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RICHESON GOES BRAVELY TO CHAIR FOR SLAYING PRETTY CHOIR GIRL'
‘I AmW tiling to Live or Die--' Last Words to Minister as Current Is Turned On
THE TWO GIRLS WHO FIGURED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE RICHESON TRAGEDY OF LOVE, POISON AND DEATH, AND SCENES CONNECTED WITH THE STRANGE CASE j
The Linnell cottage at Hyannis and below the church. where
Ri-heson first met and admired V'ss Linnell.
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Mother of the Slain Girl, For
giving. Says That Pastor
Was Not Sane.
Continued From Page One.
die like a man.'.'
R»x Mr Johnson said.
Richeson riled like a man He dis
played the same courage and fortitude
in the death chambm- that has marked
his conduct throughout his Imprison
ment."
M«dfra! Examiner George B. MagTath
made this statement:
“1 have seen the majority of the
executions, and as I recall them. Rich
eson is the only man who Spoke while
strapped in the chair. His replies to
the questions put to him by Dr. .John
son were the most extended Statements
ever attempted by a condemned man
in this prison. Tucker, before the
death shock, handed a paper upon
which there was writing to one of the
guards. Casslll knelt beside the chair
and prayed. The others all had to be
assisted into the chair and’were dumb
after they were seated in it.
William A Morse, chief counsel for
Richeson and a witness, said
“Mr. Richeson left hie cell and walked
to the chair unassisted He- displayed
superb courage; hq mat-,hte. fate like
a man. He made ny closing state
ment." .
Singing in Cell a?
Summons Came
Richeson left his ■ • m at 12 08 o'clock
When the witnesses headed by Mai
den Bridges, filed into the .short corri
dor separating the death cell, the voices -
of Richeson. Chaplain Stebbins and the ;
Rex Ml .Johnson could be heard sing
ing hymns. Richeson singing in a clear
voice with much feeling
The last lines sung by the three in
the death cell were:
"For I know wh.it'er befall me
Jesus doeth all things well."
There were ten witnesses tn the i
part', including Rm l ather Murphy, j
the chaplain of the prison
Attorney William A Morse sail.
"For two hours I had a closed con- I
versation with Richeson and we talked I
very confidentially over all matters. He i
expressed to me all that he wanted ;
done. 1 shall carry out bis wi-'nes. He |
was ready to go, brave and reconciled.
He asked me to go with him to the:
death chamber and 1 did.
Felt He Had
Paid His Debt.
He wanted to sax to the xxor’d that
he had paid his debt, and felt that he
xvas going home to God. for a larger:
service of life: that he had failed here |
and that he had suffered enough to I
know that he would be forgiven, and he ■
was glad to go. and thus be given an I
opportunity for larger service in an- I
othdr w orld. "
Richeson. Just befoi, leaving his cell,
shook hands w ith Attorney Morse, then i
with Chaplain Stebbins and then with I
Dr. Johnson. His face was lighted up!
with a bright smile He stood straight -
as an arrow. His eyes looked straight)
ahead, unflinchingly
Turning to Deputy Warden Allen, !
Richeson then said, with the smile still j
illuminating his fa-* "No* I am
ready. "
Riche.-on then started walking to- '
xvard the death < natnhri Ahead of him 1
walked Chaplain Stebbins reading se
lections from the Scriptures
Richeson was still erect when he'
pissed over the threshold and entered
the death -hamber H- still bioke-i .
ahead with imflini hing g.i«■ There
we. no sign of trembling 11- walked:
firmly His free XX M w ithout v trace
of a smile bir shone with apparent I
feeling of peace
Only One Shock
Necessary to Kill
On!' one she •!• wm n'-'e«sarx ’ - kill !
Richeson Nineteen hundred volts
eight amperes, was administer J f<o- one I
minute and eight seconds Three doc
tors examined Riches >n and ilwvireil
him legally dead at 12:17 o'clock.
Wesley Bryant, a <'ha; lestown uti- ’
dertaker. removed the body from H e
death house at 1 : 4.7 s. m. The remains ,
were piaeeu in a wicker coffin. -.< ied
through an alleyway and out of t e-ir
gaie on the Rutherford avenue -ixl-.
Four policemen stood guard ■<’ the gat”.
It x>as driven in a covered wag-m ■,j
the North Grove .-’ree* morgue • • -w,.
autopsy preceding delivery to F.W--
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Georgian Reporter
I Describes Execution
- •_ ‘ * • « • •
By J. GOOLTZ
Georgian Reoresentative. Who Wit
nessed Execution of'Richeson.
