Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-23

taken to police headquarters in Rostor
in a taxicab to he arraigned
The case was set for October ., fo,
q hearing and Richeson was con,n;,,od
to the Charles street Jail witbou, hou
Within n few days the wedding invita-
lions of the minister and Misc nj
nands, summonng tho guests tn tho ia.
mands home on October 81. wero 20.
called.
Before the day 81 the hearing orr,,.od
II special session Of the grand iurv ,.,c
called and an indictment charr,nc r,,,r
der In five counts was found Ricbosn,
was taken into court to plead 70 ,ho
charge of murder on the dav bo v.,,, ..
have been married. to Miss r,d,,,,a..
The trial OF the case was set for r,,r
AIRY Is.
Richeson had early written to HE
church asking that judgment be sl,snond.
ed until after the grand jury sitting on
November he forwarded his resignation.
but the church on November q. after
stormy meeting, refused to accent If
Later second letter of resignation wac
sent and accepted on November q.
The police had even at this t,r,o cav
o.
son. The contaner of the poison which
MISS idnneli had taken could not be found
1t was believed some val or box mich,
nave been left In The pocket of Miss Lin.
nelis bathrobe. which had been buried
with her. The body was dsn,erred In
HEannis on October q ana brought to
Boston for post mortem examination
by five prominent physicians The cause
OF death was confirmed hut no additional
evidence was found
AFFAIRS WITH MANY WOMEN.
At the same time the police becan an
nvestigation into the life OF R,cheson
Every important act of his life from
the date of his birth at Rose nm. Va
% wears ago. until his advent in Cam
bridge was gone into 1t was found that
he went to school carly at Amherst
Courthouse, Va. high school. then went
to Carrollton, Mo- to work for n brother
and attend Il local academy Three years
later he went TO Liberty. Mo. and en-
tered William Jewell College to study for
the ministry. While a student he sup
piled pupits in Kansas city. Mo. Stew
artsvlle. Miss, FL Paso Texas. Louis
willie. Ky, and other places
Rcheson's life had not been an unds-
turped one. it WAS learned, and many
tales We're related of his acknowledgements
with youns women. At Liberty, Mo-
while in William Jewell College, he had
been engaged to the daughter of Il pro-
fessor. The young woman lent Richeson
money to pursue his studies and up to
the time of his coming to Hyannis be-
lieved she was to be his wife In the
meantime she developed tuberculosis,
Salt Lake City. Utah. The one bright
ray of light in Richeson's career ap-
peared to be that he repaid the money
loaned him as fast as possible. The final
amounts We're sent from Hyannis short
~ before he came to Cambridge.
Richeson was expelled from William
Jewell College for cheating in examina-
tons shortly after he had been ordained
at the First Baptist Church in St. Louis.
For Il time he worked as Il conductor on
the street cars of the latter city and was
prominent in a strike of street car men.
his fiery eloquence making him IL natural
leader.
INVOLVED WITH a WIDOW.
w ii'iS a. Aouui al n iIdptlst tHuEtu III
Kansas City, Richeson became involved
with widow. one Sunday she appear
ed Unexpectedly during the church serv-
ice. Rcheson. upon seeing her, fell in
a faint. a brother of the woman called
at Richcson's rooms and the young min
lister left town suddenly. \ note to the
deacons explained that he had been
driven away by jealous women.
At another church three young women
interrupted the service one Sunday.
simultaneously rising each inquired of
the minister if he intended to carry out
his promise to marry her. The sensa-
tion led the deacons of the church to
write for the pastors resignation.
Richeson entered Newton Theological
Seminary in the fall of 1895 and grad.
uated in 1900 During his course he
earned money by working in restaurants
and shoe stores He was called to the
fyanns church in 1909 and remained
there until June. 1910. when he resigned
to accept the passionate of the Emmanuel
Baptist Church in Cambridge. Rumors
OF his interest in women while a preache.
IN massachusetts have been current. Miss
tdmands, upon the arrest of her fiance
left Cambridge to escape publicity and
II Is said. has been engaged In charity
work
R1CIIESON INITIATED HIMSELF.
Interest in the case was intensified on
December 20 when It became known that
Richeson had mutilated himself in his
cell at the Charles street Jail The
public apparently lost all sympathy for
the prisoner following his strange act.
which was Interpreted as confession
OF guilt. At Hyannis. the home of Avis
ldnnell, the minister was hung in etrigy.
with placard on the dummy reading.
Guilty. Read Luke IT," In Boston
a conference of Baptist ministers WAS
called and Richeson was formally de.
prived Of his title of reverend
Richeson confessed his guilt in a state.
ment written by himself on January
and given out by his counsel on January
6, The confession was addressed to his
counsel and read:
Deeply penitent before my sins. and
earnestly desiring as far as in my power
lies, to make atoncment, | hereby CON
fess that ! am guilty of the offense of
which | stand indicted | am moved 10
this course by 40 inducement of self
benefit of leniency. Hcinous as is my
crime. God has not wholly abandoned me
and my conscience and manhood. how
ever depraved and hlighted. will not ad.
nit of my still further wronging by a
public trial her whose pure young life |
have destroyed.
TORruRt.S OF THE DAMNED
"Cndl the lashings of rcmorse have
suffered and am suffering the tortures