Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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CLARENCE V. T. 1 CONFE Boston Preacher Ackno Sweetheart, Miss Avis ment Made Public Tor? ft Tho Rpv f!1flrftne^ ! o i^V/OWVU, M UU> V* A uv *?<W > . ^ J V. T. Richeson confessed his guilt of j h the murder of his former sweetheart, j s Avis Linnell, of Hyannis, in a docu- j h ment made public by his counsel to- j 1< day. The confession declares that the \ accused is guilty "of the offence of v which I stand indicted," which is s< murder in the first degree. J Whether Kicneson win pay me ca- ? u treme penalty, which under Massa- j d chusetts law, is death in the electric ; w chair, no court official cared to pre- j w diet to-day. i n Richeson's Confession. ; s< The confession was as follows: j d "Boston, Jan. 3, 1912.?John J. t< Lee, Esq., William A. Morse, Esq., | Phillip R. Dunbar, Esq.?Gentlemen: ! Deenly penitent for my sin, and: o earnestly desiring, as far as in my; a power lies, to make atonement, 1j1] hereby confess that I am guilty of j a the offence of which I stand indicted, j o "I am moved to this course by no i v inducement of sell-benent or leniency, u Heinous as is my crime, God has not j If wholly abandoned me, and my con- si science and manhood, however de-; t< praved and blighted, will not admit, tl of my still further wronging, by a a public trial, her whose pure young si life I have destroyed. Under the c< lashings of remorse I have suffered n and am suffering the tortures of the j damned. In this I find a measure of i o comfort. In my mental anguish, I j 3 recognize that there is still, by _the j g mercy of the Master, some remnant b of the Divine spark of goodness still r< lingering with me. w "I could wish to live only because d within some prison's walls I might in te some small measure redeem my sin- 0' ful past and help some other de- S( spairing soul, and at least, find favor i with my God. s< " 1 ou are lnsiruuivu tu ucuwi imo p to the district attorney or to the l judge of the .court. Sincerely yours, p "CLARENCE V. T. RICHESON." p First Degree Murder Charged. X The indictment against Richeson hi charged that he ''feloniously, wilfully and of his malice aforethought," i gave Miss Linnell cyanide of potas- b; sium with deadly intent, and that be- c cause of her death he is guilty of si murder in the first degree. tl District Attorney Pelletier declared 0i to-day, after the confession had been k made public, that the trial, set for ol January 15, would surely be called w and that he would accept no compro- pi mise in the way of a plea to a lesser crime. ! n> It was pointed out that if the dis-, h< trict attorney maintained this atti- u tude only an insanity commission or w commutation by the executive coun- rr 'Cil and the governor could save Richeson from the electric chair. It lies, j tl however, with the court and the dis- {tc trict attorney to accept a minor plea, tl such modification usually coming sc through some weak link in the gov- j c< ernment's case. j w Xot Wholly Unexpected. To-day's developments in one of i lj the most interesting murder cases in t the history of the State was not alto-. d; gether unexpected by some of those n< in close touch with the situation. I o: From the beginning the prosecuting d; authorities have asserted that their n evidence was strong, although when d it came to the actual delivery of the poison to the girl there appeared to 3 be a missing link in the chain. j R Richeson himself provided prob- R ably the greatest sensation in the L case, when early on December 20 he R mutilated himself so horribly that his ! w life hung in the balance for some hours; this was saved only by an operation. Even while bleeding from his |r wounds he is said to have clung to j c< his counsel, William A. Morse and C pleaded to be allowed to tell him the j d whole story. Feeling that his client R might' be laboring from a loss of j C( " mental, as well as physical strength,! o Mr. Morse refused to hear him, and ; n during his convalescence Richeson n remained quiet, in fact, almost;h speechless. ' I Told Counsel of Guilt. | fl When the attorneys visited their! client early this week, Richeson cried j out that he was guilty and declared j h his intention of making a clean j9 9 t i breast of the crime. He plainly was ! under great mental stress and his; condition was such that his counsel would not accept his suggestion, _ Tbev urged him to think the matter ^ over more calmly and left him. v On Wednesday the attorneys again visited his cell, and the confession ; f( made public to-day was written then a by the prisoner, in spite of efforts of c - counsel to dissuade him. as they fear- n ed the mental strain had weakened