Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-30

Gillette put to death today.
AUBURN. N. Y, March 30.-Chester Gil
lette. murderer OF his sweetheart. Grace
Brown, whom he killed at Big Moose lake.
in the Adirondacks. paid the penalty of
death in the electric chair at Auburn
prison at eighteen minutes after o'clock
this morning
Before he left his cell In the condemned
room Gillette confessed to his spiritual ad-
visers. the Rev. Cordello Herrick, chaplain
OF Auburn prison, and tho Rev. Henry
stood convicted was true He killed Grace
Brown and he admitted 1t before he went
to his death. This information was given
to the public in the following signed state
ment Of the ministers: Because our re-
lationship to Chester Gillette was priu-
legged. we do not deem It wise to make a
detailed statement. and simply wish to say
that no legal mistake was made In the
electrocution."
The carrying out of the death sentence
was remarkable in its celerity. Like a
bolt Of lightning. only one contact was
necessary to carry the laws mandate
into effect. This was of 1900 volts, at
seven and half amperes The current
was held on for sixty-three seconds, and
when it was turned Off an immediate ex-
animation showed that life was extinct
Gentlemen" Warden Benham said. "the
physicians announce that the man is
dead" Chester Gillette had paid the PEN
atty for his crime.
Not Much Solemnity.
Cnmoved and without showing the
faintest sign Of emotion Of any kind,
Chester Gillette was put to death in
Auburn this morning. The electtocution
was the most successful that ever took
place in the local prison. The man was
declared dead by the officials at s1S hut
by the watches held by some of the news
that time when the warden said to the
witnesses and attendants: Gentlemen.
the physicians announce that the man is
dead"
The electrocution lacked much Of the
solemnity Of former executions. and dur
ing most of the time, except for the brief
space when the electric current was
coursing through the mans body, there
was a hum OF voices in conversation.
This grew so marked during the time
that the physicians were making the eX-
animation of the body for life that the
warden found 1t necessary to pound or
the tile-covered floor Of the chamber for
silence.
The Rev. Henry McIlravy OF Little
Falls, who had been with Gillette. was
so overcome at the electrocution that he
was taken from the death chamber be-
fore the contact was turned of.
Fearful that he would collapse. he
started for the door leading to the prison
Witnesses assembled at the warden's
office at 9 O'Clock, and at $40 the march
from the office down through the south
wing of the prison to the death chamber
was started, and at GIL. when State
Electrician Davis made his test Of the
machinery with the bank Of lights, the
witnesses had taken the seats assigned
to them.
Makes Final Statement.
The test being finished. the word was
given and the door leading from the death
cells was opened. Gillette walking firm
ly and looking neither to the right nor
the left, came briskly along the row and
into the chamber. On either side of him
was minister of the gospel. Chaplain
Herrick on his right and Rev. McIlravy
on his left. 1t was 3. 1885 when the lit
tie party entered the chamber and the
work Of strapping the man In the chair
was quickly over. The electric current
was turned on at 6:14O3 and was switched
off at 6:1506. Immediately after Dr.
Spitzka made an examination OF the
heart. Other heart examinations follow
ed, and at 6:1S Warden Benham made the
that Gillette was dead.
Gillette's confession of murder was sup
plemented by written statement to ''rhe
Young Men of the Country in which he
said nothing about having killed his
sweetheart, but dwelt on his religious
Gov. Hughes Refusal.
ALBANY. March 3O.-Gov. Hughes last
evening came to the executive chamber
and promulgated the decree which sealed
doom. In the course OF the de-
cree. he said:
Whatever his power, the governor has
no right TO grant reprieves unless he can
assign good cause. and if the administra-
tion of the law is to be respected. petit
tions made at the eleventh hour must
case.
No view of the unhappy event Is ade-
auate which fails to take account Of the
proved facts, the events preceding Grace
Browns death. the condition or the body
and the character OF it's injuries. the over
turned boat with Grace Browns cape on
top of it, the disposition Of the tennis
racquet the conduct of the prisoner pre-
vi sus to the tragedy and subsequently,
and the manner In which he sought to
explain 1t when defending his life.
''If reason Is to be our guide. and all the
established facts are taken into considera-
ton, there Is no escape from the CONCLUSION
that a brutal murder was committed. ana
. la lust After eX.
CONTINUED on Ninth Page.)