St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-01
ROMANCE IN A SCANDAL.
A DIVORCE CASE rs STIRRING up
ALL IOWA.
IMBKOGLIO OF THE GILLETTEs
The Names of Gen. Weaver and
Elk Convict Chester Turney
brought Into the Casc-Nfrs.
Gillette's Method OF Making
Gen. Weaver Act hike u GEN
tleman-3its of Sensation.
From the Sunday Globe. ]

Gen. Weaver act hike GEN
tleman-Bits Of Sensation.
From the Sunday Globe.1
DEs MONIES. Jan. 50.-A very sensa-'
tlonal divorce case has occupied tie
minds 0f the people here for several
days. 1t is that OF K. Ii. Gillette against
his wife, Sofe Gillette. Gillette has
been member of congress from this
district, and his wife has long been
prominent in social life. Size is regards.
ed as one of the handsomest and 1T ost
cultured women in the city, and as
largely responsible for whatever sue
cess her husband has obtained in public
life. for he is a ponderouS man OF medi.
OGRE ability.
Gillette not only asks for DIVORCE
but wants his wife to support him-that
Is, wants alinony. The pair separated
three years ago. after having lived to-
gether since 1855, and having raised
fine family. There is reason to believe
that their married life never was con-
genial one.
The active outbreak of these troubles
dates back to 1899. At that time there
was confined in the penitentiary
young convict by the name of Chester
Turney, a name that has become famil-
lar all over the state. Turney, as
boy, had committed series of crimes
in Jackson county, including house,
breaking and making various threats.
He was tried on q large number of
counts. The trial judge was the present
congressman from the Second Iowa
district, Walter l. Hayes. 1t seems that
there was no doubt about the boys
guilt, and so number OF formalities in
such proceedings We're dispensed with,
Or at least slurred over. The supreme
court. however. failed to consider the
omissions serious enough to order new
trial. although the best attorneys ap-
peared in behalf of the boy. So Chester
Turney was allowed to remain in prison.
and the whole state was talked TO and
talked about his case.
Chester had mother who was deter
mined to have her boy released. She
was not very bright mentally, and had
many Of the qualities that repel rather
than attract people to her cause. She
begged for money to make fight for
her boys release. Her cause was taken
up by many OF the best people III Des
Moines, who interested themselves in
her behalf. MIR. Larrabee was then
governor, and he was appealed to. For
every appeal for pardon filed with him
the people of Jackson county filed a
protest. The petitions were not more
vigorous than the protests. The gov
ernor had a number of hearings, and
devoted days and weeks to the consid-
Grafton OF the case. Mr.. sLarrabee. it
was understood. sympathized with Mrs.
Turney. but the upshot of all the gov
ernor's Investigations was that he could
not pardon the boy at that time.
He regarded = the crimes he COM
mitted as serious enough to
merit term of years in the
penitentiary, although he did not be-
lieve that he ought to be compelled to
serve out the whole eighteen years, to
which his various sentences amounted.
For this decision bitter attack was
made ON Gov. Larrabee, and in self
Tense he was compelled to publish in
lOl III lHC tStiCIS uuu pIOlGSLS
which had been filed with him by the
people of Jackson county. together with
history of the case. Upon the publi-
cation of these facts. Mrs. Turney had
the governor arrested for libel, and the
state was treated to the spectacle of a
governor sitting in court room as a
defendant in criminal libel case.
After dragging thro ugh the courts for
several days, the jury deliberated, and
after having been out more than day,
returned verdict for the governor.
During all these proceedings Mrs.
Gillette, the defendant in the special
proceeding. was the special friend and
champion of Mrs. Turney and her boy.
Finally, just before leaving the gov
ernor's chair in 1889. Gov. Larrabee
made conditional pardon of Chester
Turney. His mother was poor. and the
boy, twenty-five years old, helpless and
homeless in spite of his freedom. Mrs.
Gillette took hun into her home. She
felt great frien dship for the boy and
treated him with great consideration,
hoping to make useful man out of him
again. She and her husband had farm
near the city and she had conceived the
idea of settling him OIL that place. Mr..
Gillette, it seems. finally began to OBJ
ject to bis wife's attentions to Chester.
He had no liking for the young ex-con-
Yict in his home. At the same time the
boys mother. Mrs. Turney. began to
hate Mrs. Gillette, her benefactress,
for her liking for Chester. She was
mentally weak and got it into her head
that Mrs. Gillette had robbed her of her
son and had turned his heart against his
mother. She went UP and down the
city, and, in fact, up and down the
STATE, proclaiming that Mrs. Gillette
was her enemy, as desperately as be-
fore she had proclaimed that the gov
ernor had been her enemy, and prated
of releasing her boy from his new im-
priSonment as Zealously as before she
had talked of getting him out of the
pententiary. Finally Mr.. Gillette and
his wife separated amicaDly, she re
tanning the larger share of the property
The Chester Turney affair. therefore.
only served the purpose of causing an
Immediate separation.
One of the most sensational bits of
testimony in the case was relating to
Gen. Weaver, the presidential candi-
date Of the Populists last year. Mrs.
Gillette stated that Gen. Weaver used
to come to their home great deal. and
often came to see her. On such occa
sions she always called in Chester
Turney. She said that the general pro-
tested against Turney's presence. and
one time said that he would kill him
Turney-if he came into the room again
when he was there. When asked why
she called in Turney she said, with a
flash Of the eyes, that because when he
was there Gen. Weaver acted like
gentleman, and otherwise he did not