The Jersey City news., 1906-12-06
NOT AFRAID Of CHAIR
Gillette Confident That Appeal
From Death Verdict viii
Be Successful.
SENTENCE NOT YET PASSED

Judge Not Expected to condemn Con-
victed Murderer of His Sweetheart
Until Next Wsek-story Of Young
Mans attempt at Suicide Is Not
Believed.
Herkimer, N. Y, Dec. Absolutely
placid of manner and undaunted by
the verdict that brands him as the mnr-
derer Of Grace Brown, Chester Gillette
sat in his cell and played solitaire
and actually whistled He seemed to
be confident that the appeal to be made
by Messrs. Mills and Themas, his coun-s
sci, will be successful. He seemed to
regard it as a favorable omen that
Judge Devendorf mas postponed SEN
tence, probably until Monday.
The young man. whose amazing
nerve has caused people to look up
on him as human sphinx, has anoth-
er thing TO cheer hin-a telegram from
his mother, Mrs. f. s. Gillette OF Dem
yer. It reads:
my Owa Dear Boy-God still reigns.
Your innocence viii be proved. we
have sent word that the case is to be
appealed. Trust in Cod. Your trust
is there. We have Hgm faith in your
innocence, and wrong shall not prevail
God willing, shall be at the next
trial Your loving mother
Telegram Pleases Gillette.
On receipt Of the telegram the usual
II imperhrbable countenance OF Gill
lette showed joyful emotion.
II shall be free" he declared. 'You
see, my mother trusts in me, even if a
whole county has been arrayed against
me and prejudged me-"
A story was set afoat that Gillette
had tried to commit suicide before the
verdict was announced. 1t was said
that he had opened the valve of a gas
stove in his cell, but that his attempt
at asphyxiation was foiIed By his keep
er. No faith was placed in the suicide
story, however, by those who have
watched the prisoner.
It is asserted that when Gillette told
on the witness stand his story of how
the little factory girl had jumped into
Big Moose lake and committed suicide
there were six men in the courtroom
who knew that he was lying
Say Prisoner Confessed.
They knew, it is said, that two days
before he had confessed to former
Senator Albert NJ. Mills, his junior
counsel, that he had struck the girl in
the water, that "Billy" Brown rose to
the surface once after she Went over
board and that theHman for whom she
had sacrificed honor and faith and
beauty leaned over the side of the boat
and dealt her blow which stilled her
forever.
1t was this alleged confession which
was in District Attorney Wards mind
when he demanded Of Gillette in SO
many words to repeat what he had
said in his cell.
did you not confess night before
last" was Wards question, that you
struck Grace Brown when she came
up beside the boatY' Gillette declared
that ne had not, and in the dramatic
hours that followed sight was lost OF
that interrogation
The story goes that Ward could have
proved by Sheriff Richard and Evans,
turnkey, that Gillette lied, but to
have put them on the witness stand
would have been to make a reversal of
the trial by the court Of appeals abso--
lutely certain. Justice Deyendorf
would not permit them 10 swear to any
conversation they had overheard be-
tween Mills and Gillette.
Told Story os Fatal Day.
AS the story is told Mills upon en-
tering Gillette's cell informed the pris-
oner that he would have to take the
witness stand in his own defense. He
asked him to so over again the differ
ent events of the fatal day Gillette
did this. but when he got te<the point
where he had insisted on all previous
occasions that she girl had leaped to
death he told about striking her as she
rose beside The boat.
"You little wretchr' Mills is said to
have shouted. why didn't you ever
tell me this beforeg'
Gillette was silent.
lWhen the trial was resumed the fol
loving morning it was observed and
remarked by many that there was an
apparent GOODNESS between Gillette and
his lawyers, Mills and Charles D.
Thomas.