12/16/06- AT YEAR'S END

SINCE WE ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE END OF 2006, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE YEAR OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY," I FIGURED THAT NOW WOULD BE THE BEST TIME TO ANSWER THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION THAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN ON EVERYONE'S MIND: "HOW DID I GET INVOLVED WITH THE GILLETTE CASE?"

WELL, I GUESS NOW WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

IT ALL STARTED IN THE BREAKROOM AT WAL-MART IN HERKIMER WHERE I WORK IN JULY OF 2005. THAT NIGHT, I NOTICED A COPY OF THE HERKIMER EVENING TELEGRAM THAT WAS DATED JULY 12, 2005. ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THAT ARTICLE, I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE FIRST REPORTS ABOUT THE CENTENNIAL. I WAS ABLE TO CLIP IT OUT BEFORE IT WAS THROWN AWAY AND I STILL HAVE IT TO THIS DAY. THAT IN TURN PROMPTED ME TO GO TO THE LIBRARY AND TOOK OUT JOSEPH BROWNELL'S BOOK, "ADIRONDACK TRAGEDY." I READ THAT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THREE WEEKS AND THEN CRAIG BRANDON'S BOOK, "MURDER IN THE ADIRONDACKS" WAS AVAILABLE FOR ME TO TAKE OUT AND SO I HAD THAT ONE OUT FOR SIX WEEKS. I NOW OWN COPIES OF BOTH BOOKS.

WHILE I HAD "MURDER IN THE ADIRONDACKS" OUT, I BEGAN TAKING NOTES ON THE CASE FROM THERE BECAUSE THE INFORMATION THERE WAS VERY ACCURATE. AND THEN TAKING NOTES OUT OF THE BOOK SOON LED TO AN OBSESSIVE PRINTING OF WHATEVER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE THAT I COULD GET OFF THE INTERNET. AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, YAHOO AND GOOGLE HAS A VERY EXTENSIVE LINE OF ARTICLES THAT RELATED TO THE GILLETTE CASE. EVENTUALLY, I SET UP MY EMAIL ADDRESS AT THE LIBRARY SO THAT WAY I COULD CONTINUE MY RESEARCH ON THE CASE.

BY JANUARY, 2006, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS MADE UP OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE ILION LITTLE THEATER CLUB, AND THE GRACE COMMITTEE, AN ORGANIZATION FROM THE TOWN OF WEBB. AT MY FIRST MEETING, I RECEIVED A COPY OF GRACE'S LAST LETTER AS SHE WROTE IT AS WELL AS GETTING MY PHOTO (UNINTENTIONALLY, OF COURSE) ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE TELEGRAM.

SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I DISCOVERED THE JOYS OF INTERNET BLOGGING WHEN I SET UP A BLOG SITE ON YAHOO AND I HAD WRITTEN SOME BLOGS ON THE CASE ON THAT SITE, INCLUDING MY LITTLE "VALENTINE" TO GRACE. FINALLY, WHEN I FELT THAT I HAD PUT UP QUITE A BIT OF BLOGS ABOUT THE GILLETTE CASE ON MY YAHOO SITE AND THE FACT THAT I HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM BOTH THE BOOKS AND THE INTERNET, I DECIDED TO OPEN THIS SITE HERE ON BLOGGER.COM.

AT THE SAME TIME, I ATTENDED THE MANY EVENTS THAT THE CENTENNIAL YEAR HAD TO OFFER, INCLUDING THE HERKIMER PERFORMANCES OF THE TRIAL REENACTMENTS; THE BUS TRIP TO CORTLAND AND SOUTH OTSELIC THAT RELATED TO THE GILLETTE CASE, INCLUDING GRACE'S HOME AND GRAVESITE; THE ILION LITTLE THEATER'S PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAY, "CHESTER AND GRACE;" AND I ALSO ATTENDED THE RECENT HISTORIC MARKER DEDICATION FOR THE 1834 JAIL IN HERKIMER.

