Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-30
ExPIATES HIS FOUL CRIME.
Youth Who Murdered His Sweet
heart Urges Men to Be
Christians.
Spiritual Advisers Declare That in
Sending Youth TO the Electric Chair
No Mistake Was Made.

Auburn, N ", March Colchester r..
Gillette today paid the fun penalty foi
the brutal murder of Grace Brown He
went TO his death in the electric char
at Auburn prison without n sign of
weakness and with the same lack OF
emotion which has characterized him
from the day he was arrested charged
with the crime. Gillette appeared 20
nave been fully reconciled to his fate.
and in statement given out by his
spiritual advisers Immediately after the
execution, il is indicated that he had
made confession of his guilt. This
statement was signed by the Rev Hen
~ Mcllravy. OF Little Falls and the
Rev Cordello Herrick, the prison cham
lain, who had attended Gillette since he
mas been in the death cell at the prison.
II was as follows;
NO MISTAKE MADE
Because our relationship with Ches
Ter Gillette was privileged. we do not
ueem II wise to make a detailed state
lneht, and simply wish TO say that no
legal mistake was made in his cleo
trocution."
Gillette himself. so far as the public
was concerned, never admitted his
crime. His last word. in the form of
a statement winch he had prepared
with painstaking care was made public
after he had been put to death This
morning. In this statement Gillette
lmpiored young men to lead Christian
lives.
SHOWS NO EMOTION.
Amy fear which the prison officials
may nave entertained that Gillette's
remarkable composure would desert
MN az the last moment was quickly
dlspeiied when he stepped from his cell
10 the corridor leading to the death
chamber. HIS step was firm ana stront.
and he walked rapidly toward the in
striment OF death. Not even by the
culver of an eyelash did he betray the
least sign of emotion and at no stage
did he require assistance from the
Keepers and his spiritual adv Isers who
accompanied him in his last walk. He
seated himself in the chair, the straps
ana electrodes were placed, and within
Two minutes Gillette had been oftjciaf
~ pronounced dead.
ONE CONTACT MADE
The electrocution was the most sue
cessful that ever took place in the
local prison. But one contact was re-
CURED to carry the mandates of the
law into effect, and when that was
over, the murderer of Grace Brown
mad paid the penalty of his crime.
The electrocution was marked
throughout with CELEBRITY. The man
was declared dead by the officials M
6:S Two minutes later the warden
said TO the witnesses and attendants:
Gentlemen, the physicians announce
the man is dead"
The electrocution lacked much of the
solemnity of former executions and
during most OF the time, except for the
orlet space when the electric current
was coursng through the mans body.
there was hum OF voices I'm converse
ton. This grew so marked during
the time that the physicians were maxi
ing the examination of the body FOR life
that the warden found 1t necessary
to pound on the tiled covered floor of
the chamber for silence.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED VOLTS.
The current was of 1900 volts at ~
amperes, and II was held on one minute
and three seconds, When this had
been done careful examination Of the
mans heart was made but there was
no sign of life.
The Rev. Henry McIlravy OF little
Fails, who had been with Gillette, was
so overcome AT the electrocutlOn that
he was taken from the death chanber
before the contact was turned off.
Fearful that he would collapse he
started for the door leading to tho mis-
Witnesses assembled at the warriors
office at { o'clock and at 6:lO the maIcb
from the Office down through the so,th
wing of the prison 10 the death cham,er
was started. and at GIL. when st,ts |
Electrician Davis made his test OF me-
machinery with the bank of lights. ia |
witnesses had taken the seats assigned |
TO them.
GILLETTE WALKED FIRMLY.
The test being finished. the word wa |
given and the door leading from IN, |
death cells was opened. Gillette. walk. |
ing firmly, and looking neither TO Inc |
right nor to the left, came bristly along |
the row and into the chamber On eth
err side OF him WAS a minister OF the
gospel, Chaplain Herrlok on his right
and Rev McIlrayy on his left. IL was
6:l2:35 wien the little party entered the
chamber, and the work Of strap
ping the man In the chair
was quickly over. The electric
current ras turned on 614:O3 and was
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