The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-11-21
GILLETTE MURDER TRIAL
Nineteen Out Of 100 Witnesse.
Subpoenaed Took the Stand.


Told Gillette That His Keeping
Company With Miss Brown Wa:
Wrons-Factory Girls Testified.
Herkimer, Nov. 20.-District Attor
hey Ward began the examination Of
witnesses in the trial of Chester e
Gillette on the charge of numbering
Grace Brown in the Adirondacks last
July. Nineteen out of the 109 wit
nesses subpoenaed took the stand.
Albert d. Raymond, who conducts 8
summer resort near Cortland, de
scribed an evening boat ride which
Gillette and Miss Brown had near his
place about June Is, nearly month
before the occurrence on Big Moose
lake which led to Gillette's arrest. In
answer to a question by the district
attorney, Raymond said that he did moi
know the name of the girl who ac.
companied Gillette on the night ir
question and that he had never seen
her before.
"Was it this girl?" asked Mr.. Ward
pointing to life size portrait of Grace
Brown.
Eyes, only she had hat that night,
was the reply. The witness then de.
scribed Gillette and said that he wish.
ed to rent round bottom boat. Ray.
mond's round bottom boats had all
been taken that night, however, and
Gillette and the girl went out upon the
lake in fiat boat. The witness had
said that many persons were afraid to
venture in round bottom boats, and in
answer to the district attorney he said
that boats of that description tipped
over much easier than fiat bottomed
boats. The defense objected to this
question and the court ordered il
stricken out together with the answer.
did you notice anything in particu.
lar about the girl when she came back
from her boat ride?" was asked.
"Yes, she was crying. She seemed
to have been disappointed or some.
thing"
The defense objected to the latter
part of the reply and the court ruled
that it should not stand. Gillette's
senior counsel, A. Mills, cross-exam.
ined the witness about the boat ride
and in answer to questions was told by
the witness that the reason why per.
sons preferred round bottomed boats
was because they could be rowed more
easily. He could not tell whether Gil
lette on his occasional visits to the re.
sorts asked for the round bottomed
boats.
Mr.. Mills then asked: do you usual
ly remember faces of persons you see
at your resort Just once, so that you
could identify picture of them after
wards?"
About 10 per cent of them," was
the reply. Raymond said that Miss
Benedict also had been out on the wa.
ter at his place with Gillette, but that
they were in a launch.
Another feature of the proceedings
was the appearance in court of Gil
lette's uncle, N. H. Gillette, and his
cousin, Harold Gillette, both of Cort
land. By placing the elder Gillette on
the stand the district attorney sought
to support the statement which he
made in his address to the jury on
Saturday that Gillette's relatives
found fault with him for keeping com.
pany with Miss Brown.
Harold Gillette, who is superintend.
ent of the factory in which Grace
Brown and Gillette were employed,
testified that he told Gillette it was
"bad business" to call frequently upon
a girl who he would not take out in
society.
Miss Ella Hoag, Gillette's aunt and
paymistress at the factory, testified
that she also spoke to Gillette about
keeping company with Miss Brown
and that Gillette denied that he was
doing so.
Several young women employed in
the factory, including Miss Theresa
Harnishfeger, Miss Teresa Dillon and
Miss Ella Melvin, testified that Gil.
lette spent so much time about Grace
Browns table that neither of them did
the amount of work expected Of them.
Miss Harnishfeger said that she ad.
monished Gillette about calling on
Miss Brown when he was keeping
company with another girl and that
Gillette replied: ooh, I'm having my
fun out of it," 1t was at this point in
the trial that the name of Miss Har.
riett Benedict was first mentioned
Miss Harnlshfeger testified that she
had seen Gillette and Miss Benedict
out together at parties.
Miss Benedict arrived in HerkimeI
yesterday. She was heavily veiled and
did not come into the crowded court
room, but remained down stairs in
private office. She will probably take
the stand today.
During the day letters from Gillette
to Miss Brown and from Miss Brown
to Gillette were identified by witness
es. The former letters were found in
the dead girls trunk, and the latter
letters in the defendants room at
Cortland after his arrest. These let
ters will be offered in evidence.