davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

o'clock, returning to the Y. w. C. A.
She told her friends that she had dined
with Richeson. After supper there was
some music and Avis sang. Then she
went to her room.
At 7 o'clock moans were heard in the
bathroom. Avis was found leaning back
in a chair unconscious. Her feet were
in the bathtub, which was partly filled
with hot water. AT her side lay some
fresh clothes and u towel. She died In
twenty-five minutes. Paralysis almost
instantly follows cyanide poison, but
twenty minutes were required to dis
solve the capsule.
Miss Inez Hanscombe, Avis's intimate
friend, called Richeson by phone an
hour after Avis died. II told him Miss
Llnnell had died suddenly and it a
desired he come immediately, she tes-
titles.
''He said in a calm voice, Is Miss Linz
nell dead? But why did o call me? l
told him he was her only friend nearby
and he asked me II she had said any
thing before she died. l said she had
not.
Well said he, L remember I bap-
tized her three years ago ] know her
folks at Hyannis. but I do not know
why | should be called. Call up her
sister in Brockton.' ] told him he had
had lunch with Avis that day. oh, you
are mistaken he answered"
Whatever may have been the secret
thoughts of Richeson that Hateful Sat
urday night he acted well his part, and
on the following day in the Cambridge
church he preached a sermon on "Could
We Have Only Known and referred
to the death of a beautiful girl who had
at one time been his parishioner.
With unusual fervor he warned his
congregation to prepare for death, know
ing not the hour when the summons
might come, and concluded with a pow
erful exhortation upon the insidious
temptations of city life and the uncer-
tainty of the mortal span.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

He declined to eat the prison fare. snarled
at his fellow prisoners, and complained of
trivial things.
After washing In the morning he would
spend ten minute before a mirror comb
Ing his hair. His fellow prisoners jeered
at him. derisively dubbed him Violet
and Canadian potash" the latter being
a gruesome prison take-off on cyanide Of
potassium.
If a man can think when the trumpet
of death is calling him-bitter death at
the hands of an executioner-what
thought was uppermost In Richeson's
mind between midnight and the time he
was executed.
Had he even then learned the great
lesson of life that somehow, some way,
some time, we must pay in full for
what we do and have? Did he think
of the first lies, the early mild decep-
tons to crafty silly pride, and count
them as the prime causes Of the down.
fall?
Gould we have only known % was
the text of his sermon for Avis when
her blood was still fresh on his hands.
1t is the world-old cry of the despairing
weak and erring when the tide is sweep
ing on to submerge them. And 1t will be
his epitaph, Gould we have only
known"
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

malice or criticism in his heart for any
one. Richeson will go to the chair as
a man who knows and is glad, in SPITE
of the dreadfulness of it. of the oppor-
tunity to face his Maker"
The chaplain did not tell, however, OF
the nerve-wrecking experience he and
DR.. johnson had with the condemned
man before they succeeded in having
him resign himself to his fate.
Only when they had reminded him
that he was once a minister and ought
to show a sublime faith in the here
after did the man announce that hs
was ready to face the ordeal of legal
death without finching.
Before his he had exclaimed. TT Is
terrible! l cannot stand It'll They will
have to carry met
Afterward, however, he seemed to take
the attitude that 1t was his duty to the
church to be brave. Under that In
fiuence he bore up remarkably we'll,
although there were periods when put
breaks occurred. Throughout all of
| yesterday Rieheson either prayed, sang
hymns or recited psalms. In the eve
ming he swallowed some broth. At 10
o'clock the prison barber came in to
shave him. Guards held Richeson while
this was being done.
SVarden,'' asked the condemned man
while this was being done. what cloth
ing will i pass away in? understand
it has been arranged that a special suit
is TO be placed on me-"
at is the prison custom to do that,
said the warden.
81 would appreciate it very much"
pleaded Richeson, IF you would let me
walk there in my regular clothing"
II will consider your request" replied
the warden. Richeson then asked about
the hour set for his execution.
when will it be, warden 2" was his
| anxious query.
ut depends entirely 'on YOURSELF he
was told.
At these words tears streamed down
Richeson's cheeks aud in a quivering tone
he said:
Don't be afraid of me. There will be
no scene. Ny ministers have taught me
how to stand IL. I am ready to go TO the
| chair. You need not be afraid that any
thing will happen. The sooner die the
better for myself and all concerned"
Turning TO the Rev. DR.. johnson, the
| prisoner then said:
doctor, ! am sure you will not forget
TO send my farewell message TO my
father in Virginia. Tell him | died deep
~ repentant and with full faith that |
shall face my Maker in all penitence."
In a hotel near the Charlestown Jail was
Douglas Richeson, brother of the con-
demned man, who had come here from
Chicago. A lawyer asked him to go and
say farewell TO his brother. He said he
was ready. The lawyer sent word to the
condemned man. who cried:
II can't! l can't. Douglas had best
CONTINUED ON Tbfrd fage.D
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
CHAPTER V.-THE LAST

