Grace Brown

 

Grace Brown was born in South Otselic Ny on March 20th 1886 to a dairy farmer named Frank Brown and his wife Betsy, The 5th of 9 children. When Grace was 18yrs old she moved to Cortland NY and lived with her older sister Ada so she could work at the brand new Gillette skirt factory that was built in 1906 by Noah Gillette. While working in the factory Grace met Noah's nephew Chester Gillette who was born to Frank and Louisia who were part of the salvation army and  with their religious values they had no use for worldly goods or money and it made it hard for Chester to get a good education. When Chester was 19 he moved to Cortland to live with Noah. Noah paid for Chester to go to Oberlin preparatory in Ohio after doing poorly Chester went back to Courtland to work in the factory Chester found Grace Brown attractive enough to have a sexual relationship but had his eyes on a socialite named Harriet Benedict from a wealthy ny family. In the spring of 1906 Grace discovered she was pregnant and begged Chester to marry her in July they decided to take a trip to the Adirondacks Grace thought he was going to surprise her with a wedding. The couple met in DeRuyter took a train to Utica then a train to Tupper Lake where they stay were Chester used an false name Carl Graham to match the monogram on his luggage but then went to Big Moose Lake.

July 11th they rented a row boat and went out for the day but did not return so the owner of the boat rental sent a search party by steam boat eventually finding the boat overturned a child saw a mass in the water when it was pulled up it was the body of the missing woman but the man is nowhere to be found. When Grace's family was notified they never heard of a Carl Graham but knew of Chester Gillette, two men saw Chester walking in the woods in a suit trying to get to Eagle Bay. Chester was found at the arrowhead hotel in Inet Ny laughing and bragging about a drowning that wasn't reported yet. The trial took place in Herkimer county Chesters uncle Noah would not pay for his lawyer so he had a public defender and said grace killed herself, Chester was convicted of premeditated murder. He was sent to the electric chair on march 30th 1908 at Auburn prison in Auburn ny. Chesters final resting place is in Soule cemetery in Sennett Ny