The Jersey City news., 1906-12-04
Will. KNOW FATE SOON
Jury rs Closing Arguments
Of Counsel In Trial of
Chester Gillette.
PLOT BY DOCTORS CHARGED

FFiSoHSTS sNtIoEuey Gays EHyStCidns
conspired to Fix Guilt Upon Young
Man--Prosecutor Ward Declares Ae-
eusation Is unfounded Eloquent
Plea of Defendants Lawyer.
Herkimer, N. Y, Nov. 4.--Never in
the history of Herkimer county had
the closing scenes of a muruer trial
been characterized by such bitter at
tacks Of counsel as developed in the
summing up of the Gillette case
Replete as the trial has been with
surprises and sensations, None was
prepared for the sharp exchange of ar
guments with which it closed before
Judge Deyendorf gave the case to the
jury.
Former Senator A. M. Mills, close
personal and political friend of the
prosecutor, made the last appeal to the
jury to acquit Chester e. Gillette of
the murder of Grace Brown, his sweet
heart, at Big Moose lake July II. He
dramatically declared that the five
4 physicians who had sworn that there
was a blood clot on Grace Browns
brain had sworn to a falsehood; that
they had got together and agreed upon
common story for the witness stand
and deliberately withheld testimony ia
vorable to his client. Intimating that
the physicians were Improperly infiu-
/ enced, he added:
Graft Charge Brought.
| fbnY.o 20 ~, of erya Fl
some of these five doctors may figure
in it. They were paid large fees to
| give evidence which it was thought
was SO prepared that it would convict
| this boy. l charge here and now-and
know personally each of the physi-
cians-that they did not bring in all the
facts; they did not report something
favorable to this boy. Each of these
| doctors knew that a fraud was being
perpetrated. You can't pick out five
reputable physicians in the county who
| would dc such thing as these doctors
| did"
In his mastery summing up, lasting
seven hours, former Senator Mills
gave a new aspect of hope to the case
| ment that there is now doubt as to the
| jurys verdict. Where all had looked
black for Gillette chance of acquittaI
or at least a disagreement is conceded
| AS Senator Mills concluded District
| Attorney Ward jumped to his feet and,
| interrupting the judge who had decid-
| ed upon an adjournment, launched into
| scathing denunciation of Senator
! Mills and the methods he had taken to
sway the jury over to the defense. AS
he spoke the outstretched and trem-
| bling hand Of the prosecutor shook in
the face of the counsel for the defense.
Ward Defends Doctors.
when Mr.. Mills stands here and
| tells you as he just has, he said, "that
those five doctors, reputable men of
| Herkimer county and your friends who
| enter your homes perhaps every day,
| are liars and burglars be says that
which is not true. He doesn't expect
| by that address to reach the intelligent
men on this jury. He thinks that.
there may be a rogue among you. You
know sometimes men get on juries
! who have debts Of gratitude to pay
from away back years ago, ard they
| pay them by violating the rules ana
rendering a verdict not in accordance
with the evidence. That is what is
/ called a rogue on a jury, and he hoped
there might be rogue among you.
'sThen they also seek to get a weak
and unintelligent man on the jury who
won't be able to put an act in one town
with an act in another town and so
/ connect the evidence They hoped
there might be a man of this kind in
this jury and they would try to reach
him and thus affect miscarriage of
justice.
s'His whole defense is one of trickery
] and device He hasn't got a word OF
evidence. He hasn't got single fact
in his whole case but which points cone
clusively to the guilt Of the defendant
Of the charge implied in the indicts
ment. The only defense he has is one
of 'trickery and device from long expe-
rience to mislead some jurymen.''
In this strain, so excited at times
that the big audience fairly gasped,
Mr.. Ward brought to spectacular
close a day of steady speechmaking,
with here and there dramatic period.
Suicide Story Repeated.
Senator Mills contended that Grace
Brown committed suicide and that his
client had been unfairly dealt with.
Gillette had, he said, been pitted
against the united powers of a persist
ent district attorneys department, an
7 unscrupulous sheriff's department and
biased and unfair public press. The
district attorney had failed to shmy
any plausible motive for the terrible
murder laid at Gillette's door, he had
eailed to produce the eyewitness he
%as expected to produce on the
strength Of his opening address, and he
/ had failed to prove that Gillette had
any sweetheart other than Grace
] Brown, ls he promised to do.
Mr. Mills declared that every bit Of
evidence introduced by the district at
torney Was oVerarawn and that moth
ing hid been presented to the jury
that was inconsistent with the course
/ boy and q girl IN similar fro,,b,a