HOWEVER, I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEMORIAL FOR GRACE UP AT BIG MOOSE LAKE ON JULY 11. I HAD TO WORK THAT NIGHT AND THERE WAS NO WAY THAT I COULD GET THE DAY OFF TO GO UP THERE. HOWEVER, TO LET GRACE KNOW THAT I DIDN'T FORGET HER, I ARRANGED TO HAVE FLOWERS SENT UP TO THE MEMORIAL TO BE PUT IN THE LAKE ALONG WITH THE MEMORIAL WREATH THAT WAS EVENTUALLY PUT IN THE LAKE BY FRANK CAREY, THE GRANDSON OF MARJORIE CAREY, THE WOMAN WHO HEARD GRACE SCREAM THE DAY SHE WAS MURDERED, AS WELL AS ROBERT WILLIAMS, GRACE'S GRANDNEPHEW, WHOM I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH RECENTLY AND I WILL EXPLAIN THAT LATER, AND SUSAN WILLIAMS, GRACE'S GRANDNIECE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A WONDERFUL CEREMONY. ALTHOUGH MY FLOWERS DIDN'T GO IN THAT DAY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WENT IN TWO DAYS LATER IN A PRIVATE CEREMONY.

I HAVE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CASE AND I HAVE OBTAINED NUMEROUS PIECES OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE, MOST NOTABLY IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS ALONE. I HAD JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED FOUR MONTHS OF GOING THROUGH CRAIG BRANDON'S RESEARCH FILES, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HERKIMER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. DURING THAT TIME, I MET A WOMAN WHO WAS RESEARCHING THE ROXALANA DRUSE CASE FOR A SERIES OF GHOST NOVELS ABOUT THAT CASE AND SHE GAVE ME EVERY SINGLE LEGAL DOCUMENT ABOUT THE CASE, INCLUDING THE TRIAL TRANSCRIPT. THEN ON THIS SITE, I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH A WOMAN FROM HOUSTON, TX. WHO HAS SENT ME PHOTOS FROM THE CASE, AS WELL AS THE GRACE EPISODE OF "UNSOLVED MYSTERIES," THE MOVIE SCRIPT FROM THE 1931 MOVIE, "AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY," AND GRACE'S AUTOPSY REPORT. I HAVE EVEN MET BOTH CRAIG BRANDON AND JOE BROWNELL.

THEN WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT IN ONLY A YEAR AND A HALF OF RESEARCH, I WOULD BE WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THE CASE, MUCH LESS ONE THAT FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON GRACE, SINCE SO LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HER OUTSIDE OF THE LOVE LETTERS AND HER STORY WITH CHESTER. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MOVING CLOSER TO REALITY. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO START A WRITING CAREER FOR YEARS AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GETTING CLOSER TO ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

AND SO, NOW HERE IS THE PART WHERE I LIST SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED ME AND SUPPORTED ME THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MY WORK ON THE CASE TO DATE AND EXTEND MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR THEIR SUPPORT:

TO CRAIG BRANDON AND JOSEPH BROWNELL: THANK YOU FOR WRITING THE TWO BOOKS THAT HAVE INSPIRED ME TO CREATE BOTH THIS SITE AND MY UPCOMING BOOK. I HOPE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ME AND OFFER ASSISTANCE AS I CONTINUE TO WRITE THE BOOK.

TO MARY BOARDWAY OF HOUSTON, TX., WHO WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO COMMENT ON THIS SITE: THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME THE PHOTOS, THE "UNSOLVED MYSTERIES" EPISODE, AND THE AUTOPSY REPORT. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

TO SUSAN SCHWAGER OF COLONIE, N.Y.: THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT PERTAINED TO THE CASE AND I WISH YOU LUCK WITH YOUR ROXY DRUSE BOOK.

TO JACK SHERMAN: THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A GOOD SHOW WITH THE REENACTMENTS THIS PAST SUMMER.

TO THE GRACE COMMITTEE IN TOWN OF WEBB: THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THIS HISTORIC EVENT AND I HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO GO UP TO BIG MOOSE LAKE, HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR.

