Chester and Grace: The Real American Tragedy

6/10/06- A MOTHER'S CRUSADE


ON DECEMBER 10, 1906, NEARLY A WEEK AFTER HE WAS CONVICTED OF THE FIRST DEGREE MURDER OF GRACE BROWN, CHESTER GILLETTE ARRIVED IN THE COURTROOM OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY COURTHOUSE FOR THE LAST TIME AS THAT DAY WAS THE DAY THAT WOULD DECIDE THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

THE COUNTY CLERK CALLED CHESTER UP TO THE STAND AND ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT HE WANTED TO SAY BEFORE SENTENCING. CHESTER REPLIED BY SAYING, "I DESIRE TO STATE THAT I AM INNOCENT OF THE CRIME AND THEREFORE OUGHT NOT TO BE PUNISHED. I THINK THAT IS ALL."

THE JUDGE, IRVING R. DEVENDORF, HAND-PICKED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE TO PRESIDE OVER THIS TRIAL, WAS FACED WITH HIS FIRST MURDER TRIAL AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD TO SEND A MAN TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR. HE DID HAVE SOME HELP FROM THE LAW IN THAT AREA BECAUSE ONCE A MAN WAS CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THOSE DAYS, A DEATH SENTENCE WAS INEVITABLE. THEREFORE, REGARDLESS OF HIS OWN FEELINGS, HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONDEMN CHESTER TO DIE IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.

SEATED BEHIND CHESTER AND HIS DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WAS HIS MOTHER, LOUISA RICE GILLETTE. SHE HAD ARRIVED IN HERKIMER THE NIGHT BEFORE ON A TRAIN FROM DENVER, COLORADO, WHERE SHE AND HER FAMILY HAD BEEN LIVING SINCE LEAVING THE ZION CITY CULT THE YEAR BEFORE. SHE WAS THERE ON ASSIGNMENT FROM THE DENVER TIMES NEWSPAPER TO COVER THE SENTENCING. SHE SHOWED NO EMOTION WHEN THE FATEFUL SENTENCE WAS PRONOUNCED BECAUSE SHE HAD FAITH THAT THERE WOULD BE AN APPEAL THAT WOULD GRANT CHESTER A NEW TRIAL.

AS SOON AS SENTENCE WAS PRONOUNCED, CHESTER'S ATTORNEYS FILED THE APPEAL TO PREVENT THE PROPOSED EXECUTION DATE OF JANUARY 28, 1907. IT WAS ACCEPTED AND THE EXECUTION WAS POSTPONED UNTIL THE APPEALS WENT THROUGH THE COURTS.

HOWEVER, THE APPEALS PROCESS WAS VERY EXPENSIVE AND LOUISA FIGURED THAT SHE COULD RAISE MONEY AND PUBLIC SYMPATHY BY EMBARKING ON SPEAKING TOURS TO PROCLAIM HER SON'S INNOCENCE AND HELP HER RAISE MONEY SO THAT CHESTER COULD GET A NEWER AND FAIRER TRIAL. HER LECTURES BEGAN IN THE BEGINNING OF 1907. THROUGHOUT HER LECTURES, LOUISA PROCLAIMED HER SON WAS NOT GUILTY AND TREATED UNFAIRLY BY THE COURT. BUT SHE INFURIATED THE PUBLIC BY CRITICIZING GRACE BROWN IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE SIDED WITH HER. SHE SAID THAT GRACE WAS TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING BECAUSE SHE "TEMPTED" CHESTER INTO THE RELATIONSHIP AND SAID THAT IF IT WAS NOT FOR HER, CHESTER WOULD NOT BE IN AUBURN STATE PRISON AWAITING ELECTROCUTION.

DESPITE SOME LAST-MINUTE INTERVENTION FROM FORMER D.A. GEORGE WARD, BY THEN A COUNTY JUDGE, LOUISA'S LECTURES PROVED TO BE A FAILURE. SHE DID NOT RAISE ENOUGH MONEY AND PUBLIC OPINION WAS AGAINST HER. BUT STILL SHE WOULD NOT GIVE UP, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK. BUT THERE WASN'T REALLY ANYTHING SHE COULD DO IF SHE STAYED IN NEW YORK. AT CHESTER'S INSISTENCE, SHE BOARDED A TRAIN AND RETURNED TO DENVER TO BE WITH THE REST OF HER FAMILY TO WAIT FOR THE OUTCOME.

BUT NEW YORK STATE HAD NOT HEARD THE LAST OF LOUISA GILLETTE. SHE WOULD PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN THE YEAR TO COME.