BOSTON. MASS. May 21. Clarence
V. T Richeson entered the death cham
ber at 12: OS o’clock this morning, while
the echoes of a psalm. In the singing
of which he had Joined, were dying.
He was supported on either side by
i the Rev. Dr. Herbert S Johnson and
I Rev. Herbert W Stebbins He walked
i slowly, with eyes downcast. The
thirteen fatal steps to th° ehair took’
i up but as’ntanv seeVinds Rut to the
legal witnesses who were summoned
by law It seemed as many hours. -
lie was placed in the chair that had
bee# horoughit tested before his ar
rival. While two guards pinioned his
arms and hotly securely, another guard
'raised the trouser leg of the left side
and fastened the electrode tn his left
leg between the ankle and the knee
A fourth guard fitted the mesh cap
containing an electrode to Richesons
head.
When this was placed to the satisfac
tion of the guard, it rubber band about
four inches in width, which covered the
I eyes and chin, leaving the nose and
mouth exposed, was fastened about his
face.
Word Die" signal
; For Fatal Current.
Waden Bridges was watching in
i tently for the opportune momen* When
; Richeson had responded to a passage
I from th- Bible read by Dr. Johnson,
his spiritual adviser, and had just ut
tered the word "die," Warden Bridges
raised the black cane that he carried in
his right hand, ind tne elctrician. sc
; creted behind a screen with ever fas
tened upon the warden's hands threw
a switch
With the word die upon his lips,
-Richeson paid the penalty with his
i life.
V- the shock of electricity struck
• Richeson his left hand, with index fin
ger extended, turned slowly and point
bed to the heavens Within one minute
I and 41 seconds of the time that Riche
>-.u entered the death 'hamber he
; w -- dee el
Hurriedly the three attending physi
■an- hogan th- r examinations "ici- -
( w>th his otethosi -'pe listened for a
I heartbeat Again and again they ap
i plied the instruments to Richeson e
! bared chest They spent several min-
• utrs at their task Then they’ gathered
in a corner of the death chamber, ami.
: aftei a momentary consultation, pro-
• iioum ed him officially dead.
Bicheson Sang as
Death Hour Neared.
Rir lesun Gif singing again GH?
morning, as h* did \<st?rday morning
ilt wa c .?’ hi- - nx n puggest ion that h*-
five von th* you ’n this
h ’ ’ir
RGh.r-s- r?? r r to a s
?EfE ATLANTA GEOL .iA'- V''n'TTESDAT. VAT 21.. 1912.
Avis Linnell. lii< Hyannis "irl of nineteen. mli >
took poison Richeson zav-c i- wiiiiout question.
Richeson hanged in etrig.v in Hyannis. The arrow points to a sign which reads: HI ILT\ :
READ LI KE XVII . 'This vors>‘ read . ' ll were bettor for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck and he oast into the sea than that ho should offend one of these l.ittle ones.”
SCRI PTURE SELECTIONS RICH ESON
CHOSE EOR THE HOUR OF DEATH
I
Richeson chose lor the hour ot his death excerpts from chapter fourteenth of ■ the-gospel rd
St. John, and these, at his request, wore read u> his by Chaplain S.tobbius as the straps of the
eleolrie ehair wore being applied to the condemned man. Some oflhese excerpts follow:
1. Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. Igo
to prepare a place for you.
4. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
19. Yet a little while, and lhe world seeth me no more: bue ye see me. because 1 live ye shall
live also.
27 Peace I leave with you. my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be. afraid.
I ,
er than that in which the question had
been put "Yes; ('brim gives nie
strength I need."
Now the '.I; was being f.; •n >:, 1 to
his head; the . ■a-n-ede hi aireadr
been applied to th" leg. Rit hesvn ap- i
pea red to par no, attention to the ac
tions of rhe guards He etw none, he
heard only the S»'tint lire s
Dr. Johnson continued and asked;
"Do you here repent of your sin""
"I do." came the answer loud ■ d
clear
Do y if forgt • » ■ ' err b-’dv
"I do,"
Now the guards were fastening the
rubber bands across tlm face of tile
rider. On each side of the cell dopr
w ere w aiting the mlnOtera who wef,
with him to the end.
Dr Johnson held opmi ~ Hib'e at,.. ’
place that marked the Pliolite
sages in the Scripture.- cb-'see. f>\
Riches >n for the occasion Di Joh,t
son trad the passages slowly.
