Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-03

HERKIMER. N. Y. December 3.-Chestel>
e Gillette. the young factory foreman Of,
Cortland ON trial here for the alleged MUIR
der Of Grace Brown. his sweetheart. prob
ably will know his fate within the next
twenty-four hours. District Attorney Ward
will sum up for the state today, taking the
ground that Gillette deliberately planned
to murder Miss Brown, and did kill her
or render her insensible with blows on thu
head with tennis racquet. her body being
then thrown into Big Moose lake, in the
Adirondacks. Counsel for Gillette will urge
the theory OF suicide
Sheriff Richard has received a number Of
letters from all over this section of the
country today threatening the life of Gil.
lette in case he should be acquitted or the
jury should disagree. The letters are most
violent in their wording, and threaten an
attempt on the part Of an organized mob
to take the prisoner out of the hands of the
officers and wreak summary vengeance on
him.
Plans for Violence.
Two letters from Watertown and Am.
sterdam. small cities in this vicinity, say
that plans have already been made to do
violence to the prisoner, and the one from
Amsterdam says that force of 400 men
on the Herkimer Jail in case the jury does
not do what they regard as its duty.
If those threats should be carried out the
mob would meet with resistance from tho
militia, which is ready to march to defend
the Jail. All is excitement here over the
possibility that the jury may come in to-
night, and the crowds around the court
house early this afternoon were immense.
In case Of a delayed verdict the authorities
expect a strenuous time keeping order in
the town tonight.
The opening of court today was DELAYED
for some time, as Judge Devendorf was
obliged to open a regular term Of court be-
fore the Gillette case was resumed The
Judge has said. however. that this will not
be permitted to interfere with the complies
ton of the case today. He is determined
that the last word shall be said to the jury
sion will be held IL necessary to give tho
attorneys time to conclude their arguments.
Silas D. Feeter OF Little Falls civil
engineer. was called by the defense as soon
as court opened today. He said he had
been to South Bay, Big Moose Lake, with
in few days and made measurements at
the point where the overturned boat was
found.
AT that place it is seven and half feet
deep" he said.
1t had been testified by witnesses for the
prosecution that the water was four and
a half feet deep where the boat was
found, and on cross-eXamination Mr.. Feeter
admitted that the summer shrubbery that
was growing last July is now covered with
water"
Peoples Case Closed
District Attorney Ward called Julian A.
Van Vic as his witness Mr. Van Vie lives
in Cortland and is manager of a cycle COM
pany there Objection taken and al
lowed to the line of questioning, whereupon
the district attorney announced that the
case for the people was closed.
The defense had no further testimony to
offer and Justice Devendorf asked IL counsel
wanted to be limited in time for their adj
dresses. Il do not propose to limit you un-
less you desire it, he said
There was no request for time limita ton.
Gentlemen of the jury" he began, It
congratulate you that this case nears its
close. At last the case of this young man,
scarcely out of his teens, a mere boy, comes
before body of men who have promised to
be fair and he knows that he will receive
what he has not yet had, a fair considera-a
ton of his case This, l say he has not
had. He has had arrayed against him the
zeal and wit of the district attorney, who
has used this power to its fullest extent. He
has not only tried to prosecute Gillette. but
to convict him. He has gene to the limit OF
zeal in prosecuting this case.
I'm the district attorneys opening he gave
{y,a@ --f. has < IoI
to what he said was the crime of murder
charged in this indictment. He also said
there was an agreement OF marriage and
that the unfortunate girl was making her
wedding clothes. No proof has been brought
to substantiate these statements. The zeal
of the district attorney is due to this coun-
ty but 1t is also due to this boy that every
fact that might tend to acquit him of this
crime be placed before this jury and TIA
larger jury Of the public.
Forces Against Gillette.
But there were other and even stronger
forces arrayed against Gillette. The sheriff
has used his power and the force OF his
Office to wiring from this boy statements
and rumors with which he could run to tha
district attorney. He did this while this
boy was incarcerated in narrow cell. I'm
til short time ago the boy had no counsel.
Only a few weeks before this trial my as
sociates and myself were assigned by the
court to defend him. We had very little
opportunity ana not enough money 10 OK
anime the evidence that 1t was possible for
the other side TO adduce."
Mr. Mills warned the jury not to be in
1uenced by what they had read OF any
feeling that may exist in the county.
Gentlemen" he said, you are consider.
ing serious case; the most serious case
possible for jury to decide. The district
attorney has tried to tell You that the sem
tence is none OF your concern, but is 1t
possible that any twelve men can be found
who can deal with crime punishable by
death without taking this in considera ton?
"A few years ago every crossroed held