The Ocala evening star., 1908-03-31
CONFESSED HIS crime
Just Before he Died in the Electric
Chair, Chester Gillette Acknow,-
edged the Murder of Grace
Brown


Auburn. " Y, March 3l.-Chester
r.. Gilleut. was cIcctrocuted at Au-
burn prison at 6:20 yesterday morn
ing for numbering Grace Brown, his
sweetheart, after conf.sSing his crime
in almost his last breath to Rev.
n. McIllravy and Chaplain Hcrl'ick.
The ministers refused 10 give the de-
tails of the confession. but Gillette.
last message was:
Tell my mother ] am prepared To
meet my God and nothing stands be-
tween Him and me. Tell her l have
no hard feelings against any one.
am sorry for all the anguish ""
caused
Gillette entered the deathhouse pale
and calm attended by Rev. Mr.. Nc
IIravy and Chaplain Hcrrick. At 6:12
h. stepped into the electric chair
firmly and without speaking. and. af-
ter 1900 volts had been applied for
80 seconds was pronounced dead.
Sunday Gillette pre- pared n state
mcat which was given out by War
den Benham yesterday. saying: In
the valley of the shadow il is my de-
sire to do everything to remove any
doubt that l have found Jesus Christ
my personal saviour and unfaiIinS
friend. one regret 1T this time is that
didn't give him pr"-cnincnce in my
life when l had Il chance to work for
Him" Continuing. he urges young
men to be righteous. ana ends: My
task is done and my victory won"
Awaited the End
During the execution Gillette's
father. mother two sisters and broth.
er. his aunt. Miss Catherine Gillette.
and Miss Berenice Ferrin. Il family
friend who knew Gillette at Oberlin
College stayed at the Salvation Army
hearquarters. They waited all night
and when the news that ii was all
over was brought Mrs. Gillette faint
ed
Gillette bade his relatives gOOd-bye
| Sunday afternoon and, according to
Chaplain Herrick, one of his last
| acts was to defend Grace Brown. say
/ ing that Dow SandersOn's statements
before Governor Hughes Saturday,
| defaming her, We're lies.
History Of the Crime and Its Causes
|
Gillette was sentenced to forfeit his
/ life in the electric chair in Auburn
| prison yesterday was the murder of
his sweetheart, Grace Brown, near Big
Moose i'm the Adirondacks on July 1.
! 1906. Gillette was convicted on cir
icumstantial evidence after Il long and
sensational trial in which the pathetic
love letters of BILLY" Brown. as the
girl was familiarly known among her
associates, To Gillette. played an i'm
portant part. The girl who periShed
in the waters OF Big Moose Lake had
trusted Gillette 10 make amends for
the wrong he had done her by making
her his wife and her letters. which
We're found in the young mans room
; after his arrest ut Eagle Bay, are
; considered by many aS classic in THEN
: simplicity and their tenler pleading
!. for the right that was due her.
| Her last letter To her lover. written
. before her fatal trip to Big Moose
was particularly pathetic. Il have
been bidding good bye to some places
, today" she wrote. There are 50
many hooks. dear. and all of them sC
dear to me. | have lived here nearly
ial my life. First, | said goodbye t,
the spring house with its great mass
of green moss: then the apple tree
where we had our little playhouse;
then the Beehive. Il cute little house
in the orchard. and of course all the
neighbOrS that have mended my
dresses from a little tot up. To save
, ne a thrashng | really deserved"
Gillette had been more or less of {;
: rover up to the time he became fore
man in his unce'S shirt factory a
Cortland. y. Y. He had led some
Y what gay life. but WAS given to I'M
derstand upon his arrival at Cortlan,
that he must conduct himself SO tha
recognize him. He soon became in
. terested in church work. made many
} friends and apparently conducted
) himself with propriety.
Grace Brown WIS Il farmers daugh
ter from South OStclic who worko,
i'll the same factory with Gillette. Al
though he did not pay her unusual
attention her companions We're no
u long in recognizing that she Wa
somewhat of IL favorite with tn
:. young foreman. He began to call ol
:, her at the hom" of her married sis
y ter. who lived in the city, and SOOl
won her affection and trust. Th
girls confidence in Gillette and hi
promises of marriage eventually le,
to her undOng and in the summer o
4 hn amt hnl tn. nor. ~