his reasoning powers. Richeson insisted, however, and prepared and S( signed the confession in the presence \ i KICHESON 1SSES HIS GUILT wledges Poisoning His > Linnell, in a DocuBy His Counsel. f the lawyers without a tremor. As e handed the document to his counel, he exclaimed: "Thank God, I ave eased my conscience of that :>ad." A second copy of the confession as drawn up and signed by Riche-! on yesterday, and this copy, dated anuary 5, was turned over to Disrict Attorney Pelletier late vesteray. A conference followed, but v A11- - x ^ J o- u rv/-vn 1 i nemer 11 nau ctu> ucanug uyuu hat is in store for Richeson was ot made known. Everything that eemed to hint at a compromis-e was iscredited by the district attorney D-day. ^To Escape l>eath Penalty? District' Attorney Pelletier pointed ut to-day that the confession is not plea of guilty to the indictment, altiough it is available as evidence in trial and to a jury it would mean nly conviction. As a first degree erdict is the worst outcome that he defence could expect, astute iwyers remarked to-night that coun?1 would rarely permit a confession d go forth without hope of sometiing less than the death penalty, nd it is the general opinion that Me understanding must have preeded the giving out of the doculent. Hno nosfiihlilit.v siisreested is a Dlea f insanity, by reason of which >icheson may be sent to an asylum, till another course of procedure may e the calling of the jury and the fading of the confession, which ould be followed by a formal verict. of guilty in the first degree. Af?r that an effort could be made to btain a commutation of the death jntence through executive action. The crime alleged against Richedji is the mupder of Avis Linnell n the night of October 14. Miss innell, a girl of 19, was a native of [yannis, where Richeson formerly reached, and was studying at the ew England Conservatory of Music ere. Girl's Death?Pastor's Arrest. Miss Linnell was found dying in a ath room in the Young Woman's hristian Association building, where le lodged. At first it was believed lat she had taken poison, but a day r two later it became generally nown that she had taken cyanide f potassium, in the belief that it ould remedy her embarrassing hysical condition. On the day following Miss Lin ell's death Kicheson went to tiie ome of Moses Grant Edmands, ither of Miss Violet Edmands, to hom Richeson was to have been larried October 31 last: It was reported to the police that le young pastor, had been engaged ) Miss Linnell. It is also a police leorv that the minister was the per>n to whom Miss LinnelTs physical Dndition would cause the greatest orry. On the night of October 14, Wilam Hahn, a druggist at Newton Cen>r, reported to the police that a few ays before the death of Miss Linell, Richeson had purchased cyanide f potassium from him. The next ay Richeson was arrested at the Edlands home in Brookline. The weding invitations were recalled. A special grand jury on October 1 returned an indictment against icheson, who pleaded not guilty, [is trial was fixed for January 15. ater he resigned his pastorate.* icheson is about 35 years old and as born at Rose Hill, Virginia. Old Home Hears News. Lynchburg, Va., Jan. 6.?When otified over the telephone of the onfession of his nephew, the Rev. larence V.- T. Richeson. of the murer of Avis Linnell, in Boston, the lev. W. A. Richeson, of Amherst ounty, a minister, refused to talk f the confession. The confessed lurderer's father, who lives fifteen liles distant in Amherst county, will ardly hear of the confession until >morrow, unless it is carried by riends to-night at least three miles tirough a blinding snowstorm. The confession came as a surprise ere, where Richeson formerly lived nd where he has numerous rela-1 ives. Church Officrs Not Surprised. Cambridge. .Mass.. Jan. 6.?Charles Cummings. of Belmont, clerk of he Immanuel Baptist church, over hich the Rev. C. V. T. Richeson preided. said, upon learning of the conession: "I am not surprised. The ctions of the minister have i>ot been onsistent with those of an innocent lan." Before disposing of your cotton eed, see me. Will buy or exchange. V. G. HUTTO, at Copeland's store. EIGHT JURORS MADE VERDICT. Remaining Four Agreed by Special Arrangement. Greenwood, Jan. 6.?One of the most dramatic situations ever witnessed in the court room here was developed this afternoon, in the course of the argument for a new trial for Geo W_ Gone, convicted of manslaughter early Thursday morning, he having been on trial two days for the shooting of Luther P. Mullinax, at Troy, some time ago. The sensation in the motion for a new trial lay in the fact that one of the jurors, M. F. Sanders, of Greenwood, made an affidavit as to the manner