The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-01-11
RICHESON N
MURDER OF GIRL;
FEELS PENlTENCE
Accused Pastor Weakens and
Gives to the Public Written
Confession of Guilt.

Boston, Jan. s.-severaI lawyers
say that the only hope Of saving
Richeson from death Is by having
him adiudsed insane or by com.
mutation Of his sentence.
Practically all Of the ministers
friends who believed in his limo.
Senss and those who expresses
linneI's murderer abandoned their
support Of tho prisoner when no
mutilstea himself In Jail on De-
This act led many TO accept the
theory that the minister had not
been in possession Of all his mental
faculties for some time.
Boston, Jan. 6.-The Rev. G. V.
T. Richeson, former pastor Of the
Emmanuel Baptist church, Of
Cambridge, today made a written
confession to the effect that he
poisoned his former sweetheart,
Avis Linnell. The statement was
given into the hands of his coun-
sci, who made the confession pub
lie at 1 p. m. The confession
bearing Richeson's signature
reads:
81 hereby confess that I am
guilty Of the offense Of which I
stand indicted"
Text Of tho Confession.
The full text Of the confession fol-
lows:
Boston, January 3, 1912.
John L. Lee. esq, William A
Morse, Esq, and Philip r. Dunbar,
Esq, Gentlemen: Deeply penitent for
my sin, and earnestly desiring, so far
as in my power lies, to make atone
ment, 1 hereby confess that l am
guilty Of the offense Of which I stand
indicted. ,-
Il am moved to tlis course by no
inducement Of self benefit or l%eniency.
Heinous as was my crime, God has not
wholly abandoned me, and my on
science and manhood, however de-
PRAYED and blighted, will not admit of
my still further wronging by a public
trial her whose pure young life / ave
destroyed. Under the lashings Of re-
morse, l have suffered and am suf-
fering the ~tortures OF the damned. In
this / find a measure Of comfort. In
my mental anguish I rec !gnize that
there is still, Ivy the mercy of the
Master, some remnan Of the divine
spark of goodness lingering with me.
/ could wish to live only because with
in some prisons walls l might, in some
small measure, redeem my sinful past,
help some other ~despairing soul, at
least. n favor with my God.
you are instructed to deliver this
to the district attorney or to the Judge
Of the court. Sincerely yours,
Clarence V. T. Richeson."
Admission Made Public.
Just before noon today the Judges
Of the superior court and the district
attorney went into conference at the
court house n about an Jour later
to the office of William A. Morse, the
leading counsel for the accused clergy
man.
In the office were nearly a dozen
newspaper men, while in a private Of
hce were MI. Morse. John H. Lee, the
Virginia lawyer, engaged by the faith
er Of the young clergyman. and Philip
r. Dunbar. After all the papers had
been found to be represented Mr.. Morse
said:
Gentlemen, I now give you Mr..
Richeson's confession"
Typewriter sheets containing the
confession were then handed to the
newspaper men and those who paused
to ask further explanation were told
that there was nothing more to be said
at this time.
The fact that the confession was
dated three days ago was pointed out
to the counsel, but they refused to
comment on 1t at this time.
District Attorney Pelletier learned
Of the confession OF Richeson from
newspaper men but later confirmed It
from Mr.. Morse. He said:
THE trial will go on just the same
no matter what statement may be Is
sued by Richeson."
Judge Won't Talk.
Mr.. Pelletier had just come from his
conference with the judges when he
was informed Of the new turn. He
declined to make any other comment on
the confession although 1t was init
mated that he might ave something
to say later. Chief Justice Aiken also
declined to mak any statement.
Richeson, Is under indictment for the
murder in the first degree Of Miss Lin
nell by giving her a quantity of cyan
ide of potassium. The penalty for such
a crime In Massachusetts, Is death in
the electric chair. If Richeson stands
in court on January Is next. the date
set for his trial, and acknowledges his
guilt the court, under the law, would
be obliged to impose the death SEN
tence, in the opinion of court house