The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-10-27
euITEAu's BIOGRAPHY.
How the Assassination Of the Presi-
dent Was Conceived and
How Executed.

The New York Herald has an autobi-
ographical sketch OF Guiteau, which
covers seven columns. In it the assas-
sin details how he WAS repulsed in his
efforts to secure foreign appointment,
and other personal incidents, and then
makes q statement Of how he conceived
the idea Of removing the president, as
followsi
"My conception OF the idea of rsmov-
ing the president was this:
"Mr. Conkling resigned on Monday,
Nav l6, 1881. On the following We'd
ncsday / was in bed. think retired
about O'Clock. felt distressed and
perplexed on account Of the political
situation, and retired much earlier than
usual. / felt wearied in mind and body
and was in my bed about 9 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 q mere impression 1t
startled me. But the next morning IL
came 70 me with renewed force, and
began TO read the papers, with my eye
on the possibility that the president
would have to go, and the moro l read,
the more saw the complication Of pub
lie affairs, the more was l impressed
with the necessity of removing him.
This thing continued for about two
weeks. l kept reading the papers and
kept being impressed, and the idea kept
bearing and bearing and bearing down
upon ne, that the only way to unite the
two factions of the republican paaty
and save the republic from going into
the hands of the rebels and democrats
was TO quietly remove the president.
1.-TWO weeks after conceived the
idea, my mind was thoroughly settled
on the intention to remove the presi-
dent. l then prepared myself. 1 sent
to Boston for copy of my book, 'The
TRUTH and l spent week in preparing
that. l cut out a paragraph, and line,
and word, here and there, and added
one or two new chapters, and put some
new ideas in it, and / greatly improved
it. knew that it would probably have
a large sale, on account OF the notoriety
that the act OF removing the preside mt
would give me, and l wished the book
to go out to the public in proper shape.
Thst was one preparation for 1t. An
other preparation was to think the mat
ter out in detail, to buy revolver, and
to prep~re myself for executing the
idea. This required some two or three
weeks, and l gave my entire time and
the conception of removing the presi-
dent. l never mentioned the cOncep-
ton to a living soul. did most of my
thinking in the park and on the street,
and used to go to the Arlington and
Riggs House daily to read the papers"
Guiteau describes the actual shooting
as follows: 81 should say he (Gartield)
was about four or five feet from the
door nearest the ticket office in the act
OF passing through the door to get
through the depot to the CATS He was
about three or four feet from the door.
| stood five or six feet behind him, right
in the middle of the room, and, as he
was in the act of walking away from
me, pulled out the revolver and fired.
He Strengthened up and threw his head
back and seemed to be erfectly bewil-
dered. He did not seem TO know. what
struck him. Hooked at him. He did not
drop ! thereupon pulled again. He
dropped his head, sssmed TO reel, and
fell over. I do not know where the
shot hit. 1 aimed at the hollow of his
back. / did not aim at any particular
place, but knew if / could get those
two bullets in his back he would GER
tainly 70. 1 was in q diagonal direc- |
ton from the president, TO the north
west, and supposed 10Th shots struck.
never had the slightest idea Of remov- |
ing Mr.. Blaine, or any member OF the
administration. My only object was to
remove Mr.. Garfield, in his official posi- |
ton as president OF the United States,
TO unite the republican party, and save
the republic from going into the control
of the rebels and democrats. This was
the sole idea that induced me to remove |
the president. appreciate all the re-
ligion, and sentiment and honor con
nected with the removal. No one can
surpass me in this. But put away all
sentiment and did my duty to God and
to the American people"