in which the verdict was arrived at, and that he was supported in this affidavit by three other jurors was not known when Mr. F. Barron Grier started to read the affidavit, and as soon as he reached the point in the affidavit that Mr. Sanders had been a juror in the case and held convictions that the verdict was not what he believed it should be, Judge Sease, with flushed face, asked Mr. Grier to stop reading. Declared Tiieir Verdict. He said that he had polled the jury when the verdict was read and that every man had answered that it was his verdict, and that the court could not allow anything to come before it relating to what had transpired in the jury room. Mr. Grier asked for permission to expiain the nature of his position and why it would be necessary to make this preliminary i statement. After further argument I along this same line by Mr. C. C. Featherstone, for the defense, Judge Sease permitted the reading of the ! affidavit. The other jurors making an affidavit similar to Mr. Sanders's were: G. M. Anderson, of NinetySix, and A. J. Langley, of Greenwood. Method of Reaching Verdict. This affidavit, in substance, stated that after several ballots the jury finally decided among themselves that they would continue to ballot until two-thirds of them should agree on a verdict, and that when that was done the verdict of the two-thirds should be the verdict of all. Under this arrangement, finally, two-thirds voted for manslaughter and so this became the verdict of the whole jury. Just previous to the last vote the jury stood seven for acquittal and five for manslaughter, but the next vote was eight for manslaughter and four for acquittal. The attorneys for the defense debated long and earnestly that it was not a constitutional verdict, after having made able arguments as- to why the judge should consider the affidavit. After their argument Solicitor Cooper opposed the granting of a new trial on the ground that it would be against public policy to contravene the verdict on the grounds proposed. Foreman's Explanation. The foreman of the jury, Mr. J. M. Townsend, was sworn and made a statement to the court. > He told of J the ballots and how the rule was \ adopted. He said that he had all stand up and agree afterwards that it was the unanimous verdict. The defence contended that this agreement bound the jurors only as to the agreement that two-thirds should rule, and the two-thirds rule is hot recognized in this State, though stfenuous efforts have been made to have it adopted. Solicitor Cooper, in conclusion, said that he must continue to oppose granting a new trial. Judge Sease concurred 'in this and, in refusing the motion, said with warmth that he hoped he would never have to pass upon such a question again while he was on the bench. He went on to say that, while jurors might feel conscience-stricken, that public policy demanded the jury room be kept secret and sacred, and j that after the statement of the foreman of the jury he felt that the verdict should stand. The jurors could not justify themselves, he said. Sentence I>ronoiinced'. Having Long placed in the dock, and after listening to a plea for lenionnv from Mr F Rnrrnn Orier of the defence, supplemented by Mr. C. C. Featherstone, Judge Sease pronounced sentence upon him, this sentence being three years and six months on the public works of the county, or the same time in the State penitentiary. An appeal will be taken from Judge Sease's order overruling the motion for a new trial. ARRESTED IX HODGES. Serious Charge Made Against Man From Athens. Abbeville, Jan. 4.?W. O. Roberts, of Athens, and a woman named McKensie, of Comer, Ga., were arrested to-day at a hotel in Hodges by Rural Policeman Bruce. The warrant was sworn out by the brothers of the young woman, charging Kooerts wirn a very serious stautory crime. Both parties were brought here on the Southern train and were taken to Athens over the Seaboard this afternoon. Roberts is manager for a sewing machine company, and the woman was his stenographer. MISER STARVES TO DEATH. Banked Her Money and Denied Herself Either Food or Fire. New York, Jan. 6.?.Miss Anna Thornton, 65, rich and eccentric, was found dead in her handsome residence at Fifth street and Warburton avenue, Bayside, L. I. Coroner Ambler said she had died from starvation. Ten years ago, when Miss Thornton bought the Bayside property and began furnishing it in luxurious style, the neighbors sought her acquaintance. She repulsed them; she wanted no friends or acquaintances, she said. All she cared for was to be let alone. During the summer the woman worked alone in the yard among her flowers. In the winter she spent all her time indoors. Occasionally a young man called at the house. It [ was said in Bayside he was her nephew, but no one ever learned his name. Once a year .Miss Thornton was seen at the tax receiver's office. Her Bayside property was assessed at $10,000. Little Food; No Fire. At rare intervals she would journey to the Queens County Savings ! Bank and make deposits. When she | went to a store for food she made I meagre purchases. She bought no | coal. In the coldest weather no one ever saw smoke coming from the chimney of her house, Miss Thorn| ton got the reputation of being a miser. December 23 Jeremiah McMahon, n npichhor. saw Miss Thornton at a front window of her home. She looked very old and weak, and McMahon suggested to another neighbor she probably was ill. The neighbors decided yesterday it was their duty to go to the woman's I aid. They knocked at the doors and rang the bell, but there was no response. Then they sent word to the police of the Flushing station that there was something wrong in the miser's house. - Mounted Policeman Phillips climbed up a ladder to a front \v;indow on the second floor. Looking in, he saw the body of Miss Thornton lying in the center of the room. Then the house was forcibly entered. Bank Book Found on Table. Miss Thornton was only partly dressed. Near her, on a table, was her bank book and some papers, which the police took charge of, refusing to tell what amount she had on rl on/lci t UVFV04V. Coroner Ambler and the police searched the house from cellar to garret to satisfy themselves that Miss Thornton had not met death by violence. Not a morsel of food was found. "She starved to death," the coroner said. "Yes, I think she did," spoke up Rev. Father Dunn, who lived near the Thornton home. "She was such a miser she would not buy herself food." The police hope to learn the names of relatives or friends in the papers found in the house. "Fighting Bob" Evans Dead. Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, "Fighting Bob" to an admiring nation, died suddenly Wednesday afternoon at his home in Washington. Acute indigestion ended the career of one of the most popular officers in the navy. He was ill less than two hours. Admiral Evans, born 65 years ago in Floyd county, Virginia, arose to-day apparently in better health and spirits than he had enjoyed in some time. For years a sufferer from old wounds sustained in the Civil war and from recurrent attacks of rheumatic gout, the aged fighter seemed to have shaken off the burden of his advancing days. He displayed high spirits at breakfast and ate a hearty luncheon at noon. While in his library at 2 o'clock the admiral was stricken. Instantly the family sent for Dr. S. S. Adams, who on his arrival found the patient in ' - * J. i- ? * A A great pain. Airei- irraiuicui., auI miral Evans fell into a restless sleep, and it was thought that the danger had passed. Shortly after 4 o'clock, however, he awakened, and raising himself with difficulty announced that he was choking. "I cannot get my breath," he said, and sank back. At 4:45 o'clock he died, conscious to the end. I I BEATS BEAR TO DEATH. Hunter Knocks Out Bruin With Pair of Brass Knuckles. What is claimed to be the champion bear story of the season was told by William Smith, of Syracuse, N. Y.. who returned here after a hunting trip of two weeks in the mountains, says a Boulder, Col., special. Smith claims to have killed a 250-pound black bear with a blow of his fist. After the bear had killed two valuable dogs with strokes os his paws. Smith, according to his story, put on a pair of bra^ knuckles ana swung on the bear's jaw, knocking him out. Then he said he beat the- bear about the head and spine until he was dead. MONEY FOUND IN CHEST. Murdered Miser's Chest Gives Up Treasure After Years. Three years ago Millard Parton purchased, at a sale of the personal effects of the late H. B. Hines, in Rutherford county, an old tool chest for the sum of $1.50, says a Rutherford, N. C., special to the Charlotte Observer. Having no other use for the antiquated affair Mr. Parton had made it a receptacle for powder and shot, used in filling shells. In the course of time much of the ammunition sifted its way into the crev ices of the chest, and on Sunday, thinking to gather up all the fragments, the owner turned the chest upside down. Behold! silver dollars literally rained. A false partition in the chest had been dislodged by the jar and hoarded wealth to the amount of $140?ammunition for Christmas stockings, mixed indis- j criminately with that used for hunt-! ing purposes. I Calling County Commissioner Richard Ledbetter, the surprised Mr. Parton had him count out the money and then turned it over to the clerk of the superior court with instructions to deliver it to the Hines heir's. It was later learned