The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-02-19
G|LLETTEMUST END
HIS LIFE IN THE
CHAIR
Murderer Of Grace Brown to be
EIectr0cuted
REVIEWS THE CRIME
JUDGE REVIEWS THE CRIME
Stunned Girl With Racket and Left
Her to Die In Big Moose
Lake.


Gillette of Cortland Is close To death in
the electric chair for the murder of his
sweetheart, Grace c'Bily'o Brown OF
South Otselic. Chenango county, In
lonely part of Big Moose lake, In the
Adirondacks, at dusk on the evening OF
July II, 1906. The court of appeals has
handed down decision sustaining the
Judgment of conviction of murder in
the first degree.
The court will soon fix new date
for the execution of the death sentence,
from which Gillette can he saved now
only by the supreme court of the Unit
ed States or the clemency of Governor
Hughes.
The unanimous opinion of the court,
written by Judge Hlscock, riddles Gil
lette's story of the tragedy to the eff
feet that Grace Brown voluntarily
jumped from the boat and was drown
ed. Judge Hiscock ascribes impress
sive unnaturalness' TO the principal
features of Glllette's tale. He alludes
to several points which still further
impeach It's truthfulness and declares
that "in addition to these deficiencies
and improbabllities In his evidence
there are repeated contradictions by
large number of witnesses who appar-
emily had no interest in telling any
thing but the truth"
Ry Gillette's own evidence, as view
ed by Judge Hiscock, 1--WE see Gillette
emerging from this catastrophe where
he made no cutlery for help and with
apparent composure turning to other
pursuits while he left the body Of the
woman he says he loved better than
any one else and intended to marry
lying uncovered and unsought at the
bottom of the lake"
Judge Hiscock's opinion reviews at
length the story Of the case and comes
to this conclusion on the facts;
Grace Brown, the victim, Judge His
cock says, was brought up in a coun-
try home of an apparently simple and
wholesome atmosphere" and aside
from her relations with Gillette he be-
leves her to have been girl of pure
character and of unusual intelligence
and attractiveness." Gillette, he says
further. was possessed of education,
OF previous good character, and he had
had considerable experience In the
world"
Judge Hiscock recites the main de-
tails of the acquaintance between Gil
| lette and the girl, their working to-
gether in the factory of the defend
ants uncle at Cortland, the seduction
of the girl and her increasingly embar-
RAISING condition.
The journey of the two, which for
her ended In the bottom of Big Moose
lake, Judge Hlscock says, must have
been born Of the theory, genuine OF
course on the part of the woman, that
1t would lead to marriage. 1t could
have presented no other reasonable or
lawful purpose.
! yet" the opinion goes grimly on,
every. significant step taken by him
seems to haye led away from this con-
summation and, pointing to the eiabo-
rate pains which Gillette took to con-
ceal his identity even. while planning
to expose hers and his admitted Ell
| gagement, made during that very trip,
to meet other young ladies' later In the
week at another place. the judge attrib-
utes much force to the contention of
the prosecution that already he must
have planned to rid himself Of his EN-
baIrassments."
Judge Hiscock in short accepts as
valid the theory of the prosecution that
Gillette beat the wretched girl upon
the head and face with his tennis
racket. tumbled her unconscious body
into the lake and fed through the
woods TO keep his appointment with
the other girls.