TO ROBERT WILLIAMS, GRACE'S GRAND-NEPHEW: THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN HELPING ME GET READY TO WRITE MY BOOK ABOUT YOUR GREAT-AUNT. I PROMISE I WILL REMEMBER YOU WHEN I DO GET THE BOOK PUBLISHED.

TO JEFF STEELE, SUE PERKINS, AND CARYL HOPSON OF THE HERKIMER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF THE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT WITH MY RESEARCH ON THE CASE FOR THIS SITE AS WELL AS MY BOOK AND I HOPE THAT I CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE WITH ANY OTHER EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE PLANNED.

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ILION LITTLE THEATER CLUB: THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A GOOD SHOW WITH BOTH THE TRIAL REENACTMENTS AND "CHESTER AND GRACE." I'M SORRY THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE "MY DEAR CHESTER," BUT I DO HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO MORE OF YOUR SHOWS NEXT YEAR.

TO JENNIFER SCHANTZ: THANK YOU FOR THE FINAL LETTER; FOR DELIVERING GRACE'S FLOWERS TO BIG MOOSE FOR ME AT THE MEMORIAL WHEN I COULDN'T BE THERE MYSELF TO DELIVER THEM; FOR A VERY INSPIRED PERFORMANCE AS GRACE IN "CHESTER AND GRACE;" AND FOR REALLY INTRODUCING ME TO GRACE BROWN. I WISH YOU WELL WITH EVERYTHING IN THE FUTURE.

TO MY FAMILY: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ME WITH MY CONTINUED WORK WITH THE CASE. I LOVE YOU ALL.

TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE VIEWED THE SITE AND HAVE OFFERED COMMENTS AND/OR SUPPORT TO ME: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND BECAUSE OF THIS, IT CAN BE ASSURED THAT CHESTER AND GRACE'S STORY WILL CONTINUE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. ONCE AGAIN, I THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK GRACE BROWN HERSELF FOR LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. YOU GAVE ME THE SIGN I NEEDED TO START MY WRITING CAREER AND FOR THAT I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND I HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO GET YOUR STORY OUT TO THE PUBLIC. MAY YOU CONTINUE TO REST IN PEACE.

AND SO, I MUST BRING THE SITE TO A CLOSE FOR 2006 SO THAT WAY I CAN GET IT UPDATED AND SET FOR NEXT YEAR, BEING THAT THE CENTENNIAL YEAR IS OVER, BUT AS I SAID, I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SITE OPEN BECAUSE THERE IS STILL SO MUCH THAT I NEED TO TELL, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW INFORMATION THAT COULD POP UP AT ANY TIME.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.

11/7/06- CHESTER AND GRACE (PLAY REVIEW)


OF ALL THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE CENTENNIAL OF GRACE BROWN'S TRAGIC MURDER AT BIG MOOSE LAKE THAT OCCURRED OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, NONE HAS BEEN AS EAGERLY ANTICIPATED AS THE ILION LITTLE THEATER'S REVIVAL OF THEIR PLAY, CHESTER AND GRACE, A PLAY THAT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY GLEN ALLEN SMITH AND WAS ORIGINALLY PERFORMED BY THE CORTLAND REPERTORY THEATER. THE ILION LITTLE THEATER ORIGINALLY PERFORMED THE PLAY IN 1999 AND AGAIN IN 2001, AND SINCE THIS YEAR MARKED THE ANNIVERSARY OF GRACE'S DEATH, THIS REVIVAL COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME.

I ATTENDED THE OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE WHOLE PLAY. THAT NIGHT ALSO WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THE STABLES THEATER, WHERE THE PLAY WAS HELD. I HAD LIVED IN ILION THREE YEARS AGO, BUT I HAD NO IDEA THAT I LIVED RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE THEATER UNTIL THE FIRST REENACTMENT PERFORMANCE BECAUSE I USED TO LIVE NEAR THE REMINGTON ARMS WHEN I LIVED IN ILION BEFORE I MOVED TO HERKIMER AND BEFORE I LEARNED ABOUT THE GILLETTE CASE.

