The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-11-21
DEAD GIRLS LETTERS
Messages From Grace Brown to
Her Alleged Murderer Are
Read In Court.
PLEADED WITH HER LOVER


Appeal Constantly Made to ciIiette.i
Believed She Was About to Die.
Movements Of Couple In the Adircn-
dacks Traced.
Herkimer, N. Y, Nov. N.-The pitt
full letters in which Grace, Brown ap-
pealed to Chester Gillette to keep his
promise to marry her caused such
sensation when they were read at Gil
iette's trial on the charge of murder
ing the girl that the sheriff had to fur
nish strong escort of deputies for the
prisoner when he was taken back to
JAIL
District Attorney Ward took up the
thread Of his story at the home of the
Brown family in South 0tselic, where
Grace spent the three weeks preceding
her clandestine departure with Gillette
for the Adirondacks.
Part of court session was devoted
to display id court of the wedding
garments for Grace Brown, but never
worn, because she died without becom-
ing a bride. Interest was intense as
the sad story of the wedding trous-
seau was told by Grace Browns sister,
Frances.
Miss Benedict Testifies.
But this was not the only pathetic
incident in the court proceedings. Har-
riet Benedict of Cortland, the society
girl whom, it is alleged, Gillette court
ed while still keeping company with
Grace Brown, was put ON the witness
stand. AS was expected, she denied
emphatically that there was anything
more than casual friendship existing
between Gillette and herself.
There was thing sensational about
the appearance of Miss Benedict on the
witness stand The eyes of the vast
throng that wedged into every possible
place in the courtroom were too dim
med by tears when Miss Benedict took
the stand even for this handsome wit
ness to awaken great interest.
Love Letters Produced.
There was reason for the tear dim
med eyes The district attorney had
just finished reading the letters that
passed between Grace Brown and
Chester Gillette during the past year,
and more pathetic recital was never
given in courtroom. The letters were
love letters, but they were more than
that. In them Grace Brown set down
all her fears, dread and anguish, and
there was scarcely dry eye insthe
courtroom when the letters, that seem
ed to come from the grave, had been
finished by the prosecutor.
Day after day the little country girl
pleaded in her. letters for Gillette to
stand by her in her trouble, and when
his replies seemed cold and unassuring
she would appeal to his manhood, child
ing him, only to ask his pardon in the
next sentence.
Probably the following sentences
from the letters caused the greatest
emotion In those who heard them read:
Pleaded With Her Lover.
do not know what / could do If you
were not there or did not come. I am
about crazy now / have been bidding
goodby to some places today. There are
30 many nooks, and all of them so dear
to me. l 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 play
house; then the beehive" cute little
house; then the orchard, and of course all
the neighbors that have mended my dress
es from a little tot up to save me
thrashins I really deserved.
Oh, dear, don't you realize what all
this is to me? ] know I shall never see
any of them again. And mamma-great
heavsn--how 1 do love mammal I don't
know what will do without her. She is
never GROSS, and she always helps me so
much.
1t makes me rather blue to hear the
other girls planning for the Fourth and
know / must stay here in my room all
day. i will try, dear, and make the week
as short as possible, but I am afraid 1t
will be dreadful long. shall never go
away again like this, but you promised
me I wouldn't have to. didn't you. dear?
Z If / had strength, dear do believe
should walk to the river and throw my
self In. 1t would be rather cowardly, and
/ despise q coward, but / would not be
bother to you any longer. Oh, Chester,
the thought that I am in your way just
drives me crazy! How / want to die no
one but myself knows.
1t was through these letters that Gil
lette and Miss Brown planned their
Adirondack trip. Take ME away from
here?' WIS her cry in every letter, and
in some of them she hinted that she
would trouble him but little more be-
cause she was going to die.
Sought Quiet Place.
The district attorney followed the
travels of Grace Brown and Gillette
into the Adirondacks. He traced their
movements through Utica, swore many
witnesses who testified to little details
of the trip, and closed with long ex-
animation of Tupper Lake hotel pro-
prietor, who said that Gillette asked
him where he could find a quiet place
In the woods, that his wife was tired.
The attorneys at this point engaged
in a vigorous dispute. the district at.
terney Repeating the witness statement
like this, HE wanted quiet lake,
,''The witness did not say that. He
said d quiet place., retorted Senator
Mills, Gillertes senior counsel
Well, he found 4 quiet lake. any
way. I observed the distriM attorney
Josephine Patrick Of Cortland testis
fed that she met Gillette on the train
at De Ruyter on July 8 and that he