Chester and Grace: The Real American Tragedy

7/25/06- THE LAST DAYS


THE GILLETTE FAMILY WAS REALLY DESPERATE NOW. THEIR OLDEST SON, CHESTER'S APPEAL FOR A NEW TRIAL HAS BEEN DENIED BY THE NEW YORK STATE COURT OF APPEALS. HIS SENTENCE TO DEATH IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR FOR THE MURDER OF GRACE BROWN HAD NOT ONLY BEEN UPHELD, BUT IT WAS OFFICIALLY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 30, 1908, WHICH DID NOT GIVE THEM ENOUGH TIME TO TRY ONE MORE THING THAT COULD SAVE THEIR SON'S LIFE, AND THAT WAS GOING DIRECTLY TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK STATE, CHARLES EVANS HUGHES.

AND SO WITH WEEKS TO GO BEFORE BEFORE THEIR SON'S EXECUTION, FRANK AND LOUISA GILLETTE, ALONG WITH THEIR 14-YEAR-OLD SON, PAUL, BOARDED A TRAIN AT THE STATION IN DENVER, COLORADO FOR THE THREE-DAY JOURNEY BACK TO NEW YORK STATE.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN AUBURN, THE WARDEN OF AUBURN PRISON INFORMED CHESTER OF THE COURT OF APPEALS' DECISION. ALTHOUGH HE TOOK THE NEWS CALMLY, CHESTER HAD DISPLAYED A HINT OF BITTERNESS THAT THE SYSTEM HAD FAILED HIM LIKE THAT. IN A LATER STATEMENT, HE SAID, "I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I AM ONE-HUNDREDTH AS GUILTY AS HARRY THAW, BUT THERE IS NOTHING BEFORE ME BUT THE ELECTRIC CHAIR, AND LOOK AT HIM, WITH FREEDOM JUST AHEAD OF HIM. HUNDREDS SAW HIM FIRE THE SHOT THAT KILLED (SANFORD) WHITE AND THEY WANT TO ELECTROCUTE ME ON CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE."

THE "HARRY THAW" THAT CHESTER REFERRED TO WAS THE OTHER MAJOR MURDER CASE IN 1906. IN JUNE OF 1906, A MONTH BEFORE CHESTER KILLED GRACE AT BIG MOOSE LAKE, ECCENTRIC PLAYBOY HARRY THAW GUNNED DOWN WELL-KNOWN ARCHITECT SANFORD WHITE IN NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE THE LATTER MADE A PLAY FOR A 16-YEAR-OLD SHOWGIRL WHOM HARRY LOVED AND LATER MARRIED. DURING HIS TRIAL, HE USED THE INSANITY PLEA, MAINLY BECAUSE HE WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, AND SUCCESSFULLY EVADED A MURDER CHARGE AND A TRIP TO THE CHAIR.

WHEN THE GILLETTE CASE OVERSHADOWED THE THAW CASE, EVERYONE WAS CONVINCED THAT CHESTER WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME COURSE AS HARRY THAW AND USE THE INSANITY PLEA, BUT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE WARD ANTICIPATED IT AND REQUESTED A SANITY TEST. SOME OF THE METHODS USED INVOLVED THE USE OF NEEDLES AND EVEN A WEIGHT WAS DROPPED ON HIS FOOT. BASICALLY CONSIDERED INQUISITION-STYLE, BUT CHESTER WAS CONSIDERED SANE AND WAS THEREFORE CONVICTED.

THE FAMILY ARRIVED AT AUBURN AND WAS REUNITED WITH CHESTER. FOR HIS FATHER AND YOUNGER BROTHER, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAD SEEN CHESTER IN THREE YEARS. AFTER THE REUNION, THE FAMILY SPLIT UP AND WENT TO CORTLAND AND HERKIMER TO GET SOME NEW EVIDENCE AND SUPPORTERS TO HELP THEM PETITION TO GOVERNOR HUGHES. THEY HAD NEARLY GIVEN UP ALL HOPE THAT CHESTER WOULD EVER GET A NEW TRIAL, BUT THEIR GOAL NOW WAS TO GET HIS SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON. IT WAS ONE OF THE MANY POWERS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD IN CAPITAL CRIMINAL CASES.

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE EXECUTION, THE GILLETTE FAMILY ARRIVED AT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION IN ALBANY AND PRESENTED THEIR CASE TO GOVERNOR HUGHES. LOUISA PRESENTED SOME SHOCKING NEW EVIDENCE THAT GRACE'S DEATH WAS THE RESULT OF EPILEPSY. THERE WERE CO-WORKERS THAT CLAIMED TO BACK UP LOUISA'S NEW THEORY AND TESTIFIED THAT THEY SAW GRACE SUFFER SEIZURES AND SPASMS FROM TIME TO TIME. HOWEVER, THAT CLAIM WAS LATER DISCREDITED. THEN THERE WAS A RATHER ODD TESTIMONY FROM A 20-YEAR-OLD SCOTIA MAN THAT CLAIMED THAT HE HAD SEX WITH GRACE AND THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO GOT HER PREGNANT. HE ALSO CLAIMED TO HAVE PAID HER SOME HUSH MONEY TO BLAME THE PREGNANCY ON CHESTER. HE WAS DISMISSED BY THE GOVERNOR AS A PUBLICITY-SEEKER. HE LATER FLED THE COUNTRY AFTER LEARNING THAT THERE WAS A WARRANT OUT FOR HIS ARREST.

WHILE AWAITING HUGHES' DECISION, THE GILLETTES RETURNED TO AUBURN WHERE THEY MET WITH CHESTER FOR THE LAST TIME. LOUISA ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT HE NEEDED TO CONFESS TO HER, HE HAD TO DO IT BEFORE HE DIED. CHESTER REPLIED THAT HE ALREADY CONFESSED TO GOD AND TO HIS SPIRITUAL ADVISOR. LOUISA INSISTED THAT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH AND THAT HE HAD TO CONFESS TO HER TOO, BUT CHESTER DID NOT. AFTER SHE LEFT, LOUISA BEGAN TO DOUBT THAT CHESTER WAS INNOCENT OF THE MURDER CHARGE.

CHESTER SPENT THAT LAST DAY TYPING UP FINAL LETTERS TO HIS FAMILY AS WELL AS HIS FINAL STATEMENT. IN A LETTER TO HIS BROTHER, PAUL, CHESTER ENCLOSED A PHOTO OF GRACE AS A WARNING TO HIM NOT TO SUCCUMB TO HIS SAME FATE AS THE RESULT OF TEMPTATION.

THAT NIGHT, GOVERNOR HUGHES, WHO REJECTED LOUISA'S PLEA FOR CLEMENCY, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, CALLED THE PRISON AND TALKED TO THE WARDEN, BUT THE NATURE OF THE CALL WAS UNKNOWN. HAD HE DECIDED TO INTERVENE AFTER ALL? OR WAS HE CALLING TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS READY FOR THE EXECUTION THE NEXT DAY? WE'LL NEVER KNOW, BUT ONE THING WAS FOR CERTAIN. MARCH 30, 1908 WAS GOING TO BE A BIG DAY INDEED.