The daily sentinel., 1908-03-31
Life Of
The Girl
TOLD BY MOTHER
Pathetic History Of Billy ?
brown, the Girl Murdered
by Chester Gillette She
Fulfilled a Mission.

mot wisely, but too well'-of Grace
Brown, the pitiful victim of the mur-
derous hatred of Chester Gillette,
who yesterday expiated his crime in
the electric chair at Auburn prison.
1t lis a story told by Grace Browns
mother, who loved the unfortunate
girl most of a family of nine chill
dren.
"Grace went through the district
school and then began to assist my
husband in his business. She kept
his books for him, wrote his letters.
and If he was i'll or away, she would
drive the milk to the station. She
never complained.
MY eldest daughter married and
went to live in Cortland. Grace Wis
tied her there. This was her first
taste of town life, and she enjoyed
it. Following another visit she re-
turned and told us that she could
earn Sc week in Gillette's skirt
factory. She could live with her
sister and wanted to earn the money.
My husbands business had not been
very prosperous, and we finally con-
sented to let her go.
For several months she sent
have to spend for expenses to my
cleverest skirt designer in the fac
tory, but her wages were kept low.
She entertained girl acquaintances
at her sisters home and made many
friends. Frequently she came home
to see us.
Then my eldest daughter moved
away from Cortland and my husband
went Immediately to bring Grace
home. She felt that she ought to
remain at work, as she expected to
earn more money. My husband went
with her and found a boarding place
with respectable family. Some
time later Grace wrote to me of
Chester Gillette. She described him
as a young man who had apparently
taken liking to her, and l could
see that she was interested in him.
She told me that he was teacher in
a Sunday school, that he was the
nephew of the proprietor of the fac
tory, that he came of good family,
was eaducated in Oberlin College,
and said that she wanted us to see
him.
Il Later my husband went to Court
land to see Grace. He asked her
particularly about Chester Gillette
and she told him that she was very
fond of him, that he seemed to be of
her. He asked her if he had inIi-
Gated his intention to marry her. She
said that he had not proposed and
did not conceal from her father her
hope that he would do So My hus
band made careful inquiry about the
boy and heard him well spoken of.
Under these circumstances, and
having unbounded faith in Grace,
We permitted the matter to go on.
"At last she wrote us thar Gillette
had proposed and that they We're to
be married. l was very happy for
her and we all began to plan her
trousseau. Later she came home.
She seemed to be unhappy at times.
and was evidently trying to conceal
some unhappiness Many times /
cautioned her that If she had any
doubt of Gillette's honesty she had
better reconsider 1t. She told me
that she had none. Once she said
that she wished she were better edu-
Gated, and was a finer girl and more
nearly equal in position with Gillette.
Such little things as this led me to
believe that her apparent unhappi-
ness was only such perplexity as
lovers often experience.
During the weeks that she re-
mained at home. now as we under
stand because Gillette wanted her
on. of the way. she wrote to him
every day except four. In reply she
received but seven letters. l told
her that this was wrong. She in
sisted that he must have written, but
that his letters went astray SO great
was her faith in him that she wanted
to have our mail directed to another
posioffice.
with her wedding clothes she
went away to meet Gillette and
marry him. While we did net ap-
prove of this procedure. Grace ex-
planned that he was very busy and
that he wanted a quiet wedding.
Only in her trouble did she deceive
us.
II am comforted, we are comfort
ed, by feeling that our dear lost
daughter did not die without having
fulfilled a mission. l feel that she
has proved what a great sacrifice a
good woman will make for her love.
While people may condemn her, I
know that she was pure and sweet
and good. Gillette was her first
love and she was an easy victim OF
his cruel deception. If it is true
that Grace's letters have gone all
over the country in the newspaper ]
believe they will do much good and
perhaps my poor little girl could
never have accomplished as much for
the world as her letters will. We are
Christian people and we believe that
God works in ways that we cannot
understand"