Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-11-23
Today's Telegraphic News
The Gillette rrial.

Herkimer, n. Y, Nov. % Woven
with the warp and woof Of circumstances
that all point toward guilt, the strength
Of the States case against Chester +.
Gillette, on trisl for the murder OF Grace
Brown, may force the defense to inter
pose plea OF guilty Of murder In the
second degree. Gillette's counsel has
previously considered the aivisablity Of
agreeing to q plea for lesser degree OF
murder be accepted 1t is doubtful if
District Attorney Ward will consent to
any such plea at this time
"Gileiie is guilty, and we have
proved it," said District Attorney Ward
today
Medical testimony will be produced
today TO show that Grace Brown was
either dead or practically 50 before her
body was thrown into the water. Her
head was ftarfnlly battered and bruised,
which will be testified to today by those
who brought the body to the surface Of
Big Moose Lake, and by the physicians
who performed the autopsy. There were
hemorrhages of the brain, and these could
only have come from blows administered
while the girl was living. District AT
torney Ward will tell the jury that Grace
Brown was struck several times over the
head with tennis racket while in the
boat and then thrown overheard The
tennis racket with the handle split as ii
from the force of blow, was found later
in the woods through which Gillette had
passed on his way to Eagle Bay the
night of the girls death.
Thomas Barrett, a guide of Big Moose,
who testified yesterday that he saw Gil
lette and Grace Brown on the boat with
a dress suit case Just before six O'Clock
when the girl is alleged to haze been
killed, was on the stand again today.
TIE defense planned to show that Gil
letae left The spit case on The shore that
afternoon and after the girl WAS drowned
walked back on the shore to get it.
The prosecution, through Barretps
testimony, endeayored to show that the
suit case was 10 the boat few minutes
before the girl was drowned, and from
The fact that the suit case was not wet,
the State holds that the boat was not
overturned, otherwise the case too would
have been thrown overheard. 1t has
been testified that the next dry the suit
case and its contents were perfectly dry.
The cross examination Of Barrett by
cousel for the defense was long and Sc
we're, bat failed TO shake the guide 4
testimony.
With much grewsome detail Robert
Morrison, the boalman, who rented Gil
lette the skif in which be went rowing
with Grace Brown on Big Moose Lake,
told in court how he found the oVerlurn-
ed boat and the evidences OF what was
believed double accidental drowning.
Boatman Morrison went out to end
the boat the next day, after the tragedy.
Gillette had not returned with the skill
aud Morrison roEed around the lake un-
Ill he came to South Bay. There float
ing in the water WAS the overturned boat
and near oy a mans straw hat.
Hall resting on the bottom OF the
boat and partly submerged, in the wafer
was the silk cape coat of the drowned
girl. The coat was part OF her wed
ding trousseau.
al saw nothing Of the man Or woman
said Morrison "On looking on the in
side Of the skiG, saw quantities 0l
hair caught in the clrais gathered
some Of il together and gave it TO my
sister.
The state will try to prove that after
Gillette had knocked the gill to tht
bottom OF the boat, he beat her to death
In his haste to throw the body over
board, it is claimed, her hair, which haC
become entsngled in the cleats, was tori
from her scalp as Gillette quickly lifted
the body over the side of The skill.