The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-09
Minister, Who Pleads Guilty to the Murder of His For mer Sweetheart, Avis Lin nell, Sentenced to Die During Week, Beginning May 19.
His Only Hope Now Is In Executive CIelnency, and
 It is Believed that Major ity of the Governors Council, Opposed to Cspi- tai Punishment, Will Rec omlnend Leniency.
Especial from United Press )

N0pSCIdl lIOIIl OnlIOQ 6IGSS.J Boston. Jan. s-Tae shadow of the Rev. C. V IT. Richeson, murderer of pretty Avis Linne,l. the girlish sweet heart he betroyed under promise 6f marriage His only hope of escape from ignominious death lies En the hands Of the nine men composing the Governor's council, the court of last resort for the condemned in this State.
 While they are expected eventually to save this individual who betrayed the calling to which he had sworn to de-
 vote his Kfe. there will be for some time to come an element of uncer- tainty which win be hard for the con demned man to bear.
 Richeson acknow- edged his guilt in open court this afternoon. Standing
 with an effort near his counsel, he lis-
 tened unmoyed to the reading of the indictment When EGstrict Attorney PeKetier demanded at its conclusion if he desired to withdraw his former plea of not guilty to wilful and pre- therefor one of guilty, he nodded his head and his attorney answering for hEnl. said: ss.S s.-.s
 we plead guilty to murder in the
 A nod from the black robed figure on the bench and the clerk for the second lime in the. history of the commonwealth of Massachusetts en- tered In the records of the court a plea Of guilty to murder in the first degree
 . Rschespn's pedigree was quickly taken and then Judge Sanderson ifi1- posed sentence in the language of the court. directing that the prisoner be taken to the State prison at Charles town and confined there until the week beginning Sunday, May 19, "when the warden wGlI put you to death in the manner prescribed by law ,& ta %
 The proceedings were void of sensa- tton- Judge Sanderson had insisted that onlT a few persons be permitted to enter the courtroom and the act ing sheriff. with an augmented guard of deputies. cleared the corridors of the courthouse long before time for the Rev.. Richeson to appear. The minister murderer had been tn readi- ness for hours to hear his fate. and when Deputy Sheriff Daniel Cr9nin entered the jail armed with a. capias Greeting him to produce Richeson in court, he found the murderer in read mess with the exception of putting on was hustled into a waiting prison van and driven to the yard of the ton1bs He was. then taken out of the wagon ! and led through the passage below the courthouse and up the back stairway and then into court through the 1i- brary entrance.
 The minister walked with an evident effort and it was plain that he was still suffering from the effects Of his wounds and the subse- quent operation necessitated thereby. As soon as the court proceedings were over Richeson was hustled out the way he had come and taken back to his. cell where he will remain for short time before being transferred to Charlestown jan to await either exc cution or the communication of the sen tence. at once prepare the petitions for pre- sentation to the governor asking that the sentence imposed today be changed to. Imprisonment for life. They will base their request on the mental state of Richeson- and also the fact that, by pleading guilty, he has been of great benefit to the commonwealth.