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE REVIEW. I COULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF ANYTHING BETTER TO DO THAT WEEKEND THAN TO GO TO SEE THIS PLAY. THIS PLAY WAS PERHAPS THE BEST PLAY THAT I HAVE SEEN AND PROBABLY WILL EVER SEE IN MY LIFE. WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THIS EXPERIENCE. I WISH THAT I COULD HAVE GONE TO HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS AT LEAST HALF AS GOOD AS THIS.

BASICALLY, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE ACTING. MOST OF THE ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS FROM THE 1999 PLAY RETURNED FOR THE REVIVAL, INCLUDING JENNIFER SCHANTZ (GRACE) AND ART WILKS (AUSTIN KLOCK, WHO WAS IN THIS SUMMER'S "THE PEOPLE VS. GILLETTE"), BOTH WHOM I HAVE SERVED ON THE CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE WITH.

AS FAR AS THE PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS OF GRACE ON STAGE AND SCREEN GOES, THERE IS NO TOPPING JENNIFER'S PERFORMANCE. SHE BROUGHT OUT GRACE'S TRUE CHARACTER ON THAT STAGE SUCCESSFULLY. SHE ALSO HAD A LOT OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND HEARTBREAKING SCENES IN THE PLAY, INCLUDING A MOMENT IN THE PLAY WHERE GRACE KNEELS ON THE STAGE, CRYING AND HOLDING A WRAPPED JAR, AS WELL AS SCENES WHERE CHESTER (PLAYED BY JACK CARNEY) IS TRYING TO GET HER TO GET RID OF THEIR BABY. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HOW AUTHENTIC AND REALISTIC THOSE SCENES WERE WRITTEN.

ONE THING THAT I'VE GOTTA SAY ABOUT JACK'S INTERPERTATION OF CHESTER IS THAT NOT ONLY DID HE LOOK THE PART, BUT HE ALSO HAD CHESTER'S PERSONALITY DOWN PAT: THE "BAD BOY" AS OPPOSED TO GRACE'S "GOOD GIRL" IMAGE. HIS SCENES WITH HIS MOTHER (PLAYED BY COLLEEN SCHULTS) WERE ALSO PRETTY WELL WRITTEN, AS ARE HIS SCENES WITH D.A. WARD (PLAYED HERE BY BOB DeCARLO) AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY MILLS (JOHN CAMPONERA). I ALSO THOUGHT THE TUG-OF-WAR SCENE OVER THE TENNIS RACKET WAS REALLY FUNNY TOO.

IN ADDITION TO THE TWO LEADS, THERE WERE SOME OTHER STAND-OUT PERFORMANCES, INCLUDING OF COURSE, ART WILKS, AGAIN PLAYING KLOCK WITH THE SAME HUMOR AND WIT THAT WE SAW IN THE PEOPLE VS. GILLETTE THIS PAST SUMMER. THERE WAS ALSO A STAND-OUT PERFORMANCE FROM RISING-STAR EMMA HEMPLE, WHOSE CHARACTER, LUCILLE GILLETTE (CHESTER'S YOUNGER SISTER) SEEMS TO ENJOY THE LIMELIGHT AT HER BROTHER'S EXPENSE.

THE PLAY ALSO CONTAINS THE SONG "ENTREATING," WRITTEN IN 1907 AND BASED ON GRACE'S LOVE LETTERS. THAT SONG IS PERFORMED BY THE CAST AT THE OPENING OF ACT 2. THE FOLK SONG, "THE BALLAD OF CHESTER AND GRACE," IS ALSO PERFORMED IN VARIOUS SPOTS DURING THE SHOW BY THE PLAY'S NARRATORS, KNOWN AS THE "THREE C'S," WHO ALSO FUNCTION AS MUSES IN VARIOUS SCENES. ALSO, LISTEN FOR THE SONG, "WON'T YOU COME HOME, BILL BAILEY?," WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE SONG THAT EARNED GRACE HER NICKNAME, "BILLY."

