Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-07-20
TIE ASSASSLNS LIFE.
GuITEAU IN NATURALIZATION HE
WON HIS FIRST WIFE.

= THE ASSASSLN'lS LIFE.
!. 0uITEAU IN PHILADELPHIA-How III
WON HIS FIRST WIFE,
Miss Lydia A. Needles, of this city
a who is spending the Summer at As
bury Park, New Jersey, is the lady
i who brought up Annie Rnnn, the first
wife OF Charles j. Guiteau. The Nee
dies, well-known Philadelphia fami.
! ly, took Miss Bum to raise when she
was eleven years old and retained her
until she attained her eighteenth year
when she went to Chicago, where she
met and subsequently married Guiteau.
In conversation with Times reporter
recently Miss Needles gave q history
of the martial life of the couple and
the causes which led to their divorce.
Annie was the eldest of two daughters,
the mother of whom was left widow
when the children were young. They
were English people and the children
were both very bright. annie" said
Miss Needles, "was taken by my father
and sent TO school. She was an amia-
BILE child and early became q member
Of Nazareth Methodist Church, on
Thirteenth street, above Vine. After
a while she began to study telegraphy
and became proficient operator.
When she was about eighteen she
went to Chicago and obtained situa.
ton short distance out of the city.
Some time later, in the year 1867, she
procured the place of librarian in the
Woman's Christian Association rooms
in Chicago, and while in the place she
formed the acquaintance of Guiteau,
whom she wrote TO me was lawyer
and Christian and one not given to
small vices. From all her accounts
we got an idea that he was a model
man and just the kind that suited her
She used TO tell US about his regularity
in attending church. | think they
were married in 1868. At this time
Guiteau was in tho law office of his
brother-in.law, Mr.. Scovell, who with
his wife favored the match and treated
Annie very kindly after her marriage.
Mr. Scovell advised Guiteau to take a
little cottage and go to housekeeping,
promising TO buy cottage for them
and furnish il at his own expense.
This offer Guiteau rejected, intimating
to Mr. Scovell that no was able TO pay
his own way and went to boarding at |
an expensive hotel.
"Before they had been married
year, continued the speaker: '1 found |
from her letters that they changed |
boarding place pretty often and after.
wards found it was because Guiteau
would not pay his bills About year
before the Chicago fire Guteau came
to Philadelphia on business and, at his
wiie's suggestion, called to see me.
My opinion of him was not favorable.
The first thing | said after seeing him
was: You're nothing but big lump
Of pomposity.' | felt all the time like
saying to him: 'Oh sit down and be.
have YOURSELF J did not sec anything
brilliant or smart about him. | dis.
covered that Annie was living unhap.
PLY with him. They came East with
little money, he leaving Annie at my
house while he went to New York to
open an office. He was man of bru-
tai passion and treated his wife badly.
On one occasion he pushed her into
closet and shut the door, keeping her
there until she was nearly smothercd.
After residing in New York a short
time he sent her on to Philadelphia to
find situation, if possible, and make
her own living. Afterwards we found
out that as soon as he had got rid of
her he went to boarding in the most
fashionable hotel, expending on him
self what would have kept them both.
His wife being unable to get situa.
ton in this city, eventually was taken
back by him, but it was not for long.
He got rid of her again by sending her
off to Saratoga with family with
whom she was acquainted, and where
she supported herself by doing house
work. His treatment of her became
so bad finally that her friends persuad.
ed her to sue for divorce, which she
did and procured it without trouble
Over the moral or immoral side OF
Guiteau's conduct while in New York
Miss Needles draws n veil. 1t is sufii.
cient to state that his wife at length
became convinced of his faithlossness,
which reached its worst stage at the
time when he began to send her away
to make her own living. Mrs. Guiteau
is now happily remarked and living
in Colorado. Perhaps tho description
of Guiteau's character in one sense is
given in an incident related by Miss
Needles, which occurred o year or so
after marriage. lie took notion to
go to California, but had not enough
money. Miss Needles was at that
time employed in the ofico of George
". Childs, and Guiteau, knowing Mr.
Childs' reputation for lberality, wrote
TO Miss Needles, through his wife, ask.
ing her to borrow a considerable sum
Of money from Mr.. Childs, for which
he promised to give his note. She
says she always thought Guiteau
man of rather unbalanced mind, though ,
she never considered him insane
Not long after the marriage Of Miss
Bum to Guiteau in Chicago she came ,
10 this city, and among the persons /
whom she visited here was a lady who /
resided on Summer street. When she
was leaving this friend she remarked
fyou ever have any business to be
lone for you in New York you might
,ntrust IT to my husband will give !
you his address"
SO saying Mrs. Guiteau handed to ,
he lady a business card of ordinary
'izc, which was procured by Times 8
'eporter 1t bears upon its face the
ollowing II
'''''' '''''''
cHARLEs J. GuTEAu,
(Lato Of chicago)