The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-21
GILLETTE IS
MENACED.
Pathos of Dead Girls Letters
Cause Tears In Court.
THREATS AGAINST HIM
Harriet Benedict Denies Being Ac.
cused's Sweetheart Grace
Browns Pathetic Story.

HERKIMER. y. y, Nov. 2i.-Thc
pltful letters In which Grace Brown
appealed TO Chester Gillette to keep
his promise 10 marry her caused sucl
sensation when they were read ~
Gilletlo's trial on the charge of murder
ing the girl that the sheriff had tUI
furnish strong escort ~ deputies foi
the prisoner when ho was taken 10 the
jail NJ recess.
When II was time for the prisoner Col
return TO court II required bard work
10y half dozen deputies 10 force a
passage through the crowd which had
gathered around the courthouse.
There were many who used strong
language against the prisoner. The
sherl1f's precautions for the safety OF
Gillette were fully Justified by the
state OF mind into which the people
had been worked
Harriet Benedict OF Cortland. whose
name has been frequently mentioned
In the case. went ON the stand and
denied that she ever had been the
sweetheart of the young man who j.
on trial FOR his life.
She did not go near the prisoner
whose eyes were filed with tears a
short time before during the reading
Of Grace Browns letters 10 him.
Many persons In the crowded court
room, including the parents and sis
tiers OF the dead girl, wept audibly ~
tho letters were read.
II was the FIRST time that Gillette
had shown emotion since his trial be
gan. Forty letters In all were read.
A letter dated South Otsellc. July y
1905, was as follows:
my Dear Chcster-Thls has been
such a crowded day that | am almost
too tired TO write. but ! will try, for
I am n little anxious about our trip
and your not writing.
at makes me rather blue to hear the
other girls planning for the Fourth
and know ! must stay here. will
try. dear. and make the week as short
as possible, but am afraid IL will be-
dreadful long.
III L Hau SuthEiht ueAif wv "
lieve | should walk to the river and
throw myself In. II would be rather
cowardly. and / despise coward, but
I would not be bother 10 you any
longer. oh. Chester, the thought that
am In your way just drives me crazy.
How want TO die no one but myself
knows"
Her last letter read:
II do not know what | could do II
you were not there or did not come. ]
am about crazy now. | have been
bidding goodby 10 some places today.
There are so many hooks and all OF
them so dear to me. have lived here
all my life.
First | said goodby TO the spring
house, with its great masses of green
moss; then the apple tree, where we
had our playhouse; then tho beehive
n cute little house; then the orchard
and OF course all the neighbors that
have mended my dresses from n little
tot up to save me a thrashlng | really
deserved.
"Oh, dear, don't you realize what all
this is to me? know | shall never
see any of them again. And mamma
great heaven-how do love mammal
| don't know what l will do without
her. She is never cross, and she al
ways helps me so much"
On July Gillette wrote her, saying:
Dear Kid--I think II Is best that
you should go to Hamilton next Mon
day morning and meet me there. II
would be better to go where we are
not known, so we can leave there that
day, although don't know where we
can or will CO."
Her wedding clothes which We're
made by friends and neighbors for the
girl who went to watery grave IN
Big Moose lake on the very day she
planned to go to the altar as the bride
If Gillette, We're shown in court.