The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-01-06

BOSTON, Jan. 6.-This Afternoon
the attorneys for Rev. Clarence '. 1
Richeson admitted that he had con
fessed the murder of Avis Linnel, b.
poison, to get her out of the way, 81
he could marry Violet Edmands, thu
Boston heiress.
He made the confession through |
letter to his attorneys. He said ht
couldn't stand further anguish, ant
confessed. 1t is thought the hope Of
leniency caused the act He gave i
to his attorneys yesterday who kept i
q secret. 1t is understood the state
will now allow life sentence.
In his confession he wrote: my con.
science will not admit of my still fur
ther wronging, by a public trial, heI
whose pure young life have destroy
ed.
"Under the lashings of remOrse l
have suffered and am suffering the
tortures of the damned. In this l
find q measure of comfort.
s1In my mental anguish l recognize
there is still, by the mercy OF the Mas
ter some remnant Of the divine spark
Of goodness still lingering within me-"
BOSTON, Jan. 6.-After an attempt
at shamming insanity, through winch
he hoped to escape the penalty for MS
awful crime. Rev. Clarence virgil
Richeson, former pastor Of the fash
ionable Emmanuel Baptist church OF
Cambridge, broke down today, ana
confessed to the atrOcious murder OF
his trusting sweetheart, Avis Llnnel.
The girl, who was about to become
a mother, stood in the way OF R1cne-
sons marriage to Miss violet Ed
mands, a Boston heiress, worth nall
a million dollars. Richeson had lnsat-
liable ambition. Wealth, he belleVeu
was what he needed to compel the
place in the world which he desired.
The wedding was to occur on OCTOBER
81. Over a thousand invitations had
been issued. The wealth, the society OF
Boston, was ready to welcome the min
lister. , But the trusting girl OF l9' a
former singer in Richeson's choir,
jeopardized this splendid coup OF the
minister who had raised himself from
a street-car conductor to a fashlona-
hle preacher by the sheer power of his
virility over women.
This little New England music stu
dent, ruined by a whirlWlnd OF his
taken love menaced his goal. One thing
only could make Richeson's position
sure-her death.
The minister calmly removed her.
He purchased cyanide of potassium
at the Hahn drug store, saying ne
wanted to kill a dog He met MS
sweetheart, gave her the poison as
a remedy for a trivial ailment. Then |
he went to his study to wait
When the girl was found dead IN
her bathroom, her friends telephoned
the minister. why do you tell me-?
he asked.
When the druggist at Newton told
If selling the minister the drug, the
detectives began to seek him. He was
found, hiding in the home OF his rlch
iancee, and taken from it's luxury to
he bare cell of his prison.
When an autopsy revealed that the
yirl would have become a mother
7icheson denounced some other man
Is guilty, and declared some one else
lad procured her death.
Then he was hung in effigy by mem
,ers of the Baptist church at Hyannas,
lass, where, as pastor OF the church.
le had first met the girl, and hung
O the very tree in whose shade ne
lad wooed her.
Then the Edmands' family recalled
he wedding invitations. But the
Wedding was only indefinitely post
oned. The heiress expected to marry
er fashionable preacher after he had
cen proved innocent.
The minister was to have been plac-
d on trial on October 81, his wedding
ay. Owing to his sickness the pre-
was postponed until later
7hen Richeson was held to the cir
uit court for trial on January II.
Meantime the detectives continued