Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-09
.R|CHES0N TO
enter PLEA OF
GUILTY TUESDAY I
No Other Alternative but
to Sentence Him to Death
but Effort Will be Made to
Get Sentence COMMITTED.

Boston, Mass, Jan. 8.-As the Rev
Clarence v. T.. Richeson was about te
be taken from jail to the superior
court today, to change his plea from
not guilty. to guilty of numbering his
former sweetheart, his jailers were
notified that his counsel could not be
present and that the accused clergy
man need not appear until tomorrow
While the court has no option but to
pass sentence of death, counsel for
Richeson hope the fact that the confes
sion of guilt will save the county large
sums, protect innocent persons from
embarrassing experience on the wit.
ness stand, and suppress much testi
mony prejudicial to public morals, will
have weight with the governor and
executive council when petition for
Communication of the death penalty
comes before them. s ..
The proceedings in court Tuesday
will be brief. The young clergyman g
counsel will give formal notice of the
desire Of their client to change
his plea of not guilty. The in.
dictment will be read and the
defendant ordered to plead. The dis
tricr attorney may then move for i'm
mediate sentence or ask for a brief
delay. The court also may desire suffi-
cient time to think the matter over.
On the matter of Communication the
governor cannot act without the con-
sent of a majority of the executive
council. One member of that council.
John Quinn, has expressed himself as
opposed to inflicting the death pen
atty on Richeson, but the other Nom
bers have refused to commit them.
selves. ~.
: From source close to Governor
Foss the statemene came that the at
titude OF the executive probably would
be N afaNor OF "a communication OF sem
,tsnce Of death to one OF life imprison-
ment II the laws fullest penalty Is i'm
posed. %,
New Confession In Detail.
The statement Is made on high
authority that Richeson made an am
plified confession to his counsel on the
following lines: II .~ ..:..
/. After purchasing a quantity OF
cyanide Of potassium from William
Hahn, a Newton Center druggist, on
Ostober 10, the minister took the
poison to his rooms in Cambridge. A
few days later he borrowed from Mrs.
Frank H. Carter, in whose home he
was lodger,. an earthenware mixing
bowl, Ito make some book paste"
Returning the bowl to Mrs. Carter
an hour or two later, he warned her
TO be sure and wash it out thoroughly,
saying, II have been mixing poison IN
it." It was in this bowl and at this
time. it is said, that the minister, by
mixing the cyanide Of potassium with
flour and water, made the capsule
which ultimately caused Miss Linnell's
death. This was Thursday, October
IL. -
Poison Given to Victim. ID
On Saturday, October "A, Richeson
met Miss Linnell, who still believed
herself his intended wife. Following
their custom the couple had short
walk. then went into Boyleston
street cafe. Here they had luncheon,
after which they took another walk,
this time to the Fenway. ...
It was while seated In secluded
bench In the park, after the girl had
again told him of her worry over her
physical contition, and had once more
him to procure some rem
edy for her, that the minister is said
to have handed the girl the capsule,
declaring it was a medicine. Miss Lin.
nell went to her room in the Young
Women's Christian association house.
A few hours later she was found un-
conscious in the bathroom and died
without regaining consciousness.
Tc