tha? Hines had no heirs, and the long-hidden money will probably go to the University of North Carolina. Hines was a miserly Confederate veteran > and was known to have amassed considerable wealth. t The discovery of the silver adds another interesting chapter to the Mclntvre case also. Hines was one of the three men for whose murder Will Mclntyre was indicted at the November term of court. The others were Melton and Ochley. The alleged crimes were committed nearly four years ago, but only recently was sufficient evidence adduced to fasten guilt. Mclntyre was living in Columbia when the indictment- was returned, but departed hastily just two days before officers from Rutherford, armed with warrants, reached the South Carolina capital. Gov. Kitchin has offered $200 reward for him, and this will probably be increased to $500, which will be supplemented by offers of private citizens. The total taxable property of Bamberg county, returned for taxation last year, amounted to $3,040,930, and on this amount the county will pay a Stale tax of $17,485.35, the levy being 5% mills. The county levy is lower than the State levy, consequently the county will receive less from taxes than the State. FREE DEM< FARMN DYNA Drawn from actual photograph Drawn from actual photograph. Ten mi Come and learn the m safe way to nse the gl Remove Stomps and Bonlde Break Up Snbsofls and Hake (gD PON!) CROSS j Will Be Demonstr C. V. GARRIS, 141 JANUARY 1 Red Cross Dynamite is sold bi J. A. Hunter, Bamberg, S Hardware Co., Bamberg ville, S. C., J. L. Os1 Lorick & Lowrant J. N. Robsoi lestoi Agricultural Blaster Want their own blasting. We will teach you die demonstration and tell our reprmentathre you i PLEAD GUILTY TO FORGERY. ^ Eml>ezzlement Also Admitted by Father and Son, Bankers. Battle Creek, Mich., Jan. 3.?In the hearing to-night before United States Commissioner Clark, H. M. J ! Dearing, cashier of the failed Albion " National Bank, and his son, P. M. Dearing, pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement and forgery. They were bound over to the Detroit grand jury and bonds were placed at $25,000 each. P. M. Dearing, implicated with his father, H. M. Dearing, cashier of the closed Albion National Bank, in the alleged forgery of over $100,000 * *- -I! < -- J worm in uuies ura.wu uu wcauu/ farmers in the vicinity of Albion, resulting in the failure of the bank, stated in an interview he had been forging the notes several years in order to finance the Cook Manufac- * I turing Company, of which he was | secretary and treasurer, and which 0 I closed down Tuesday. 1 Dearing could not state just how much the forgeries amounted, but said that he took $20,000 a year to meet the pay roll and that the concern had lost large sums of#money for over five years. .He asserted that he and his father would plead guilty. Dearing stated that he thought his father was more heavily implicated ? in the forgeries than he was. The money he related, had been sunk in enterprises in which the bank was interested, and in order to keep the b?nk from closing its doors before | it did, he forged large notes. The father and son were arrested | late to-day by United States Marshal j Campbell, of Detroit, and brought to | this city for a hearing before United | States Commissioner S. O. Clark. I Cashier Dearing is president of the ' ,.-.M ! Cook Company, extensive loans ef fl | which are said to hajre precipitated M j the bank's difficulties. | ATLANTA MAN KILLED. J ! Cliarged with Being Intruder in Ala- I bama Home. ^ Selma, Ala., Jan. 3.?Lloyd Neil, of ; j , Atlanta, was shot and killed to-night I :i< i by Mr. R. Jones, falling dead in the ; front yard of Jones's home. In a - i ! statement to the police, Jones stated J that on returning home to-night his ^ | wife aroused his suspicions by re- 5 j questing him to enter, a rear room. i lie went into tne room, uuwevcr, auu I as he entered the light was extin- > :|9 I guished and he was grappled by Neil. Ss | In the struggle he pulled his pistol -|| ! and fired, Neil staggering out into vhe ! yard, where he died. ] . IG WITH I J Stumps blasted out into firewood. oaths later?S800.W worth of celery per acre. fl odern, qnlclc, cheap and I f ant force of dynamite to I rs. Plant Trees. Dig Ditches. I : Old Farms Produce Big Crops. I DYNAMITE J ated on the Farm of I ^ Mile West ot Denmark 9th, 10. A. M. .VI / J. Z. Brooker, Denmark, 5. C., . C., Bamberg Furniture and ;, S. C., A. B. Hair, Blacktvald, Allendale, S. C., I ?e, Columbia, S. C., i & Son, Chari, S. C. Plenty of interesting and profitable work la A ?? be dooe for farmen who do aot wan! to do I work and help job get it If interested attend this M want to learn blading He wiH show yea kow. w V; " : v..