The Washington herald., 1906-12-05

Herkimer. n. Y, Dec. 4.-Chester Gil
lette, charged with the killing of Billy"
Brown, was found guilty of murder In
the first degree tonight by the jury,
which was out for FIVE hours. The YER
dict was returned shortly after Il O'Clock.
Gillette took the verdict stoicaIly. He
will be sentenced on. Thursday morning
20 death in the electric chair at Auburn.
1t was Just FIVE minutes to II o'clock
when the spectators in the half-hlled
courtroom heard four distinct knocks on
the door Of the Juryroom. Every one
knew that verdict had been reached.
Deputy Sheriff HALEY went to the door,
and the foreman told him that they were
ready TO report.
Judge Devendorf and the counsel were
sent for, and Under Sheriff KlOcke went
to the Jail to bring Gillette. The prisoner
was playing solitaire when the sheriff
told him that he was wanted in court
I'm ready" was all he said.
Gillette was brought TO court There
was only sprinkling OF a crowd on the
outside OF the courthouse, and Gillette
was not moested as he went TO hear his
doom pronounced.
lie took his seat in the courtroom.
showing some evidences of nervousness.
Then he arose and changed his seat, but
his eyes never left the door of the room
where the Jurors were awaiting for the
court 10 convene
Judge Devendorf called the court to
order The jury filed into the room and
took their seats.
Sends Telegram to Father.
Quietly the roll was called. and the
clerk Of the court. Ivan T. Berney, in
almost inaudible voice. asked:
Have you. gentlemen Of the jury. ar
rived at a verdict"
Foreman Marshall Match replied in al
most whisper that they had
Gillette stirred in his chair and arose to
his feet as il TO ward oil a blow
What is your verdict"
We hnd the prisoner guilty as charged
by the Indictment" came the answer.
GHlstte's head dropped for an in
slant There was a shuf1ing Of the feet
of messengers hurrying 10 flash the bull
letins of the conviction to the telegraph
operators. Gillette quickly recovered and
reached for 2 pencil in his pocket Ner-
vously ne wrote a message 10 his father
II read: Dear father: I am convicted:
will write" Then he recovered, and was
the calInest man in the courtroom
Senator Mills. senior counsel for Gil
lette, asked that the jury be polled one
by one. Each juror arose as his name was
called and answered that he had agreed
upon the verdict given. Gillette sat
chewing gum. his face half sunk in his
hands throughout the ordeal.
Senator Mills asked the court that sen
- E-r-sF h
sired 10 formulate several grounds upon
which to ask for new trial Judge
Devend0rf said he would sentence Gil
lette Thursday morning at 20 O'Clock.
Breaks Down In Cell.
Gillette suddenly became very nervous
while his lawyers were asking for a de-
fermeut Of sentence and jumped from his
chair. Deputy Sheriff Klocke put his
hand upon the prisoners shoulder. but he
moved toward the door. He wanted 10
get back TO his cell, and Judge Deven
dOrf nodded 10 the officer to take the
prisoner away Once in his cell, Gillette
broke down and weDt
Court was adjourned, and the crowd
fled out without a word. The jury. it
was learned later took six ballots. on
the first FIVE ballots it stood eleven 10
one for conviction in the first degree. |
On the sixth ballot the man who stood
OFT for acQuittal voted with the rest OF
lis fellow-juTOTs. and it was agreed that
Chester Gillette had wilfuliy and delib |
erately killed Grace Brown by beating
her and drowning her IN the waters OF
Big Moose Lake, on July II last
Senator Mills said late tonight that he |
would certainly appeal the case
Sheriff Richards has placed two guards /
to watch f1illafrnaS aaT IL toll
Turnkey Evans that he hated TO send |
that message TO his father
Gllettes father. o. F. Gillette. lives at /
AS Boulevard avenue. Denver, where the I
telegram was sent tonight.
Plays Solitaire I'm Interim,
When Gillette had left tho courtroom.
after the jury had gone out at $50. he 1
left it Whistling, and when he got to his
cell he threw off his coat and began to
play solitaire, which is his favorite oc
cupation Then he yawned and said:
How long do you think this jury will /
be out? I hope they come back In time
so 1 can get good nights rest"
The fact that he had TO wait for these
twelve men TO decide his fate did not
seem to appeal to him In the least The
judges charge lasted an hour and fifteen
S. 1t did not favor either side, and |
touched fully upon the positive value Of |
circumstantial evidence and the right of |
the prisoner TO n reasonable doubt At
the request OF the defense, Judge Deven- /
dorf defined the different degrees of mur-
der. homicide, and assault.
When he had az last finished the crowd |
which had jammed the courtroom all /
the afternoon. rose 10 its feet TO watch 4
the twelve men file slowly out through /
the crowd which blocked the door 10 /
the jury-room. The jurors sat still for /
a moment after the judge had stopped, as 4
if not knowing what was expected of /
them. They cuTiously watched the swear /
ing In of two new deputies, who promised /
TO guard them carefully and let no food /
come to them except at the judges /
orders.
Then solemnly they rose. filed out. and /
the door Of the jury-TOom which opens /
of the courtroom, closed behind them
Gillette watched them with half smile
on his face until another deputy touched /
him on the shoulder Then he got I'd
CONTINUED On THIRD PAGE
E