THE PLAY'S DIRECTOR, DAVID STRITMATER, WHO ALSO DIRECTED THE 1999 PRODUCTION, DID AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH THIS PRODUCTION. IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO ANY OF THE EVENTS OF THIS PAST SUMMER AND ARE INTERESTED IN THE STORY OF CHESTER AND GRACE, YOU MUST NOT MISS THIS SHOW.

THE NEXT PERFORMANCES OF CHESTER AND GRACE ARE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9; FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10; AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 AT 8 P.M. AT THE STABLES THEATER IN ILION.

8/30/06- We Meet At Last

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of going on a bus trip that was sponsored by the Herkimer County Historical Society to the sites in Cortland and South Otselic, NY that related to the Gillette Murder Case. It was another major event in the American Tragedy Centennial Year and it is the last one for the next three months until the Ilion Little Theater Club begins the performance run of "Chester and Grace" and the unveiling of the historic marker in front of the 1834 Jail on November 18.

And as you can see, I finally did meet Grace Brown. In a manner of speaking, of course.

Our first stop was to the Cortland County Historical Society where we met Joseph Brownell, the author of "Adirondack Tragedy. " I did get a chance to meet him, got his autograph, and told him about this site. He was very nice and he really knew a lot about the case, most notably about Grace. I learned a lot from him.

After the lecture at the Historical Society, the director came with us on a driving tour of the sites in Cortland. We drove past Grace's boarding house as well as her sister Ada Hawley's house where she stayed when she first arrived in Cortland in late 1904. We also went past Chester's boarding house and the former Gillette Skirt Factory building, which has been a furniture and appliance store for years. I got some good shots of the building. We did not go in the building, but I guess that will be for another time.

After lunch, we drove through DeRuyter, where Chester and Grace caught the train for their trip to the Adirondacks, and arrived at Grace's home in South Otselic, now owned by Robert and Diane Timm. The road that leads up to the farm has since been renamed "Grace Brown Lane" in honor of the house's former occupant. The view from the farm house was the same as I remember from the "Murder in the Adirondacks" book and the house itself was beautiful, despite the fact that the house was being remodeled at the time.

While I was at the house, I started feeling Grace's presence, especially when I passed one of the apple trees on the property. I remembered a photo in "Murder in the Adirondacks" in which a 16-year-old Grace was standing in front of an apple tree. At that point, it all started coming back to me that I was on sacred ground.

Finally we arrived at Valley View Cemetery, located right in town. We had to ascend a flight of moss-covered stairs and walked through the cemetery until we finally got to the Brown family plot and sure enough, there she was. I was actually at the grave that I had only seen in photos before this trip.

We also saw Ada Hawley's grave, which was directly across from Grace's family. We also saw the graves of her best friend/teacher Maude Crumb as well as the grave of her husband, Dr. J. Mott Crumb who represented the Brown family as a witness to Chester's execution in 1908.

Then while the rest of the group went to a peach festival that the town invited us to, I spent an extra twenty minutes or so with Grace in the cemetery. I took a rubbing of the grave that took up about ten minutes or so. I also talked to her a little bit and I may have even cried a little. I guess that once you get to know someone (even someone who's been dead for 100 years), they become a part of you. And I have gotten to know Grace quite well over the course of a year. Of course what was said will remain between myself and Grace.

Before I left, I laid down the flowers that I bought for her before I caught the bus. This time, I delivered them myself and I took a couple more photos of the grave before I said goodbye to her. Hopefully, I will go back there someday and see her again.

All in all, the trip was a bit of a soul-searching experience for me, not to mention that it will be very helpful in finding information so that I can start my book. As a result of everything that has happened, I now believe that me finding out about this case was not an accident. It was fate that led me to the Gillette case and it looks like I am here to stay for the time being.

8/22/06- Summer of '06

As the year of the Gillette Centennial begins to wind down, let me bring you up to speed as to what has happened during the course of the last few weeks.