Day by day the facts accumulated
against Rev. Clarence V. T. Richeson-
the facts that soon would bring him to
the death cell for the shameful death of
Avis Linnell. Yet no shadow of re
morse, no pain of conscience, showed
itself as he chatted with his new sweet.
heart, the rich Violet Edmands. So skill
fully he acted his part that even after
his arrest at the Edmands home the
girl and her family stood staunchly by
him. sure of his innocence.
He left Violet with a kiss on her cheek.
smilingly protesting that a great mis-
take had been made. He was arralgned
and held without bail on the day set
for his wedding.
Rlcheson braved 1t through, reassuring
the Edmandss family and his parishion-
ers with well-chosen lies. Even in his
closely guarded cell Richeson's amazing
confidence did not desert him. 1t Is not
possible to describe his net of self
mutilation, but the fact is that the mo-
tive behind it was not, as is popularly
believed, desperate contrition. 1t was to
defeat the end of justice. Criminology
records no incident OF such hideous cor
ception. the object of which was to baf-
fe the States claim regarding the mo-
tive for the murder.
1t was after Richeson had failed In his
last daring device to escape the law that
he wrote his confession, In which he said:
II am moved to this course by no induce
ment of self benefit or leniency,v and
then followed with the statement: "Ip
my mental anguish | recognize that there
is still, by the mercy of the Master, some
remnant OF a divine spark of goodness
still lingering with me. I could wish to
live only because within som PRISONS
walls l might, in some small measure, re.
deem my sinful past. help some other
despairing soul and at last find favor With
my God.
Still he would live. Was he sincere in
that statement?
Prisoners coming from Charles street jail
say Richeson lived so selfshly he becnme
the object Of detestation by the convicfs
who usually pity a man condemned for a
capital crime. He spent his time smok-
ing, playing checkers with his negro cell
mate, reading magazines and newspapers,
and the Bible about ten minutes a day.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

You'd better nut in soma more and 90
I added two or three chunks. ave
him enough to kill ten persons
"As he took the package he said Won
will receive an invitation -, 80
ding and I don't want YOU to fail ia
come and then he added:
This may seem very mysterious to
you, but can you keep a secret? 1 don't
want anyone to know l have bought this
poison. 1 would not want neople "a
know that killed a dog With that he
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

inclined TO disrespect feminine confidence
early in life. At least one scandal
Scared him while at Newton Seminary,
but be was ordained and accepted a call
to the Baptist Church at Hyannis, Mass
A life of honor and usefulness opened
before him,
In this quaint little Cape Cod fishing
village, where the salt air is pure and the
healthy morality of the men of the sea
shows In their rough faces, the shepherd
of the flock allowed his own ideals to
wither and his mind to degenerate.
The tall, slender, dark virginian, with
the features of an Apollo, sombre In his
sacred garb, was the man of the hour.
No wonder that whole souled, merry-eyed.
laughing Tipped Avis fell under the spell
OF the fascinating suavity of the man, as
moody as a poet, OVERLOOKING with ten
der sentiment, sensitive-and always the
actor.
She was II when she met lin. Her
mother was a yirginian. To Avis the man
was the personifcation of her mothers
idealization OF a courtly Southern gentle
man.
Avis Linnell was tall, broad-shouldered.
d'hietic, rowing the sea and the field, full
of fun, not pretty, but with intelligent
features and an excellent student, gradu-
ated from high school at Ii. She got
acquainted with Richeson when he per-
formed the marriage ceremony of her
sister, Vida, and William MacLean. Avis
was bridesmaid.
The first suspicion that she and the
minister were In love came when, by de-
grees, she lost some of her care-free
manner IL grew deeply religious. In a
few weeks the girl seemed transformed
into w~omanhood, discarding her outdoor
sports for serious study and guarding her
condolences closely.
Even In these early days of the romance
the passionate pastor had evil In his
The diamond ring that he put on Ayis's
was taken from the hand of another
girl to whom his marriage proffer had
been as insincere as was this bethrothal
to Avis. And this same ring was later
taken from the Hyannis girl n be-
upon Miss Violet Edmands, the
Brookline h~eiress, to marry whom the
murdered Avis.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
E
L HIS DOOM
CHAPTER n.

