The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-23
GILLETTE'S
OWN STORY
Prisoners Account Of Grace
Browns Death.
BOAT UPSET, WAS AFRAID
Witness Relates How Accused A.
Iected Surprise When Told Of
Girls Body Being Found

IIERKlMEI, y. Y, Nov. 23.-Ches
ter Glllctte's own story OF how his
sweetheart came 10 her death In the
waters OF Big Moose lake the evening
OF Wednesday. July IL last, Us related
by him TO the sheriff who placed him
under arrest at Arrowhead on the Sat.
urday morning following, was retold
by the officer OF the law 10 the Jury
which Is trying the young man OF The
charge OF murder
Il was brought out that Gillette knew
the girl had been In n delicate condl
ton since May.
when the boat upset-accidentally
as you say-and she was nounderlng
helplessly In the water. why did you
not 20 20 her asslstanceT Undershcrlff
Klock swore that he asked his prison.
or.
Because" he replied. II was afraid
that she might struggle 30 that we
would both go down"
District Attorney Ward followed up
this lead In carrying forward the pros
ecution's case by presenting In eyi-
dence the dress suit case. the camern
and tripod. the tennis racket and Other
articles which are supposed TO have
been rescued from the water by the
young man after the boat upset.
Gillette told me-" continued the wit
ness. that he shouted 10 the girl 10
hold on 90 the stern OF the boat and he
would try to get her ashore. lie said
he did not get near her. for he was
holding on TO the bow"
Undersheriff Klock declared that
since his arrest Gillette had given
three excuses as TO why the boat was
overturned. When asked II he or the
girl was TO blame for the alleged acct.
dent he replied, according to the wit
ness:
II suppose / am to blame for IT,"
Rev. Cuthbert Frost, pastor Of the
First Presbyterian church OF Lowyllle
was at the Arrowhead Inn with a par
~ on the Friday following the tragedy.
~ saw Gillette coming downstairs
from his room that evening" said Mr..
Frost, ''and overheard him ask two
men II they had heard Of a tragedy on
Big Moose lake In which young girl
had been drowned. I did not hear
what reply. II any, was given"
Up TO this time there has been no
evidence that any one else In the neigh
borhood Of Arrowhead had heard OF
the finding of the girls body at that
time. In fact, the prosecutor has not
yet shown the time the body was
found. He has not carried the nara
tive that far along as yet. The details
Of the discovery and of the condition
Of the body are yet to be heard.
Undersheriff Klock on the witness
stand said that when Gillette was first
arrested and informed Of BILLY"
Browns death by drowning he pro
fessed great surprise and said he had
not heard of the accident.
after a few minutes" said the wit
ness, 81 told him he knew as well as l
did that the girl was dead He replied:
Yes. The boat upset / asked him
how long he and the girl had been In
innate and he said about year. |
asked him IL he had ever heard any
thing against her character, and he
said he never had heard q word. He
said the boat tipped over about p. m.
that Wednesday evening. The girl
came TO the surface, and he told her to
cling to the stern and he would try to
get her ashore"
Klock admitted that Gillette told him
he expected to be married, and he I'M
derstood the defendant to mean the
ceremony was to take place during the
Adirondack trip.
Sheriff Richard told of finding the
tennis racket hidden behind a log on
the road from Big Moose to Eagle bay.
| 1t was shown that while his former
sweetheart lay dead in the lake he
joined number of parties in mountain
trips, took many photographs and
made long canoe trip in search Of
the two Cortland girls whom he had
met on the train while riding to Derby
| ter with Grace Brown.