Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-18
HEARS HIS FATE.


Boston, May 17.-Clarence V. r.
Rieheson, the former clergyman who
| is awaiting execution for the murder
| of Avis Linnell was. in a condition.
tonight. described by his attendants
at the'deatif chamber of the Charles
| town state prison, as "hysterical
coma.r Attorney William a. Morse,
| the condemned mans counsel arrived
at the state prison just after 9, tonight.
and went to the death house. few
minutes later a call was sent for DR..
Joseph r. Mclaughlin. the prison ply
stefan. to attend the murderer.
| As Rieheson has requested that q
clergyman be always with him until
the hour of his death, the Rev. Her
| bert w. Stebbins. the prison chaplain,
was with him during the early part
of the evening and was relieved about
| 10 o'clock by the Rev. Herbert S. john
son, who has been selected as spiritual
adviser to the condemned man. The
| two ministers will take turns in re-
naming in the death house and will
endeavor to carry out the wishes of
| the prisoner When Attorney Morse
| left the death chamber he stated that
| he had found his client in a very criti-
cal condition, that he was moaning
| constantly and he feared a complete
collapse.
Mr.. Morse absolutely denied reports
| that he was preparing a petition for
| an injunction 10 restrain Warden
Bridges from executing Richeson on
the ground that certain of the alienists
had found him insane. Il have done
| all that | can DO" said Mr.. Morse. i
shall take no further steps" Attor-
lney Morse declined to discuss a re-
port that the prisoner had begged him
to intereede with his father in Nir-
| ginia to allow the body To be taken TO
| that state after the execution and
| buried beside Richeson'S mother.
| LAS | face execution my principal
thought is not for myself, but for the
sorrow of my family and my friends"
i Thus did Clarence v r. Richeson. for
mer Baptist minister and poisoner of
| Miss Avis Linnell, comment upon the
news that GOV. Foss had decided not
| to interfere with the execution of the
lsentence of the court which decreed
that the Virginian must suffer death in
the electric chair Rieheson, while de-
pressed by the news of the Governors
decision, which was communicated to
him in his cell in the death house at
the State prison at Charlestown, today,
iby William A. Morse, his attorney,
maintained wonderful composure.
Ii had been expected by some of the
prison officials that the shock of the
announcement that all hope of life had
been taken from him would produce
in the prisoner a state of mental ana
|
founded, however, and Richeson bore
himself with such fortitude as aston
ished even the prison guards.
IN their report to the Governor, YES
terday, the commission of three alien
lists appointed by the states Executive
to inquire into the murderer's menta
condition. declared that he was sub
jeet to extreme emotional disturb
ances" diagnosed as ahysterical insan.
lily" or "hysterical delirium," but tht
| prisoners condition, today, gave no ev-
idence that any such state existed al
present.
It was shortly before 10 o'clock thi.
forenoon that the former minister re-
ceived The news that he probably had
less than 100 hours to live. He haC
awakened. early in the morning, after
a troubled sleep. AS one of the guard:
said HE Slept as we'll as you coult
expect of one in his position" After
breakfast he read his Bible for while
occasionally exchanging a few words
with his guards. He did not ask if Tho
Governor had rendered any decision
on the matter of referring the case tt
the Executive Council, and the guard!
avoided making any reference to tbs
subject. Early in the forenoon. Deputy
Warden Nathan ID. Allen and Chaplain
Herbert w. Stebbins visited the dealt
chamber, Mr. Stebbins remaining will