On July 21, there was another performance of the Ilion Little Theater production, "The People vs. Gillette" at the very same Herkimer County Courthouse where nearly 100 years earlier (the trial happened in November), Chester Gillette was on trial for his life for the murder of Grace Brown. There were some differences at the courthouse performance, such as the addition of the jury box, not present at the Herkimer County Community College performances. Herkimer County Sheriff Chris Farber served as the jury foreman and delivered the guilty verdict to the actor playing Chester Gillette.



There was also another performance at HCCC the night after the courthouse performance and again I attended. I ended up getting autographs from both the cast and crew of the reenactments. They did a really wonderful job and I was glad to be a part of this major piece of history.

This Saturday, I will be going on the bus trip that is being sponsored by the Herkimer County Historical Society that will take me to Cortland and South Otselic that relate to the case, including Grace's house and grave site. In addition to photos, I will be taking a rubbing of her grave. I can't wait.

I also have a lot of things on tap here that will be coming up in the coming months, including the "Dreiser Story," as well as various other things that pertain to the case that will eventually lead up to the Ilion Little Theater Club's upcoming production "Chester and Grace." The year of the American Tragedy is not over yet.

6/30/06- The People vs. Gillette (Play Review)

Last week at Herkimer County Community College, I took part in a really historic event. Last week marked the premiere performance of this summer's Gillette Trial Reenactment, entitled "The People vs. Gillette," written by Jack Sherman, a judge from Ithaca. He first originated the idea for the trial reenactment back in 1977 while he was an assistant district attorney in Herkimer and revived it for the centennial of Chester's famous trial for the murder of his pregnant sweetheart, Grace Brown.

Members of the Ilion Little Theater Club played the key characters in the reenactment with Sherman playing Judge Irving Devendorf. The performances were really interesting and it felt like you were immediately taken back to the legendary trial that made headlines back in 1906.

I was there as a volunteer, but I was able to see the show anyway. For me a few characters stood out for me, including the guy who played District Attorney George Ward. He brought depth to the role of Ward and the opening scene where he read Grace's letters in open court brought out the emotional quality of the man he played. Also for me, Art Wilks stole the show as Undersheriff Austin Klock. He brought humor and wit to the show and it was very well done. And the climatic showdown between Chester and Ward, which took place during the second half of the reenactment gave you a sense into what it was really like. The guy who played Chester also did a pretty good job.

In case you missed it at HCCC, the next reenactment will be held on July 15 and 16 in Old Forge before returning to Herkimer on July 21 at the very same courthouse where the trial actually took place. That is definitely not to be missed. And there will be one more performance at HCCC on July 22.

In the meantime the next Gillette-related even is today at Ward's Pond Bed and Breakfast in Dolgeville. It is a dramatic reading of Grace's letters called "My Dear Chester, again written by Jack Sherman. Then on July 11, the memorial for Grace will be held at Big Moose Lake. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend either one, but I will be there at least in spirit.

6/24/06- THE PEOPLE VS. GILLETTE


I FIGURED THAT TODAY I WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BREAK FROM THE STORY EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT HAVE THAT MUCH FURTHER TO GO TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT. LAST NIGHT, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF VOLUNTEERING FOR THE PREMIERE OF THIS SUMMER'S TRIAL REENACTMENT, ENTITLED "THE PEOPLE VS. GILLETTE" AT HERKIMER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE RIGHT HERE IN HERKIMER. IT WAS PART OF THE THREE-DAY LITERARY CONFERENCE "CHESTER, GRACE, AND DREISER: THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY," WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THURSDAY AND ENDS TODAY.

THEY ALSO HAD A DISPLAY ROOM WHICH HAD A WHOLE COLLECTION OF RARE ARTIFACTS FROM THE CASE, SOME OF WHICH HAD NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE 1906. MOST OF THE ARTIFACTS INCLUDED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES FROM 1906 AS WELL AS SIGNED STATEMENTS FROM CHESTER GILLETTE'S SPIRITUAL ADVISORS AFTER HIS EXECUTION IN 1908 AND A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE EXECUTION. THERE WERE ALSO LETTERS FROM GRACE BROWN, AS WELL AS CHESTER'S FINAL LETTER TO GRACE IN THE THREE-WEEK PERIOD LEADING UP TO HER DEATH, AND A LETTER FROM HARRIET BENEDICT ASKING CHESTER FOR A "POSTER."