While the tragic romance of Avis Lin
In the bud, the young pastor of the churc
his parishioners as a liar. He lied to ex
his stupendous vanity, covering each sn
This progressive falsity deeply rent his
moral fiber. 1t caused his chief sorrows
and finally wrecked his reputation. He
lied to the deacons of his church, to
Avis's mother and to the choir singer
berself. The men OF his church were
anxious TO get rid of him. The women,
probably in pity for Avis, tried to ex-
cuse him.
Then Rfcheson became a thief. The
church trustees left $50 for him In his
study. He denied receiving IL, trumped
mp a story of theft, and displayed a let
ter that the ''thief'' had written him,
promising to return the money in install.
ments, Ii was postmarked wollaston.
Mass. The lie was exposed by a man
who saw Richeson jump of a train at
Wollaston that morning to post a letter.
Avis knew these things and was sad
dcned by them, but chung to the man. as
good women so often do, when thelr
love Is attacked. He was her first love
and had baptized her.
TO cover his lies. Richeson resorted to
the old trick of talking desperately to
her. He vowed he would commit sui.
eide. He denounced various member
or the church from the pulpit. often by
innueundo. He resigned under fire and
went to Boston. Avis believed he would
marry her In the fall and they would
take up foreign missionary work to-
gether. But he accepted a call to the
Emmanuel Baptist Church In Cambridge,
Avis went to Boston to study music.
SHE boarded at the Y. w. c. A. Richie
son frequently called and Avis told her
friends she was engaged to him.
After the marriage had been vice
postponed, Avis talked with him one
: nfght about a new date for the wedding
He whine that his life was u failure,
that he could not support a wife, and
finally dramatically threatened to throw
himself off the balcony where they were
talking. Avis ran to call her brother
tn-law. Rieheson disappeared. Her
brother-in-law, William MacLean, that
night declared he believed Richeson In
sane.
The truth was that he was then plan
ming to marry Violet Edmands!
When Avis Liunell had been eighteen
months engaged to marry Richeson her
mother heard that he was betrothed to
Miss Violet Edmands, the Brookline,
Mass, heiress.
The anxious mother wrote Richeson for
an explanation. He never answered.
-Four months later he denied the report as
the vaporings of idle gossips."
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

Ut hJhnhiei MISS, DecHme hnOWn TO
his importance and to crafty
cesslye lie with another.
Il was sick in bed when your letter
came and after that | forgot it," he lied,
with accustomed aIacrity.
In Cambridge, where Richeson was
preaching, some people knew of his en-
gagement to both girls. II is remarkable
that he was not questioned. 1t Is certain
that Avis knew Richeson was involved
with Miss Edmands, but never discussed
the matter, even with her mother.
To her blind love of him u to the
Discrimination of other people to inquire
too deetply into heart affairs, may be
attributed the strange circumstance that
Richeson was not early tangled In his net
Of lies and lntrigues
IL is. known positively that the Ed
mands family never heard of Avis Lin
nell until after the murder.
Many stories are told In Cambridge and
Hyannls of Rlcheson's periodic queer
spells, which some took to mean insanity.
He would complain of illness, talk of
death, III take to his bed for a week.
These attacks invariably came upon him
when he found himself tangled in In
trigues of duplicity.
Last summer Richeson acted SO queer
'ly that the Cambridge church gave him
three months vacation.
Murder was In his heart then. He was
debating the monstrous question of how
he should rid himself of Avis to marry
n rich woman, older than himself.
Mrs. Hallett, of Hyannis, a former pa.
%rishioner, invited him to spend his va
cation at her home Avis was at home
on a vacation. He arrived there July 1,
but a few days later Miss Edmands tele.
graphed asking why he did not write or
come to her. This telegram was ex.
posed. When he discovered that Others
knew its contents he left for New Hamp.
shire. Ten days later he returned to
visit Avis.
The girl was distraught in fear of a
shameful exposure, and 1t was during
this visit, according to the LinnelI fam.
lily, that Richeson secretly made Avis
believe she was his wife, II was his
desperate bid for more time. He was
determined to marry the other girl. That
was impossible with Avis alive.
Holding her trusting hand in his, he
himself pronounced a marriage cere-
mony.
Even then he must have been seeing
red. Nowhere in the widest imaginings
of the worlds most famous writer's is
there a chapter to compare with this
incident In the black romance OF RICHIE
son and Avis Linnell.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

