The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-10-29
GILLETTE GOES TO.
PRISON FOR SIX
MONTHS
Aged vice-President of Mutual
Life Sentenced.
FOR THE SINS OF OTHERS"
In Service Of Big Insurance Company
Sc Years, Put Duty to Stookhold.
ers Before Truth.

NEW YORK., Oct. 29.-Dr Walter
K. Gillette, former vice president or
the Mutual Life Insurance company,
who was found guilty Of perjury, was
sentenced to six months In the Black
wells island penitentiary by Justice
Bowling in the criminal branch of the
supreme court.
Founer Justice Hatch, counsel for
the prisoner, stated in court that the
sentence was equivalent to sentence
to death.
DR.. Alexander Lambert, who exam.
ined the prisoner In the Tombs, testl.
fled TO the same effect.
DR.. Gillette was convicted Of making
false statement under oath to the
grand jury about yellow dog fund"
which was deposited I'm Dobbs Ferry
bank for She use Of Andy Fields, q
lobbyist.
When the district attorney assured
DR.. Gillette that the full truth was
known TO the authorities the witness
admitted that he had testified falsely,
but said he had been advised to do 50
by counsel. But for this admission, II
appeared in the proceedings, sentence
might have been suspended.
When DR.. Gillette was called before
Justice Bowling to be sentenced Mr..
Hatch called DR.. Lambert to the wit
ness stand DR.. Lambert swors that
DR. Gillette, who is sixty-se years
old, is suffering from degeneration of
the heart due to old age and intense
nervous and mental strain.
Then TO sentence him to prison
would mean to sentence him to death.
would 1t noty' asked MIR. Hatch.
practically it would" replied the
witness.
Mr.. Hatch then moved for a new
trial and an arrest of Judgment Both
motions were denied. District Attor-
ney Jerome arose and moved that sen
tence be pronounced.
The advanced age and the hitherto
blameless life of this defendant" said
the district attorney, appeal for elem
ency, but the fact remains that he
brought his conviction upon himself.
The offense Of which he was convicted
is extremely common, and more than
any other 1t tends to bring the admin
istration of justice into disrepute.
THE defendant perjured himself. He
only retracted when apprised by the
district attorney that the full facts
were known. In spite of his age and
his upright life and his physical con-
dltion l think the public interests re-
quire penalty In the nature Of i'm
prisonment A heavy sentence is not
requisite"
Judge Hatch made long and tear
full speech in behalf of his client and
friend. He asserted that 10 moral
turpltude had been shown. that 1t was
an unusual-in fact, an unprecedented
case and that no actual perjury had
been committed.
This man." declared the Judge dra-
matically, 'is suffering for the sins of
others"
why didn't he say that before the
grand jury?" asked the district attor.
ney sharply.
He did" responded Judge Hatch.
when his attention was directed to
the matter of that account he truth
fully testified to the purpose Of the
fund"
Justice bowling in imposing sentence
said 1t was a tragic occasion. He re-
ferred to the sixty-seven years of the
defendant, to his thirty-six years in
the service of the Mutual Life and to
the fact that he is closing his life I'M
der a felony charge. The court also
said that there had been no suggestion
that DR.. Gillette had profited personal.
ly by his offense or that the policy
holders of the Mutual Life or the pub
lie had suffered pecuniary loss.