BUT THE BIGGEST DRAW OF ALL HAD TO BE THE TENNIS RACKET WHICH CHESTER USED TO KILL GRACE WITH THAT DAY ON THE LAKE. IT WAS RECENTLY AUTHENTICIZED BECAUSE THEY FOUND AN EXHIBITION NUMBER ON IT. THIS ALSO MARKS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE MURDER WEAPON WAS PUT ON DISPLAY SINCE THE 1931 PREMIERE OF THE MOVIE "AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY," THE FIRST MOVIE BASED ON THEODORE DREISER'S NOVEL.

I WILL HAVE TO STOP NOW, BUT I WILL HAVE MORE ON THIS MONDAY.

4/8/06- THE YEAR OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY


THE YEAR 2006 IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT YEAR IN HERKIMER COUNTY AS WELL AS CHENANGO COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THIS YEAR MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY MURDER. AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF EVENTS PLANNED FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.

THE CENTENNIAL OFFICIALLY KICKED OFF IN DECEMBER, 2005 WITH THE PREMIERE OF TOBIAS PICKER'S OPERA "AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY" IN NEW YORK CITY, AND LAST SATURDAY, THE EXHIBIT, "THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY CENTENNIAL: THE MURDER THAT WILL NEVER DIE" OPENED AT THE HERKIMER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ABOUT 70 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE PREMIERE OF THE EXHIBIT, MYSELF INCLUDED. IN FACT, I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO SEE IT. IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. I NEARLY TEARED UP A COUPLE OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN I VIEWED THE PANEL ABOUT GRACE BROWN, THE VICTIM OF THIS AFFAIR. I MANAGED TO GET SOME PHOTOS OF THE EXHIBIT AS WELL.

THERE ARE MORE EVENTS IN THE COMING MONTHS. THERE IS A MEMORIAL BEING PLANNED FOR GRACE UP AT BIG MOOSE LAKE ON JULY 11, THE ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH AT THE HANDS OF HER LOVER, CHESTER GILLETTE, WHICH INCLUDES A WREATH BEING LAID INTO THE LAKE BY A DESCENDANT OF THE WOMAN WHO HEARD GRACE'S FINAL SCREAM. THERE IS ALSO A DINNER THEATER EVENT PLANNED IN OLD FORGE AND IN DOLGEVILLE, WHICH INVOLVES THE READING OF GRACE'S FAMOUS LOVE LETTERS TO CHESTER. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER PLAY BEING PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER BY THE ILION LITTLE THEATER CLUB CALLED "CHESTER AND GRACE." JENNIFER POKON, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ILION LITTLE THEATER CLUB WILL BE PORTRAYING GRACE IN BOTH PLAYS AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, SHE DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PORTRAYING HER. SHE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE ME A COPY OF GRACE'S FINAL LETTER AND TO THANK HER, I GAVE HER A COPY OF MY "VALENTINE TO GRACE" BLOG THAT I WROTE ON MY OTHER BLOG SITE ON YAHOO 360. HER PHOTO IS POSTED ON THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THIS BLOG ENTRY.

THE REAL HIGHLIGHT OF THE CENTENNIAL EVENTS WILL BE THE TRIAL REENACTMENTS CALLED "THE PEOPLE VS. GILLETTE." THE PERFORMANCES WILL BE HELD AT HERKIMER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A THEATER IN OLD FORGE, AND AT THE HERKIMER COUNTY COURTHOUSE, WHERE THE ACTUAL TRIAL TOOK PLACE IN 1906. THE COURTHOUSE PERFORMANCE WILL PROBABLY BE THE BIGGEST DRAW OF THE WHOLE CENTENNIAL YEAR. AT THE LAST MEETING, I GOT A FIRST LOOK AT THE TICKETS TO THE REENACTMENTS AND THEY LOOK BEAUTIFUL.

THERE WILL BE MORE UPDATES ON THIS SITE AS I GET THEM.