tiUn shudder.
pt is not a pleasant duty to recount
IScheson's peridy and inhuman acts.
All that is sensitive and good in ones
nature gags at the mans infamy. Or
dained to preach of spiritual life and to
better human conditions, he betrayed and
then stilled a loving heart, and did it
with brutal elaboration and fiendish
genius.
Through the mistakes and evil of 9TH
ers. however. society learns that the re-
wnrds of virtue are real.
There could be no more pointed proof
that the wages of sin is death than Is
found In the case of this Boston minis
ter.
Scientists like the great Darwin de-
clare that morality, hatred of indecency,
Is a modern virtue sprung from civilian
tion's power to command self, through
Inheritance. habit, instruction and re-
lipion. There Is no recent parallel to this
remarkable case of reversion from the
highest plane of civilization to a depth
OF absolute savagery.
The uoisouing of Miss Avis Linnell. De-
tober IA, 1911; the detection and arrest
of Ricllcson six days later, his terrible
act OF self-mutilation December 20, ana
bis amazing confession, January 3, are
we'll known.
,rbose facts stamped Rieheson as a re-
marknble criminal, but the lesson thnt
his case teaches is more to be found
In the smaller incidents. These show
how, inch by inch. he tore down with
iustful hands the moral fabric or his
once spiritually ndowed soul.
From the time Richeson first began to
live n double life two mean motives seem
TO have controlled hlm-selhshness ana
vanity. His baser nature continually
cried ale! me! me-"
Lust, greed, consuming selhshness'
vanity. made him first n liar, then a
hypocrite, then a thief and finally the
wolfsr monster that knew 10 reason and
respected no law.
Richeson's early history shows him to
have been a clever, earnest student.
Spiritually inclined and delighting In
~oratory, he naturally accepted the min
istry. He was emotional and sometimes
made enemies by t~actless conduct. He
preferred the society of women, but was
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
Calm as He
Pays Death Penalty
CONTINUED from First page.)

1t was mailed from station N, New
York city. May IS. 1t contained no clue
to the sender, the powder being enclosed
In a small ~sub-envelope marked head
ache powders" Analysis developed hat
1t was poison of the same nature as
that which killed Avis Linnell.
Attorney Morse aid that he advised
Warden Bridges to make public the fact
OF the receipt of this powder. Richeson
wal entirely innocent of any knowledge
of its having been sent. the attorney
declared. He added that he had every
reason to believe the condemned man
had no expectation of any such meansof
death.
Sings in Last Hours.
When the officials and witnesses of the
execution entered the death chamber,
after walking through the prison yard in
a pelting rain, they heard sounding
through the walls the strains of song.
1t was Richeson and his spiritual ad-
visers. Rev Mr.. Johnson and Chaplain
Stebbins, singing. Distinctly audible as
they closed were the words: "Fo | know.
whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things
WE'LL"
Richeson left his cell smiling at 12:OS.
Before starting on the death march he
shook hands with William A. Morse. his
counsel, who at the last moment had been
admitted as a witness of the execution,
and with the two chaplains, Rev. NJ. j.
Murphy, the Catholic prison chaplain,
being also present.
Then he said, I'm ready" and walked
on.
Richeson died game. He walked into
the death room between Rev. Mr.. Steb-
bins, the Jail chaplain, and Rev. DR..
Herbert johnson, his spiritual adviser,
leaning slightly on their arms. He mis-
calculated the distance into the chair,
or else was attacked with weakness, MS
he sat down heavily.
As he sat down he closed his eyes and
did not open them while the electrodes
were being adjusted. After entering the
death chamber he did not speak, When
Chaplain Stebbins whispered, Are you
willing to die for Jesus?'' he answered
with a nod.
Sings Favorite Hymn.
Ricbeson ate heartily yesterday. In
the evening he sang hymns. one of them
being Some Time Wen Understand
After finishing a song Richeson would
bury his face in his hands and sob like
a baby.
1T can't-it ought not to be done," he
exclaimed during one outburst.
Early last evening Chaplain Stebbins,
after leaving the condemned man. said
"Richeson Is wholly resigned to his
fate. He has made what peace he can
with his Make during his last hours
and deep down in my heart l feel that
he will face that final court truly peni-
tent and with full realization of his ter
rlble crime,
He is back in the fold and with no
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

