The weekly miner., 1881-07-26
The Assassin.

AAS 'o'o"iuE uCIdllcu dCCOuuU OI ZULU
teau's attempt to murder the President is
furnished by District Attorney Corkrill, Of
Washington, under date of the 14th inst:
"The interest felt by the public in the de.
tails of the assassination and the many sto-
ries published justify me in stating that the
following is correct and accurate statement
concerning the points to which reference is
made: The assassin, Charles j. Guitteau.
came to Washington Sunday evening, March
u, 1851, and stopped at the Ebbitt House, re,
naming only one day He then securedHa
room in another part of the city, and has
boarded and rOomed at various places, full
details of which | have. Wednesday, Nav
1s, 1881, the assassin determined to murder
the President. He had neither money nor pis-
tol then. About the last of May he went i'll
TO O'Mear's store, corner of Fifteenth and f
streets, in this city, and examined some ps
tols, asking for large calibre. He was shown
two similar in calibre, and only different in
price. Wednesday, June s, he purchased the
pistol which he used, for which he paid So
he having in the meantime borrowed $15 of
gentleman in this city on the plea that he
wanted to pay his board bill. On the same
evening, about O'Clock, he took the pis,o
and went 10 the foot of Seventeenth street,
and practiced firing al board, firing ten
shots. He then returned to his boarding
house, wiped the pistol dry, and wrapped it
in his coat, and waited his opportunity Suil-
day morning, June II, he was sitting in La
fayette Park, ant saw the President leave for
the Christian church, on Vermont avenue,
and he a. once returned to his room, obtained
his pistol, put it in his hip pocket, and fol-
lowed the President to church. lie entered
the church, but found he could not kill HIM
there without danger of killing some one
else. After church he made an examination
of the window and found he could reach it
without any trouble, and that from this point
he could shoot the President through the
head without killing anyone else The
following Wednesday he went to church,
| regained the location of the window, and
became satisfied he could accomplish his pur
pose, and determined therefore to make the
attempt at church the following Sunday. lie
! learned from the papers that the President
would leave the city Saturday, the 18th of
June, with Mrs. Garfield, for Long Branch,
therefore determined to meet them at the de-
pot. He left his boarding place about 8
O'Clock Saturday morning, June 18th, and
went to the river at the foot Of Seventeenth
street, and fired five shots for practicing his
arm, and TO be certain his pistol was in good
order. He then went to the depot and was
in the ladies' waiting room of the depot with
his pistol ready when the President and party
entered. He saw Mrs. Garfield looked SC
weak and fral he had not the heart to shoot
the President in her presence, and as he knew
he would have another opportunity he lef
the depot. He had previously engaged ca''
riage to take him to Jail. On Wednesday
evenin. the President and his son. and
think United States Marshal Henry, went on
for ride The assassin took his pistol ant
followed them. He watched for some time
in hopes the carriage would stop, but no
po1tunity was given. Friday evening, Jul!
lst, he was sitting on a seat in the Park op
posite the White House, when he Saw th'
President come out alone. He followed hin
down the avenue to Fifteenth street, ant
then kept the opposite side of the street N
Fifteenth until the President entered the res
idence of Secretary Blaine. He waited at tn
, corner of Morton's late residence, corner q
!, Fifteenth and u streets, for some time, an
then as he was afraid he would attract atten
| finn H. went into All aley in the rear OF MOI
! toms residence, examined his pistol All
) waited. The President and Secretary blalh
came out together, and he followed thel
over to the gate of the White House, bu
I could get no opportunity to use his weapon
On the morning Of Saturday, July ID, h
breakfasted at the Riggs House at O'CLOCK
, He then walked up to the Park and sat ther
until he started for the depot.