The Detroit times., 1912-01-08
.RICHESON TO Be TAKEN
INTO COURT TOMORROW
Confessed Slayer Will Learn
Then Whether He Is To Die
For Killing Girl.

BOSTON, Jan. S-Because Attorney
Morse, OF counsel for Rev C.. V. T..
Richeson, has sustained nervous
breakdown and was unable TO be pres
ent In court today, the sentencing OF
the confessed slayer of Avis Linnell
was postponed this afternoon until one
O'Clock tomorrow
Attorney John L. Lee, associated with
Morse in the defense. came TO the dis
trict attorneys Office at noon and
stated that the matter would have 10
go over.
District Attorney Pelletier, said that
the only reason for the postponement
was that Morse. who Is attorney or
record, was so III that he could not
come into court today.
But he will be a. right tomorrow,
he added, land then We can go ahead
with the program,
The most disappointed man over the
outcome was Richeson.
He had nerved himself for the or
deal and was sitting in his cell In
Charles.st- Jail awaiting the coming
Of the officers who were to take him
TO court when the news was broken
to him. He seemed about to collapse
when told he would have to wait an
other day before hearing the word
that may send him TO the electric
chair.
That a desire TO save his life
and not to atone for the muir
der OF Avis Linnell, actuated the
Rev. Clarence V. T.. Richeson to
confess that he gave the unsuspect-
ing girl cyanide of potassium, after
telling her IL was a medicine, will be
the contention of District Attorney
Pelletier. when the minister is ar
raigned before Judge Sanderson.
At that time the former plea or not
guilty will be withdrawn and a plea
of murder in the first degree will be
entered by the attorneys for the &C
cused. Sentence OF death was this
morning expected TO be imposed I'M
mediately although the court made IL
very plain that, so far as he was con
cerned. this was a matter TO wnicn
he was giving the gravest considera-
ton and he might decide 10 defer IL
AT the last moment or until later In
the week.
The state will insist that there is
absolutely no extenuation or the OF
Tense charged and that only the cleo
trio chair is the adequate penalty Tor
the crime.
In order to make this contention
VERY plain, District Attorney Pei
+ letter has let IL be known that VIII
liam Hahn, the druggist who sold the
deadly poison to the minister, only
did so after the latter had insisted
| that he wanted TO end the misery OF
a dog.
ney insists, absolutely proves that
Rjcheson had contemplated his crime
for many days and that he was al
solutely callous in the matter.
An he wanted was TO get Avis Lin
nell out OF the way, according TO the
states attorney. SO that he might be
! free 10 wed Miss Violet Edmands. Be
cause of this District Attorney Pei
letter felt bitterly against the prisoner
to-day and was assembling his evil
dence go that II the court desired he
might nrove the circumstances OF the
murder and show that 1t was pre-
Discussing this point, the district at
torney said today:
when a man engages himself 10
an innocent girl from a country vii
Iaee. induces her to take the step
which motherhood takes with re-
lluctance unconquerable save by love
and an expectancy OF marriage, when
thst man carries his duDlicity 70 the
point OF betrothal to another, and
ther deliberately compounds poison
and asks the girl he has betrayed to
tata n for love OF him. extenuating
circumstances are absent"
while the prosecutor refused TO
discuss the case in detail, he made II
clear 70 those who talked with him.
that there was no doubt OF the
reasons that impelled the minister,
MOI alone 10 mutilate himself, but 10
6nalIv confess his terrible crime.
Thai reason was realization OF the
strong of facts with which the
stare had been able to. surround him.
should the death sentence be pro
pounced by the court, Richeson's only
hone Is that Gov. Foss will commute
| 4. 10 life Imprisonment. i.
District Attorney Pelletier received