The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-30
Governor Hughes Declines.
to Grant Chester Gillette
a RepIieve.
ELECTROCUTI()N WILL
OCCUR THIS MORNING
His Excellency, in Declining the
Petition for a Respite, Says
That a Brutal Murder Was
Committed, and That
Conviction Was
Just.
LBANY, N. Y. March so.-Gov-
ernor Hughes announced to-
night that he had denied the

~ ernor Hughes announced to-
night that he had denied the
application for reprieve for
Chester Gillette. and no act
of the Governor that can now be fore
seen will interfere with Gillette's exc
cution at Auburn prison, probably to-
morrow morning for the murder Of
his sweetheart, Grace or Billy" Brown.
of South OtseLc. Chenango county. at
Big Moose Lake. in the Adrondacks,
on July H. 1906.
The Governor dismissed the theory
based upon the alleged new evidence
presented by John H. Dugan, of AL
bany, who appeared for the Gillette
family before the Governor. as wholly
untenable." and declares that "if rea-
son is to be our guide and all the as-
tablished facts are taken into consid-
Grafton there is no escape from the
conclusion that brutal murder was
committed and that the conviction was
just
Reviews Case.
In his memorandum In the case the
Governor calls attention to the fact
that previously. upon application for
executive clemency. he reached the con-
clusion. after careful examination of
the evidence, that there was no ground
upon which he would be justified in
interfering. OF the .reprieve that has
now been asked. upon ground of all
legged newly discovered evidence. the
Governor says:
Petitions made at the eleventh hour
must show merit. I find none in the
present case. A portion of the alleged
newly discovered evidence Is to the
effect that Gillette had torn the ribbon
In M from hat I'm SentPHhpr
!. 1905, alrd had given 1t 10 his eoInpan-
ion.S The object is to rebut any infer
ence from the absence of the interior
lining of the prisoners hat when the
latter was found floating on Big Moose
Lake that II had been taken out to
avoid identification. This, however Is
of no Importance. BY his conduct.
both before. and after the fatal event.
1t is conclusively established that he
the question whether or not he removed
the lining of his hat for that purpose
is not of much moment.
"a Brutal Murder"
THE theory OF the defense at the
trial was that Grace Brown committed
suicide The theory now advanced is
that Grace Brown was an epileptic sub
ject and that If she had an epileptic
seizure in the boat the fatal day. and
If during the attack she sustained che
various injuries found and fell into
the water. the condition of her body.
as disclosed by the autopsy, must be
accounted for.
But this theory is wholly untenabla.
1t Is conclusively disposed of by the
statements. conduct and testimony OF
Chester Gillette himself. II 1t be as
sumed that there was such a seizure
and fall as might be deemed to ac-
count for the condition of the body
it is inconceivable that they should
have escaped the observation OF the
prisoner. and If he had observed any
thing of the sort it is inconceivable
that he should have made the state
ments and have given the testimony
which appear in the record of the
trial.
"If reason is to be our guide. and
all the established facts are taken into
consideration. there Is no escape from
the conclusion that brutal murder
was committed and that the conviction
.roc iustln