The Washington herald., 1906-12-07
GILLETTE DEFENDED
Mother Says She Is Partly
Responsible fOrCrime.
GOING NOW TO COMFORT HIM
Tells InteFviewers She Would Rather
Chester Had Confessed and Expi-
Than Live with lie on His Lips.
Murderer May Get New Trial.

| Denver, Col, Dec. 6.-Utterly heart
broken, Mrs Frank s. Gillette, mother Of
/ Chester Gillette, the Herkimer N. "
murderer, will leave tomorrow for that
place TO offer spiritual consolation and
strength to her frstborn.
Mrs. Gillette received the news of ner
sons reported confession to-day at her
humble little cottage in the outskirts Of
Denver. For moment she was too
dazed to speak. and tears wclled In her
kindly eyes.
IF Chester is guilty. am gla1 he has
confessed, even If he must die for it,
which I hope he will not" she said. Il
/ hope his confession, if he made one rs
said, truly came from the heart. so he viii
be forgiven by God. II he is repentant
God will forgive him for his sins 1 have
a mothers confidence, though, that he
did not kill that poor girl"
To teach Chester Gillette 10 die worth
iiy. II die he must, is the mission Of Mrs
Gillette in going to him at Herkimer She
viii pray for him in the cell, and follow
him 20 the death chamber in Auburn
prison, if the prison officials viii allow
her to do so.
Mrs. Gillette blames herself for the
crime of her son. Now that the veil Of
mystery and doubt has been raised, she
says she can look back to her younger
days before Chester was born and recall
| times when she gave way TO parOxysms
/ Of grief and hate which she believes left
its imprint upon her first born.
Would Have Him Die Honestly.
In speaking OF these times, Mrs. Gil
lette said.
Il would rather see my son die by law
| than live out his life with a lie on his lips.
blame myself for what Chester is.
/ had not wanted 10 speak of this. for you
newspaper people have all spoken of me
as a poised and self-controlled woman. !
am, perhaps, only because 1 have made
myself so. I want TO tell this for every
young mother in this land 10 read and
+ ponder well, If they love their children
as I love. that they may be spared what
l am enduring. / want to tell the young
women who are going to become mothers
10 control themselves, to guard their
thoughts, 10 keep watch of the impulses
1 Of their hearts, for what they are their
sons aGd daughters viii be. Things that
happened before he was born, are what
I Chester is paying for now.
Confession Not COrrObOrated.
Herkimer. n. Y, Dec. 6.-AlthOugh the
reports that Chester Gillette in jai! here
awaiting sentence Of death for the muir
der of his former sweetheart. Grace
Brown. confessed 10 his attorneys that
lie had murdered the girl. continue to be
circulated broadcast, none Of those in a
position to know VIII discuss them. When
former Senator Mills, senior counsel for
the defense, was asked poin5 blank to-
night if Gillette had told him that he
struck the girl with his tennis racket
while she was struggling in the water
he declined 20 reply. District Attorney
Ward also refused to discuss the repOr.
that the turnkey in the Jail heard Gil
lctte make such a statement to his coun-
sci.
Gillette was brought into court to-day,
and the formal postponement of the I'M
position Of sentence until Monday was
made by Judge Devendorf. The young
fellow is in as good health and spirits
as at any time since he was first incar-
cerated here, and he does not seem 10 De
worrying over his ultimate fate. The
general belief among the members Of the
legal profession here is that when the
case is appealed to the Court Of Ap-
pealS. that body win reverse and send
the case back for new trial. not on
ths evidence, as that Will not be taken
into consideration. but because Of errors
made by the trial judge in permitting
certain so-called "hearsay" evidence 20
be introduced
Error I'm Admitting Evidence.
1t is admitted by sharp lawyers that the
district attorney apparently erred in
forcing certain scraps Of evidence before
the jury when they were not important
Attorneys for the defense took numerous
exceptions during the course Of the trial
TO the admission OF such evidence. and
they claim that the highest legal trIbu-
nal in the State will not sanction the
action Of the prosecution in introducing
the letters Of the dead girl
When the letters were first presented
Senator Mills objected to their presenta-
tiOn. II was for this reason they were
introduced, for the attorneys Tor the de-
Tense contend that there Is not a line in
them which shows any motive for mur-
der. Inasmuch as Gillette was on trial
for the murder. and not for the betrayal
Of the girl, the letters promise to figure
very materially in the argument before
the higher court.
May Get Long Respite.
It is hardly likely that the Court Of
Appeals will pass upon the case before
the March or April term. While murder
cases are preferred causes for argument
the enormous bulk of the testimony taken
in this case is such that it will be impos-
sible for the appellant lawyers to pre-
pare their briefs short Of a couple Of
months at the outside.
When Gillette is sentenced on Monday
he will be taken at once 70 Auburn
prison. where he will remain in the
death house pending the decision Of the
higher court.
Ii was learned here tonight that Gil
letter got the sheriff TO peddle the rogues
gallery picture of himself, and with the
$40 that was netted he purchased the new
suit in which he was clothed when he
went on the witness stand a week ago
to-day.