Richeson, wit a mind intent upon tin
responses he was to make, was led-to
the death chai' *
D .lohns-ot’ .asked
Would jou like to ■ onfrss to ■ h!is’
before ty. «•. on.-- as . .Sa
vior"" ...
>.-p•• e'-.-d in . ■ firm irj’..-
th'? '.'it’d be heard m ■' n partj ..-t |
Miss Violet EdmaihL. heiress, to gain whose
hand Richeson tleriib'l H» kill his tian'-v.
ti e death ,h - nber "I do confess to
<'h .st as m\ Savior."
\gain Dr Johnson aske. Have you
the peace of God >n > our heart at this
hour?”
Confesses Christ
Before Witnesses.
Riche; n answered I have the pea-'e
of Hod ;>» n> hear’, and f via' so- .To
Dr .I on-co ( oramied t m reading
tbu- while Ri< heson was being stropped
into the chair.
The next passage w n Does < heist
with the tw >• ministers, sang "Safe in
tin Irms of testis " \ number of times
he ”ing’ it. while 'he legal witnesses
were assembled in the death chamber
awaiting his appearance At list the
wo d wa» given him by one of the death
guards In the gentlest tone, he said;
i'o.-i.. .'I . Rm teson. I'm- lino Ims ..r
--riv. d Yro you r id\ now'" Rfehe
s.m ,tt-swereii I tni read) ."
Without assistance, he .-merged from
his death cell and stopped in!” th. .-or
condemned non. The last question
camp nuw .
"Ve roti willing to live or to f,..-
Jesus'’"
Ricfigpon s last reply followed
I am willing to lire or d-’-e.
be. s-pot-e rhe last vend th« sig’’’;
i•< j« gn»n-bj \t ard o n Bridge-. r - re
was a Hash of- i light as the switch
was thrown into place by the elec
trician. A moan ■ ime from between
Richeson’s lips, hi” body surged for
ward until it arid the taut straps that
bound mm t” .the ”halr. The fingers
of his left hand pointed aloft.
Record for Bravery
At Death Chair.
I* is said by the officials at the prison
who w itnec sod the execution ’ .■’.at R’ h
epon showed the greatest heater;. ~r
any man who has suffered death Io
execution at the state prison.
The witnesses we e more ep,., ] v
moved than Ri boson. H- did not show
it any lime that be was in fear. He
did not filte in his march to th- chair.
Ho did not stmo -ian of weakness
or breakdown as he was seated. H -
voice never lowered in the responses
ha: b” made to ii a spiritual adw -.-r
Afier the execution tile legal wit
i iwsscs made their v.at slowly out of
the. death chamber and returned to th.-
warden’s apartments. They had start
ed from there a little more than a qn .r
--tc. of an hour before In that short
period of time Richeson had died to
pa' ihe penalty the law demanded for
»h« murder of s . - 1 ■ .m-'l. fine in
’ient in’"ig iws '.lanq that he-bl the
w-l’neeses spD'brmnd in the death
Th< Edmands home in Brookline, where Richeson dined,
knovrinc lie hnd killed Avis Linnell.
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Thoma.-- V. Richeson. devoted
Litlmr of the sla; <T.
o ©
• Some of the Victims •
: Os Richesoifs Spell J
9 9
e Many young women figured in •
• th- .-t range career of Rev. Clar- •
• ence Richeson. Among them are: »
s » * ■* •
• Pats’. Felts, to whom he was •
• betrothed n Liberty. Mo., in 1906, *
• and who lent him rtoney to com- •
• plote hi theological education. •
t « » » «
, » Vi- Howe; reported engaged to •
® him in Georgetown, Mass., in iw- •
■ ■> tuber, 1907.- •
o » . * <
' » Avi. Licnell, who met him in *
' Hyannis. Mass., in rhe summer of •
• 19HS, and . .insidered herself hi; *
o fiancee until he poisoned her. *
s - * «
• Eth" t rite tn whom Richeson *
• paid o-,U'"h attention in Boston in *
• 1941 •
« * « * >
c Vi--’, ■’ Edmands. the Brookline •
• he rose, v horn he had meant to •
■ o w ed. •
n » - - «
• .Mrs. I - i e E. Brittain, who as- •
• ■ ■ nm in Mormon missionary •
i » work. *
a • « « •
i o The y a.mg clergy man also was •
o repm-d engaged at one time to •
o three vir’ in Kansas ("ity in 1904 •
e • . a ui'ig woman in Haver •
•» hi Mi - . in 19"9. •
« •
- limber ,y •< when the mesh headpiece
- s i.cTitJ to Rich- sen's head. A’ it
I w -t .lightened into place the water
■> >rg<. that forms part rtf the
,-]ectrod--> flowed slowly down over
1 Ri- hoson'- face
, For tiuee hours before the final - all
I,.'.me FT-bison prepared himself for
the end. H- dressed himself from
brad In foot. The same clothing that
i-r wore on the day that he appeared
b-sot .lodge Sandefeon for sentence
■ w--e brought t > him'some hours before
nv-'maht. It consisted of a black suit,
tight. turndown collar, black lie,
i.-t". smk. -nd button -hoes of the
-arne coior lb sp-nt nearly an hour
r. ssing.
