The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-04
MILLS IN GILLETTE'S DEFENCE.
CHARGES GRAFT AGAINST THE
MEDICAL EXPERTS.
saws the Record Of The Autopsy was n
Distorted Record and Contained No
Evidence Of n BLOOD CIOt on the Brain -
The Prosecutor Begins His Summing Up.

Evidence OF q hIOOu CIOt on the BRAIN
The Prosecutor Begins His summing Up.
HFRKIMER, Dec. 3.-Senator Albert M.
Mills summed up the case of Chester Gillette
to-day, and few more able or ingenious
presentations of a case which looked so
hopeless nave ever been made before a
Jury in a capital case in this county. Step
10y step the attorney for Gillette touched
upon the circumstances to which the wit
nesses for the prosecution had testified,
and when he came to practically the only
thing which his shrewd mind could not
explain away, the autopsy and testimony
of the physicians as to the bruises on Grace
Browns body, he made most sensational
charges Of graft against the five physicians
who had testified in behalf of the State
and minated that the reason for their
testimony was their connection with a
political ring.
81 say here, and charge it boldly, " he said,
after he had gone over the medical testi-
mony, that that post norton examination,
however il was conducted, is not brought
here in a fair and truthful manner. These
doctors are called regularly in cases Of this
kind. If the graft which exists in this
county is ever investigated some doctors
will figure in the investigation. l charge
now that every one of these doctors gets
big fees for what they have brought here.
All the facts nave not been included in these
reports, and facts which might have tended
to help this boy have been bodily left out.
| know that this is n serious charge, but
until some higher power makes me change
my mind l will not retract it.
Il should think they would he ashamed,
and | am ashamed for them. You cannot
pick out five other doctors in this county
who would present such a spectacle as
this. | say that the record of the autopsy
was a distorted record. They say that
there was a blood clot on the brain. | say,
and I read il from the record. that they
found no such thing. They put down the
other blood Clot which they found, but the
blood clot on the brain was not put in the
record. They would ave put it down il
they had found it,"
When Senator Mills had finally finished
and had sat down. after more than five
hours and a half of almost continuous
talk. the District Attorney arose 10 start
his summing up. and began with a reply
to Senator Mills's charges which was even
more bitter thar the charges themselves.
He spoke on the subject until the court
adjourned for the day, and was apparently
so angry at the insinuations which had been
made against his integrity and that OF his
five medical experts that he could hardly
control himself. He opened by saying that
Senator Mills, shrewd lawyer that he was,
had been able to get more than one guilty
man free from the result of his crime by
befooling the jury, and that he was trying
in this case to find one weakling out OF the
twelve whom he might befool by a mis-
statement of the evidence.
He could have called doctors that the
.,-..Il DaWv - " mid Mr. Ward
ENow what insidious thing did he mean
when he told you about graft that ex-
listed? Was there any graft here when
that poor girl was brought up into the
woods TO be murdered? Did graft cause
THAR What did he mean? He meant to
take some poor, weakminded man, II there
was one on this jury, and make him think
that there was something he knew that
was down in his heart that ought TO prevent
you from doing justice.
The court room, which fairly groaned
with the crowd which it held, listened to
Mr.. Mills's argument for more than hNe
hours and a half. He took up each act
which Gillette had done, o before and
after Grace Browns death, and argued
that each one pointed TO the innocence rather
than the guilt Of the accused man. Inc
bruise on her head he accounted for by
saying that the BOA had turned over sud-
denly as she Jumped and that the opposite
runwale from which she had thrown her
self had struck her on the head, causing
the black and blue spot. The blood clot
which was said 10 be under it, he argued
was a fabrication of the States medical
witnesses. The hair which had been found
caught under one of the cleats OF the boat
he accounted for by the possibility That
the girl might have come up under the
boat efter she had gone down.
There was only one who knows or the
actual occurrences on that day., ne salo
land that is the defendant. As there IL
no proof 20 the contrary, except that which
leaves room for reasonable doubt. the de-
PENDANTS story should be believed.
In fact a reasonable doubt was the chief
rein of his argument why the jury should
net bring in a verdict Of guilty.
II was learned to-day that the Sheriff
had received a number of threatening let
tiers which prophesy that if Gillette is not
c~nvictei force will be used to revenge
the feeling of the writer's. These were the
cause of the order that the local militia
should hold themselves In readiness Tor
trouble.
Court was adjourned an hour earlier
than usual this morning because OF a woman
WIZ sent a telenhone message - Nr. NILS
that she had evidence that would Tree Ihl-
lette. When size was seen II wa t9und that
her evidence was u~nlmpOrtant. Attorneys
for both sides are receiving constantly let
ters from Cranks begging them either u
obtain a conviction or acqulttal OF Cne
prisoner.
The District Att orney's argument should
Re finished early tomorrow afternoon or
late in the morning, and the jury snoulo
20 out tomorrow afternoon.