The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-03-31
GlLLE| r.:
EXECUTED !
MURDERER Of GRACE BROWN
PAYS sPENALTYFoR RASH ACT
in ELECTRIC CHAIR.
MAKES STATEMENT
Spiritual Advisers Indicate That in
His Death There Has Been No Mis-.
carriage Of Justce-He Advises All
Young Men to Lead Christian
Lives.

Young Men to Lead christia'
Lives.
Auburn, N. Y, March, 30.-Chestel
3. Gillette today paid the full penalt.
for the brutal murder of Grace Brown
He went to his death in the electric
chair at Auburn prison without a sigr
OF weakness and with the same lack o.
emotion which has characterized hin
from the day he was arrested and
charged with the crime.
Gillette appeared to have been fully
reconciled to his fate and In q state
ment given out by his spiritual ad
visers immed ediately after the execution
1t is indicated that he had made q con.
fession Of his guilt. This statement
was signed by the Rev. Henry Nc
Iravy Of Lime Falls and the Rev. Cor
dello Herrick, the prison chaplain who
had attended Gillette since he has
been in the death cell at the prison.
1t was as follows:
Because our relationship with Ches-
ter Gillette was privileged, we do not
deem 1t wise to make detailed state
ment and simply wish to say that no
legal mistake was made in his electro
cutiOn."
s.. No Public Confession.
Gillette himself, so far as the public
was concerned, never admitted his
crime. His last word, in the form OF
statement which he had prepared
with painstaking care, was made pub
lie after he had been put to death this
morning. In this statement Gillette
implored young men to lead Christian
lives.
Any fear which the prison oficials
may have entertained that Gillette's
remarkable composure would desert
him at the last moment, was quickly
dispelled when he stepped from his
cell to the corridor leading to the
death chamber. His step was firm
and strong and he walked rapidly to-
ward the instrument of death.
Not even by the CULVER Of an eye
lash did he betray the least sign Of
emotion and at no stage did he require
assistance from the keepers and his
spiritual advisers who accompanied
him in his last walk.
He seated himself in the chair the
straps and electrodes were placed and
within two minutes Gillette had been.
oncially pronounced dead.
Successful Electrocutlon.
The electrocution was the most sue
cessful that ever took place in the
local prison. But one contact was re-
Quired to carry the mandates OF the
Jaw into effect and when that was over
the murderer OF Grace Brown had paid
the penalty Of his crime. The cleo.
trocution was marked throughout with
celebrity. The man was declared dad
BY the oficials at 6:18. Two minutes
later the warden said to the witnesses
and attendants: Gentlemen. the.
physicians announce the man is dead,
The elsctrocution lacked muca O:
the solemnity OF former executions
and during most Of the time. except
for the brief space when the electric
current was coursing through the
n ans body there was a llum OF voices
in conversation. This grew 50 marked
curing the time tha: the physic,ans
were making ii.e exa:n.nntion Of the
Lt.dy for life shat the warden fou:d Il
necessary to pound on the tile covered
floor OF the Chamber for silence.
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