First Riches m brushed his .tail care
fully -mil arranged it to hip own satis
' ~-tion. while a guard held a mirror be
s -r- f.o - T - n lie !-• gen to dress.
At the- las: m mem it- discovered that
bje :,, njers ■r* missing.
Qui-klv h despatched a guard for a
IpM. f ‘u-pender; He did not reali.:-'
it.u i" • e'e closed War-
den Bridges did not want to .disap
point Richeson. in his last simple de
mand, -so he' furnished the condemned
man with a pair of his w. hit..
drc’s. suspenders. Th- warden said,
when the errand was stated:
' t have worn them once or tw ice’, but
I guess that Richeson won't mind.
Tak e them to him." and he handed the
pair to the guard.
Quickly they were taken to Riche
son. He thanked the guard and said.
"My. but you are obliging here."
While Richeson was preparing him
self physically and spiritually, the wit
nesses were slowly gathering in the
warden's apartments. where they
awaited the call to proceed to the death
< hamber.
First < ame the newspaper men. Ther
ere -pjiekly followed by rhe physi
cians and the other legal witnesses.
Nearly every moment during the last
half hour before mdinight some one
aritong the witnesses pulled his watch
from his pocket to see how the time 4
w'a's -pa;sing. This did not hasten mat
-1 t■_!'•- for them, "but they continued doing
it in theii nervous anxiety
At last ihe hour --f midnight ■as J
heard pealing forth from the bell of a I
nearby church.
Again the watches were dragged opt
and the time compared. It was tnid
■nlght. Maiden Bridges informed the
witnesses that he would dispense, witn
the formality of reading the death war
rant. He -aid:
Avoided Gaze of
Curious Outsiders.
jenllemei., you are summoned here
tonight to witnes- the- execution Os
Clarence V. T. Richeson. We w ill now
make our start. Please follow me "as
ctuielly as possible, as we are going
down through the inside on this" occa
sion."
At other executions it has been the
custom of the warden to lead the way.'
along the narrow stone waik through
tli° courtyard, within ight of the hun
dreds who always gather about the
gates.
The warden feared some outburst on
the part of the people outside," and
eho-.e the other route as a safeguard.
In tlm -lark they made their way along,
as the venerable warden led the way.
They trudged through the ntud and
rain, heading for the beacon ‘lights
made by th- open door of the execu
tion chamber. As they entered the
higitly lighted rooms, four guards in
uniform were waiting for them.
A half dozen seats were arranged in
a row for tho e who wished to be
seated. One or two of the party start
ed to sit down, but quickly arose to
their feet again ami awaited the en
trance of Ri-heson. The witnesses
were shifting theii weight from one
foot to the other in their impatie,fleet
Warden Bridges gave word to the.
guard- io bring Richeson in at flyg- r
minutes after midnight.
A little more than three* minutes
later. Richeson made his appearance.
Hi- face was ghastly pale. Evedy-eye 4
in the room was fixed on hiip. His neat
appearahce came as a surprise, as
every other man who had been exe
cuted had been dressed simply in
trousers, shirt and slippers, Richeson
wao dressed as if he were on his - :i..
to some festivity. As the door opened
to admit him. \t illiam A. Morse. R" h
•--on lawyer, was seen standing in the
corridor ri.tore Richeson"? cell.
At Richeson'? request he had re
mained with hi.- client until th® deith
march began
Attorney Morse remained in the • or
ridor until Richeson nearly had fin
ished making his responses, and. no
lorffeel abl» to restrain himself, step
ped into the death - hamber. He was
not a legal witness, but none of Hie.
guards had the heart to ask him to
l-ave. With the flash at the signa!
from ttie warden's cane. Lawyer Morse
burst into tears and threw his arm
about Di Johnson. There was hardly a
dr’ eye in the room. The warden
shook, the deputy bowed his head and
only the hi . of the current tha> v< as
burnmg up R- heson's lit* could
heard. 1