Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-19
GUITEAUS LIFE IN JAIL
HIS RECENT ATTACK ON THE
GUARD.
HIS knife and How He Got It-He
Thinks the President Dead-The
Last Chapter In HIS AuIObIO-
graphy-NO Slack In His Mail
What an Ohio Man Offers HIm-A
Postal from His Sister,

WASHINGTON, August Is. - Warden
Crocker, of the jail, now admits that Gut
teau did have a knife and used 1t In his
assault upon guard McGill yesterday.
Crocker says he had not thoroughly investi-
gated the affair when he deHied it, but 1t is
believed that the denial was intended to
suppress the truth, because it was a reiec-
tion upon the manner in which Guiteau is
guarded to let him get a knife.
The implement used by Guiteau turns
out, as has been stated, to be a "cheezer,"
but instead of having been made from a
shoe shank was merely Of piece Of corset
steel about four inches long and three
fourths of an inch wide, with a handle
made of paper wrapped with q common
string. 1t has one:edge quite.sharp; 10 fact,
it was, says McGill, as sharp as a razor, as
it cut entirely through his coat and vest and
partly reached his skin.
The warden thinks that the weapon got
into Guiteau's cell from another cell. About
the first of each month the prison beds are
taken out and steamed. Crocker thinks
that in returning them the cot from some
other cell in which the knife was concealed
was put into Guiteau's cell instead of the
cot he formerly had. But this looks hardly
plausible, as In washing and steaming the
cots it would appear that anything con-
cealed in them must have been discovered
The accepted theory is that Bedford, the
cOlored man, who was hung for the murder
of Hirth, left the knife in the cell, and Gut
teau found 1t.
General Crocker is of the opinion that
Guiteau's restlessness the night before the
attack was occasioned by the conviction
that the President was dead. Even before
the appearance Of the additional soldiers at
the jail Guiteau manifested the most in
tense uneasiness, and when the soldieIs
arrived he would go every five or ten min
utes to his window and look out at their
movements.
McGill. who has been seen but little by
Guiteau, In making his rounds, startled the
wretch, and he, thinking an attack was to
be made upon him, resolved to fight. 1t Is
McGill's custom at night to go through all
the corridors of the jail, and see that the
prisoners are not engaged IN mischief. This
he did early yesterday morning, and finding
Guiteau sitting on the side of his bed, and
thinking there was something wrong in bis
movements, spoke sharply to him, and
asked him what he was doing. This aroused
the prisoner, and, jumping to his feet, he
rushed spasmodically at the guard. When
| questioned as to why he attacked the guard,
Guiteau said he had no business in his cell
at that hour of the morning, and he only
| intended to put him out.
Guiteau is even more foEd of writing now
| than he was when first put in jail. He fire.
quently asks the warden for pens and paper,
and whiles away the time writing letters.
These letters are all taken in charge by the
warden, and are for the most part in refer
ence to the assassination. In nearly every
one of them he says he believed when he
shot the President he was simply carrying
out Gods will. The tone of some of the
letters would indicate that he thought the
President was dead.
Guiteau is still engaged in writing up his
life, wwAiShu. says, will make a book of
about five hundred pages, and the episode
of yesterday morning seems not to have
interfered greatly with his work. In the
pages he wrote yesterday, and which were
handed to the officers, he speaks of the "1ate
President Garfield" and writes of Mr..
Arthur as President of the United States
This impression he has, doubtless, got from
the guards having been doubled and the
general aspect of affairs about the JAIL
Numerous letters and postal cards con-
tinue to come to Guiteau, most of them
abusing him and predicting that he will be
hung. One postal card, post-marAed
Springfield. Ohio, reads as follows:
"C1Gs. @. GtsiteGu: VIII give you $500
per night to lecture after you have served
eight years on the Dry Tortugas. Will ad-
vertise you as the Great Unhung, but will
not be responsible for the caprices Of Judge
Lynch"
postal card from Guiteau's sister, Mrs.
F. NJ. Scovill, in Chicago, was received yes
terday by Warden Crocker. She wrote to
inquire about him, saying the papers
had ceased to speak of him. This
postal card was shown to Guiteau
last evening by Gen. Crocker. Guiteau
said 1t was genuine, and added: "Inform
my sister that am well, and am praying daily
for the recovery of the President, and that
regret my deed. Don't let her know of
the occurrence Of this morning, as that is
passed and is of no consequence"
Guiteau is securely guarded AID closely
watched now. His attack npon the guard
is regarded as indicating desperation on
his part that might do mischief If he got a
chance