the setting, has become one of the
most famous in New Englands crimi-
nal annals. Clarence Virgil Thompson
Richeson, handsome young Virgin
ian, was pastor of little Baptist
church in Hyannis, Mass, the little
Cape Cod town where Avis Linnell
was the reigning belle.
Richeson soon became engaged to
the girl, but, after a row with his con-
gregation, resigned and accepted the
pastorate of the Emmanuel Baptist
church of Cambridge, a fashionable
Boston district. There he met and be
came engaged to Miss Violet Ed
mands, herself worth half million
dollars and heir to greater part OF
Grant Edmands.
Although his engagement to Miss
Edmands was known, Avis Linnel
was kept in ignorance Of it. She went
to Boston to study music in the con
servatory of music. She told severa
persons she was engaged to Richeson
Strong Case, Against Him.
| Il :c1n4 - I'D, 0Nk
1911, Miss Linnell was found dying il
the bathroom in the Young Women's
Christian association building For {
time it was thought she had commit
ted suicide, and an examination of he
body showed she had been killed b!
cyanide of potassium.
Richeson disappeared fmmediatel.
but was arrested few days later i!
the home of Edmands, where he wa
in hiding. He denied his guilt, but tn
state Wove about him q strong circum
stantial case.
4 It was proved that he had bough
the cyanide from druggist, Williar
Hahn, OF Newton Center, Mass. TIL
state contended that sRicheson ha
given the STi Tue pOISOA uuueE III
guise of medicine, and that she ha
swallowed it voluntarily, believing
was the medicine he claimed 1t to b
n Only a few days before Christina
Richeson stabbed himself in the groi
II with piece Of tin and for time wa
/ ought to be in q dying condition.
~ Nf..~> D fS> %ne SeiAneA
, Zurich. Swift. DR.. Simon. worl
: famous bacteriologist, is dead. havir
j been bitten by mouse which he ha