whole plagued thing goes. Every time
.HBingo" enables lots of folks to wear
size smaller shoes-size larger smiles.
Makes foot smooth as a whistie-shoe
slips on so easily, painlessly, you forget
you ever had foot trouble.
"Bingo" shrinks the corn. loosens it.
down to the roots end-out it comes
Just like that, Doesn't hurt healthy tbs.
corn cures" as night from day. Get II
and see.
Costs Ellsworth more. At druggists, or
sent direct by Dennison Pharmacal Co.. Ill
No. Dearborn St.. Chicago. H. Sold In this
city by Pctty's Pharmacy. ISL Broad; Rlker
Drug Co.. 756 Broad: Menk's Pharmacy. 1O8
Market: Samuel Schwarz. o01 Broad: T..
Beitman. Market and Mulberry: The Nj:
strauss Pharmacy. Halsey and Academy SITS.
r. Walter Burnett, corner Main and Ashley
sts.. Orange.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

nocent blood n fate of his W making
was Turing him on and on.
III MS foolish, stupid vanity he seems
Always to have felt that he was far. too
clever, too well established, too noble
IN MS simulated dignity to fall victim
to the justice that avenges such wrongs.
lie hid behind the cloth he stained.
me limit to which his confidence in his
cunning extended was shown when, after
MS name had been published in connee-
tion with he supposed suicide of Avis
Lime he calmly. absolutely denied to
violet Edmands's mother that he had
ever had anything more than a passing
acquaintance with the girl. And he
easily convinced Mrs. Edmands, her
husband and their daughter.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

/ o OF THE
! PASTORS CRIME

q
z october laws Linneli found
I aead from cyanide poisoning In
3 pathroom OF iouhg women s Chrss-
7 tan ASSOCIATION.
Z october lS-Druggist Hahn tells
OF seiilne Rev. kicheson poison.
. III OF y
! nahcee' siolet sur
, ROUNDED py police 10 prevent MS
I escape.
+ OCTOBER zl-iticheson
4 october 2o.-body OF Avis Lin
! nell exnumed Tor autopsy.
I November l-Richeson indicted
TOT murder In nrst degree.
Z November 2-Richeson presents
: resignation TO his Cambridge con
: November 13-Richeson. arraiqned
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

At the top; The Linncil home at Hy-
nnnis, Mass, and Avis LinnelI as she
looked at rs, In the Innocence of her
Few love for the nfn1, who met her
there n later basel murdered her.
In the middie: Tie her of Avis
Linneli and the Edniands home, where
Rfcheson cOurted his rich conquest"
At the bottoms, The urlstocratic
church at Cambridge, Mass. Richie
sons last pastorate, and a sketch of
Miss Violet Edmnnds, made from a
photograph taken In 1908.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
HOW MURDER PLAN
GREW TO DEADLY END
CHAPTER III.

81 VIA must hay been the secret tn oughts of Rev Clarence Rhhemn last
sunme as he balanced the heart m shame Of Avis Linner thu npauemept tn
marry Miss Edmands, the heressh his many lies, his false pretences AM bdow
Ell the scheme OF murder?
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21

7 Knew RIcheson well from his stu
dent days, says Hahn. II told him that
l didn't know he had a dog and then he
promptly rave a description of the anil
NAL. When I gave him cyanide of potas-
stun I warned him I'd given him enough
to kill two or three dogs.
II put the crystals in a paper and was
about to do them up when he said,
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-21
BOARD OF ASSESSMENT AND REVISION
m TAXEC

BOARD OF ASSESSMENT AND REVISION
OF TAXES.
TAKE NOTICE.
You are hereby requested to return the
total value OF your personal property as held
on the twentieth day. OF May. to the Board
Of Assessment and Revision OF Taxes. at
their office In the City Hall. on or before
the ~thirtieth day OF June next, and In no
case Will any abatement be made for in
debtedness or for property which may be
claimed to be exempt from taxation, unless
the law is strictly complied with.
II return is not made under oath and ac-
cordlng TO law the taxing officials will as
sess your personal property according to
their Judgment. from which no appeal can
be taken.
JOHN L. CARROLL.
my2otoJeSo President.