Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-10-19
HvIyEAI'S GREAT crime,
IHEASSASSIN'S s AUTOBTOG.
RAPHY AS WRITTEN
IN HIS CELL.

HIS clRCUMsTANTIAL STORY OF THE ter
BIBLE TRAGEDY-HowT THE MIsoRE
ANT DoGGED TUE FOOTSTEPS OF
THEPREslDENT-HIss STATE.
MENT OF THE SHOOTING
AT THE RAILWAY
DEPOT.
The autobiography of the ASSASSIN
Guiteau, which he has spent the great
or part of the time since his incarcera
ton preparing, gives a detailed sketch
of his lie, and relates in the most cir
cumstantial manner the particulars O
the plot to assassinate the President
The public is already familiar with
the personal history of the murderer
/ and with his aimless, vagabond life ur
to the time he conceived tho idea o.
numbering President Garfield. The
history of the crime is, of course
equally well known, but coming, as
the terrible tragedy does, fresh from
the lips of the criminal, it is invested
with fresh interest. After explaining
his wanderings from place to place
and his efforts to obtain the recogni.
tion Of prominent politicians in the
hope Of securing an office, Guteau
tells his story as follows:
81 conceived the idea of removing
the President" Guiteau declares, "and
as far as the Paris Consuship had any
influence on my mind at all it would
rot have deferred me from the act,
because | expected as a matter of fact
that | would get the Paris Consulship.
After conceived the idea of removing
the President | did not 20 near Mr..
Blaine or near the President to press
my application. About two or three
weeks intervened from the time that |
called at the Presidents when the
doorkeoper said, Mr.. Guiteau, the
President says it will be impossible for
him TO see you to-day to the time
that ! conceived the idea of removing
him, during which time | was waiting
patiently for my answer, which, as u
matter Of fact, have never yet re.
ceiyed, ] had been pressing the Pres.
idcnt and Mr.. Blaine for an answer
and thought that it would be better
for me to keep away from them. They
bad my address and | thought If they
concluded TO give me tho Paris Con.
sulship they would notify me or should
see nannouncementoitheappointment
in the paper and, as have stated, after
| conceived the idea OF removing the
President / did not 90 near the Presi.
dent or Mr.. Blaine. Ny conception
Of the idea of removing the President
was this; Mr. Conkling resigned on
Monday, May 16, 1881. On the fol.
lowing Wednesday | was in bed.
think | retired about 8 o'clock. felt
depressed and perplexed on account of
the political situation, and | retired
much earlier than usual. ! felt wea-
ried in mind and body, and | was in
my bed about s o'clock and / was
thinking over the political situation,
and the idea flashed through my brain
that if the President was out of the
way everything would go better. At
first this was mere impression. 1t
startled me, but the next morning IL
came to me with renewed force, and |
began to read the papers with my eye
on the possibility that the President
would have to 60, and the more | read
the more | saw the complication
Of public affairs, and the more was |
impressed with the necessity of remov-
ing him. This thing continued Tor
about two weeks. | kept reading the
papers and kept being impressed, and
the idea kept bearing and bearing
down upon me that the only way TO
unite the two factions of the Republ-
can party and save the Republic from
: going into the hands Of the rebels and
Democrats was to quietly remove the
President.
PREPARING FOR THE CRIME.
1.-TWO weeks alter | conceived the
idea my mind was thoroughly settled
on the intention to remove the Pres.
dent. | then prepared myself. ] sent
to Boston for a copy of my book, The
Truth, and / spent week in prepar.
ing that. | cut out paragraph and
q line and q word here and there and
added one or two new chapters, put
some new ideas in it and / greatly
improved it, ! knew that it would
probably have large sale on account
Of the notoriety that the act Of remov-
ing the Prosidentiwould give me, and
| wished the book to 90 out to the
public in proper shape. That was one
preparation for it. Another prepara.
tion was TO think the matter all out in
detail and to buy revolver and to
prepare myself for executing tho idea.
This required some two or three weeks
and gave my ontiro time and mind
in preparing myself to execute the
conception of removing the President.
| never mentioned the conception TO q
living soul. did most OF my think
ing in the Park and on the street, and
| used to 60 to the Arlington and the
Riggs House daily to read the papers.
WATCHING AN OPPORTUNITY.
"Alter ! had made up my mind TO
remove him the idea when ! should
remove him pressed me, and ! was
somewhat confused on that. | knew
that it would not do to go to the White
House and attempt it, because there
were too many of his employees about
and looked around ior several days
to try and got a good chance at him,
and one Sunday (tho Sunday before
he went to Long Branch) ! went to
his church in the morning. II is q
small frame building and | stood there
at the door a moment. was little
late the services had progressed about
ono.third. noticed the President
sitting near an open window about
three feet from the ground, and |
thought to myself, That would bc Il
good chance to get him intended
TO shoot him through the back of the
head and lot the ball pass through the
ceiling, in order that no ono else should
bo injured. And there could not pos
sibly be a better place TO remove a
man than at bis devotions. | had my
revolver in my possession when ! first
went TO the church, having purchased
il about ten days before the Presidents
going to Long Branch. This was the
Sunday prior to bis leaving for Long
Branch on Saturday. During that
whole week read the papers careful.
Ily. thought il all over in detail |