Posted here (PDF document and Word document transcription, above) is the following article:
“More Light on Dreiser’s Chester Gillette/Clyde Griffiths Family”
by James E. Barcus
English Language Notes, 38:1 (2000): 68-73
Chester Gillette was the prototype of Clyde Griffiths, the main character in Theodore Dreiser’s novel An American Tragedy.
— posted by Roger W. Smith
June 2020
‘Gillette Says the Boat Upset’ – Syrcause Herald 7-14-1906
‘Mystery in Girl’s Death’ – NY Times 7-14-1906
‘Girl Murder Victim’ – Washington Post 7-14-1906
‘Gillette Accused of Miss Brown’s Murder’ – NY Times 7-15-1906
‘Lake Murder Arrest’ – NY Tribune 7-15-1906
‘Gillette a Prisoner’ – Washington Post 7-15-1906
‘Accused of Killing Girl’ – Chicago Tribune 7-15-1906
‘Flaws in Gillette’s Story’ – NY Times 7-16-1906
‘Lured to Her Death’ – Washington Post 7-16-1906
‘Accused of Murder of Grace Brown’ – Hartford Courant 7-16-1906
‘Is It a Murder’ (Gillete’s arrest) – Malone (NY) Farmer – 7-18-1906
Grace Brown murdered (gives DOB) – (Lowville) Journal & Republican 7-19-1906
‘Sister Sobs with Gillette’ – Washington Post 7-27-1906
Followers of this site may be interested in reading some of the earliest accounts of the Gillette murder case that were published in newspapers in July 1906. The case provided the factual underpinning for Theodore Dreiser’s novel An American Tragedy.
The newspaper accounts — posted here (above) as downloadable PDF files — are as follows:
GILLETTE SAYS THE BOAT UPSET
Syracuse Herald
July 14, 1906
MYSTERY IN GIRL’S DEATH.
New York Times
July 14, 1906
GIRL MURDER VICTIM
Washington Post.
July 14, 1906
GILLETTE ACCUSED OF MISS BROWN’S MURDER
New York Times
July 15, 1906
LAKE MURDER ARREST
New York Tribune
July 15, 1906
GILLETTE A PRISONER
Washington Post.
July 15, 1906
ACCUSED OF KILLING GIRL
Chicago Tribune
July 15, 1906
FLAWS IN GILLETTE’S STORY.
New York Times.
July 16, 1906
LURED TO HER DEATH
Washington Post
July 16, 1906
ACCUSED OF THE MURDER OF GRACE BROWN
Hartford Courant
July 16, 1906
IS IT A MURDER?
Malone (NY) Farmer
July 18, 1906
TRAGEDY AT BIG MOOSE
Journal and Republican (Lowville, NY)
July 19, 1906
SISTER SOBS WITH GILLETTE
Washington Post.
July 27, 1906
— posted by Roger W. Smith
June 2020
Roger W. Smith's Theodore Dreiser site 