Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-03-29
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(By Glenn Guernsey.)

DuC lmpldCdDle cAeCulloioi - ''''"pPNN'
shuddering, into the fatal electric
chair and then hurled, quickly and
quietly, into eternity-this is to be
the fate next week of Chester -. Gill
lette. So will end the last chapter
in the tragedy of Big Moose Lake, III
which Grace Brown gave up her life
for love of the cowardly, wretched lad
whose life must now pay the penalty
of his crime. To the last the famous
prisoner of Auburn penitentiary main
taips his innocence-declares that
Grace Brown leaned from the boat on
that trip on Big Moose Lake when
was to have been their honeymoon
voyage, and that he, frightened, ran
away and let her drown.
1t is an old story, this tragedy oil
Big Moose Lake-a story OF the great
love of maid for a man, an affec-
ton so overpowering that she willing
" placed her honor and good name in
his keeping. The man tired OF MS
i, 1890
sought relief from the ties that bound
him by Staying the innocent young
girl who had loved and trusted him
with all her heart.
"Poor little girl!" said the Herki-
mer policeman who found the swollen,
battered body of "one more unfortu-
nate" and Poor little grill the peo-
pie of the nation echoed when her let
tiers, written to the man who had SO
often promised to marry her and had
so often failed, were read during Gill
lette's trial in the little Herklmer
court house Those letters, written
from a heart wavering between love
and shame, are classics and might
we'll furnish material for a poet,
novelist or philosopher.
After Gillette had postponed the
wedding she wrote him:
81 simply can't stay here any long
err. Mamma worries and wonders why
l cry so much. Please come and take
me, dear. | am afraid you won't come
and I'm frightened, dear Chester,
there is not a girl in the whole world
SO miserable as | am tonight, and
YOU have made me feel so, | don't
mean that, dear; GU have always
been so good to me and know you
always will be-
Three weeks before her death she
wrote, from the depths of her poor,
buffeted heart:
Il won't interfere with any of your
plans. | was i'll nearly all yesterday,
and tonight the veins in my head are
frightfully swollen. Mamma bathed
them in cologne and they are not SO
bad today. They were swollen be-
cause i cry so much. Chester, don't
suppose YOU will ever know how re-
gret being all this trouble to you. |
know you hate me and | can blame
YOU one bit MY whole life is ruined
: and in a measure yours, TOO. VI
course it's worse for me than you, but
the world and YOU, too, think ! am
the one TO blame. but somehow | can't
Just simply can't think | am Ches-
ter. | said. No. so many times, dear.
OF course the world will not know
that but it's true, all the same. My
little sister came up just a minute ago
with her hands full OF daisies and
asked ME if didn't want my fortune
told. told her | guessed it was pref
ty well told Now, don't want YOU
to mind this letter, for | am blue to-
night"
And there were many other letters
-pitiful appeals that would have
touched the most hardened heart:
Il will try and not worry. You arc
a dear. anyhow. | have cried so much
/ am a sight, dear. l am SO thin, and
my face is so deathly white.
20, can't wait until see yon
again. We will be happy and | won't
get cross | know YOU will be awful
good to NE, dear, for will die in a
short time | know Il will, and then
Q, think you will always be glad YOU
were so good to me. 50 *
IF | had strength, dear believe
should walk to the river and throw
myself in 1t would be rather COW
ardly, and | despise a coward. but
would not be a bother TO you an!
longer. o. Chester, the thought tina
I am in Your way just drives M
crazy. How l want to die no one bu
myself knows. 70 You woul'
smile if YOU know how l am tryin:
to get strong, for l don't care how
rough my life is after next Saturday
l think | could carry packs, like wo
men peddlers. l shall certainly di
if You don't come. Dear, don't max
me suffer any after next Saturday
please. | just can't bear it, and
don't think | deserve it, do you?