New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-17
R|CHESON FOUND SANE;
HIS LAST HOPE GONE
Governor Foss Will Not Refer
Petition for Communication Of
Sentence to His Council.
PRISONER A NEURASTHENIC
neclared Subject to Hysterical
Insanity, but Sane at Time of
Murder and Now-Not
Told of Fate.

uoston. May 16.-Clarence V. r. Rich
..or,s last hope of escaping the death
shoir next week for the murder of Avis
Iirnen. of Hyannis, expired tonight
.ben Governor Foss announced that he
,orld not refer RichesOn's petition for
.oo,mptation of sentence to the Execu-
tive Council
The statement from the Governor eol-
,oved closely the fling of the reports Of
the special ms nifty commission. which
declared the condemned man sane. al
though subject to fits of hysteriCal in
sanity. The commission found that
Richeson was sane at the time of the
murder and that he WAS sane at the
present time.
In the death chamber at the Charles
town State Prison the prisoner has borne
himself calmly since he was transferred
from the Charles street Jail on Tuesday.
II was apparent that he still had hopes
that Clemency would be extended TO him.
and it vas believed to-day that this
alone was keeping up his spirits.
The statement issued 10y Governor
Foss shows that the alienists found that
Richeson's family We're afflicted very
generally with insanity and that the
condemned man is himself a neurotic. a
somnam6ulist and d neurasthenic. and
subject 10 hysterical insanity.
The Governors Statement.
L-acc'c
Executive clemenc> will not be extended
il the case Of Clarence '. T. Richeson.
M prisoner was sentenced upon his own
mics S.on and without trial for a crime
.'y appears impossible that any nor
Hs uuld commit.
40 ... Confession and sentence a pIca
Of nSsn.,. vas set NJ 10y his counsel and
strongly Supported ~ affidavits extending
over his life. tae character Of these aft
dsvits left no O.u,g course for the Governor
than 10 submit these and the prisoner him
self 70 all examination by our leading
alieniSts in order to protect the common
wealth from the charges that the man vas
actually insane when the deed was conn
mitted as well as at the present time.
The evidence shows that Richeson's fam
fly is heavily afflicted with insanity. that ne
himself Is neurouc. somnambulist and
q neuraStheniC. that he is subject 10 eX-
IRENE emotional disturbances. marked by
loss Of memory, which two alienists have
diagnosed as hySterical insanity. one phys-
ca delirium. and the majority opinion in
dlCating that these attacks are hysteriCal
attacks marked by emotional disturbances
Of brief duration. with loss Of memory dur
Ing the attack and for a varying period fol-
lowing It,
The evidence. however, while clearly re-
yeaIing these attacks. indicates that his
crime was not committed by him during such
an attack Therefore. while there is some
divergence of opinion among the alienists as
10 whether these attacks indicate actual in
sanity, there is sufficient ground for the
conclusion that he is accountable for his
crime and that the exercise of executive
clemency in this instance would be con-
Tary to the public good
The affidavits and medical evidence as 10
Richeson's unfsvorable heredity. his lapses
NJ consciousness and his attacks of de-
lirium are too voluminous 10 include in this
statement and are not suited TO publica-
ton.
The alierists referred to are DR.. Edward
3. Lane and Dr. Isidor II. Coriat acting
for the defence: Or. L. Vernon Briggs act
ing at the personal request Of the Governor
ard Drs Henry r Stedman, George ].
Turtle and Henry =. Frost, acting as
commission for the Commonwealth.