Charles Edward Bassett descends from #14B Jean Besset as follows:
Jean Besset (b.1642) and wife Anne Seigneur
Francois Besset (b. 1685) and wife Marie Claude Dubois
Clement Claud Besset (b. 1728) and wife Marie Charlotte Lamoureux
Jean Francois Besset (b. 1755) and wife Marie Charlotte Desroches
Augustin Besset (b. 1792) and wife Marie Poitevin
Augustin Bessette and wife Angelique Charbonneau
Joseph Augustin Bessette (b. 1845) and wife Louise Dubeau
Charles Edward Bassett (b. 1886)
Springfield Republican, Thursday, December 21, 1905
Bassett Guilty of Murder
Caused the Death of an Aged Waterbury Recluse Whom He Robbed
Charles Edward Bassett at Waterbury, Ct., last night was convicted of murdering Thomas Lockwood, the aged Waterbury recluse, as the result of an assault committed February 22 last. A stay of sentence was granted until Friday morning. Bassett is one of three me charged with the crime, the others being Edward Leonard and Joseph Cenesky, whose evidence for the state went far toward convicting Bassett. The jury in the case was out five hours and 20 minutes. Bassett, who is but 19 years old, with Leonard and Cenesky, first plotted to rob Lockwood in a dive in Brooklyn, N.Y., the scheme being hatched over a year ago. The three men went to Lockwood, who was supposed to have had a large sum of money in a trunk in his house in the outskirts of the city, and engaged his attention in exploiting a trolly road, claiming that they were securing signatures for a petition for the line. Lockwood became enthusiastic over the plans of the supposed trolly representatives, and as he was signing the petition Bassett knocked him nearly unconscious with a blow on the head with his revolver. Lockwood fought, but was soon overpowered and left unconscious on the floor of his kitchen. The men then robbed the house, but found nothing but a cheap watch.
Lockwood died April 11, and the three men were arrested at different times some months later. Bassett was serving a term in the Auburn (N.Y.) prison for robbery, when he was charged with being one of the murderers of Lockwood, and was extradited to face the charge of murder in the first degree in Connecticut. What disposition will be made in the cases of Leonard and Cenesky is not known. Bassett said after the verdict was announced that he “Would rather be hung than get a life sentence.” which is the penalty for murder in the second degree in Connecticut. Bassett was born in Bedford, Dan., in 1886, and his father, mother and sisters, live at 698 Sackett street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Milwaukee Journal, Wisconsin, Sunday, December 23, 1923
Ignorant Youth Is Genius After 18 Years in Prison
Hartford, Conn. – Charles Bassett, an East side youth entirely lacking in education, entered the Connecticut state prison at Wethersfield 18 years ago to begin serving a life term for murder.
Now, although still a prisoner, Bassett is a competent civil engineer, knows law, writes fluently and well, is a skilled architectural draftsman and a mathematical genius. Relatives in New York keep him supplied with books and a job awaits him with a large engineering firm.
The state prison board has just rejected Bassett’s application for a pardon for the sixth time, but the prisoner is still hopeful, however, that within a few years he will liberated.
Bassett’s most remarkable feat within the stone walls was the discovery of a slight error in calculus in a technical book on engineering written by Prof. Babbitt of the University of Pennsylvania. More than 20,000 of these books had been distributed before Bassett discovered and reported to the author this error. Prof. Babbitt, in a letter of acknowledgement, said he had corrected the mistake in the next edition.
Bassett is employed in drawing plans for construction work about the prison and prison grounds. The warden said the prisoner can work out amazingly intricate problems in mathematics in his head without resort to paper. He also studied law for several years, but did not begin to hit his stride until he took up engineering the warden said.
Bassett entered prison Dec. 22, 1905, when he was 18. He and two companions had held up a man in Waterbury. Bassett hit the victim over the head with a revolver and he died to weeks later. The three bandits were arrested and convicted. One of them died in prison and the second was pardoned a few years ago.