Morris tribune., 1881-07-07
He PrOclaims Himself StalWart and
Boasts Of Having Made Arthur
President.
Speedy Arrest and Incarceration Of
the Wretch---His Career in the
Northwest and Elsewhere.
SHOT THE PREs1DENr.
A SAD TRAGEDY IN WASHINGTON

SAD TRAGEDY IN WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON, July 2.-The president has
been assassinated He is now lying at the
point of death in the White House, and his
physicians say he cannot recover. That the
deed was well planned and long premeditated
there can be no doubt. Some persons 60 so
far as to assert that it was the result of con-
spiracy, but there appears to be no evidence
to sustain such belief The assassin, Charles
Gltteau of Chicago, was arrested, and is safely
lodged in Jail 1t has been we'll known
for several days past that the president, ac-
companied by several members of his cabinet,
and their ladies, would leave Washington this
morning for two weeks trip in New England
Gen. Garfield had been looking forward to the
trip with great pleasure He had mapped out
himself the route the party was to take, and
the details Of ths trip were entrusted to Mr..
Jamson, assistant superintendent of the rail-
way mail service, Mrs. Garfield was to be one
of the party. Her sojourn at Long Branch had
completely restored her to health, and Gen
Swain had been sent to the Elberon to escort
her to New York, where she
this afternoon. Two sons and daughter Of
Gen, Garfield we're with their mother. The
two elder boys James and Henry, were to have
accompanied their father. To- day was a mag
nifcent one for travelling The president arose
OF an early hour, attended to considerable ex-
ecutive business, left his instructions with
Private Secretary Brown, and was preparing to
start when Secretary Blaine came to the White
House. The other members of the party, it
appears, had gone to the depot some minutes
before the time for the train to start $50
a. m Secretaries Window, Hunt, Lincoln and
Postmaster General James, accompanied by
Mrs. Window, Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. James, had
taken seats in the special car attached to the
train 1t was within five min
utes of the time of starting
B street entrance to the depot. Mr.. Blaine ac-
companied Gen. Garfield to the train and
both gentlemen slowly alighted from the car
riage.
THE SCENE OF THE ASSASSINATION
of President Garfield was in the ladies' recep-
ton room. This room is situated on the north
side of the building and has one main entrance
in the center of the street front, and two
doors on the opposite side that connect with
the general reception room. The ladies' room
is provided with wooden seats arranged 80
as to be perpendicular to the B
street front and leave an aisle from
the street entrance and pas
sage way by the end of the
seats, through either the right or left door,
which are about fifteen feet apart The presi-
dent and Secretary Blaine, arm-in-arm, and
walking slowly, had taken but two or three
steps in this aisle near the B street door, when
Gitteau entered by the left door from the gen.
eral reception room, and passing quickly
around the back Of the benches, came behind
the president and fred the shot that struck his
arm. The president walked about ten feet to
the other end of the aisle and was in the act Of
turning to face his assailant, when the second
shot struck him in the small of the back,
and he
FELL DIAGoNALLY ACROSS THE AISLE
A scene of the most intense excitement fol-
lowed. There was larger crowd present at
the depot than usual, many persons having
been attracted there to see the president and
members Of the cabinet As soon as the re-
ports of the pistol we're heard rush was made
for the ladies' waiting room. Somebody
shouted "Blaine is murdered" }" but the secre-
tary Of state rushed frantcally into the main
room shouting for Col. Rockwell Mrs. White,
the woman in charge Of the waiting room, was
the first to reach the president The crowd