The Republican journal., 1881-07-21
THE STORY OF A CRIME.
Details of the Assassination and
Cowardice of the Assassin.
THE PRESIDENTS PROGRESS TO
WARDS RECOVERY.

Tor publication in Orderto correct certain
erroneous assertions which have been
made in relation to Guiteau:
The interest felt by the public in the
details OF the assassination and the many
stores published justify me in stating
that the following is a correct and accu-
rate statement concerning the points to
which reference is made:
The assassin, Charles Guiteau, came
to Washington city on Sunday evening,
March q, 1851, and stopped at the Eb-
bett House, remaining only one day. He
then secured room in another part of
the city and has boarded and roomed at
various places, full details of which
have. On Wednesday, May 18th, 1881,
the assassin determined to murder the
President He had neither money nor
pistol at the time. About the last OF
May he went into O'Mearas store, corner
of 18th and f streets in this city, and eN-
amined some pistols, asking for Il largest
Galore He was shown two similar in
calibre and only different in price. On
Wednesday, June Sth. he purchased the
pistol which he used, for which he paid
SO, he having in the meantime borrowed
SO OF gentleman in Washington on the
plea that he wanted to pay his board,
bill On the same evening at I O'Clock
he took the pistol and went t0 the foot of
18th street and practiced firing at a board
firing ten shots. He then returned to his
boarding place and wiped the pistol dry
and wrapped it in his coat and waited his
opportunity. On SUNDAY morning. jane
Eth. he was sitting in Lafayette Park
and saw the President leave for the
Christian church on Vermont avenue and
he at once returned to his room, obtained
his pistol, put it in his pocket and follow
ed the President to church.
He entered the church, but found he
could not kill him there without danger
of killing some one else. Henoticed that
the President sat near a window. After
church he made an examination of the
window and found he could reach it with
out any trouble and that from this point
he could shoot the President through the
head without killing any one else. The
following Wednesday he went t. the
church, examined the location and win
dow and became satisfied that he could
accomplish his purpose He determined
TO make the attempt at church the fol-
lowing Sunday.
Learning from the papers that the
President would leave the city on SatUr-
day, the 18th OF June, with Mrs. Garfield
lor Long Branch, he therefore determined
to meet him at the depot. He left his
boarding house about ) o'clock Saturday
morning and went down to the river at
the foot OF 18th street and fired five shots
to practice his aim and be certain his pis-
tol 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 Presidential party entered.
He says Mrs Garfield looked so weak and
trall that he had not the heart to shoot
the President in her presence, and as he
knew he would have another opportunity
lie left the depot. He had previously en-
gagged carriage to take him to the jaiI.
On Wednesday evening the President
and his son and, | think, United States
Marshal Henry went out for Il ride. The
assassin took his pistol and followed them
for some time in hopes that the carriage
would stop, but no opportunity was given.
On Friday evening, July LIST, he was
sitting on seat in the park, opposite the
White House, when he saw the President
come out alone. He followed him down
the avenue to 18th street, and then kept
ON the opposite side of the street. upon
10Th, until the President entered the
residence of Secretary Blaine. He wait
ed at the corner Of Mr.. Morton's late resi-
dence, corner OF 18th and II streets. for
sometime, and then as he was afraid he
would attract attention, he went into the
alley, in the rear Of Mr.. MOrton's resi-
dence. examined his pistol and waited.
he President and Secretary Blaine came
out together, and he followed over to the
gate OF the White House, but could Get
no opportunity to use his weapon. ON
the morning OF Saturday, July 2d. he
breaktasted at the Riggs House about
seven o'clock. He then walked up into
the park and sat for an hour He then
took a one horse avenue ear and rode to 9th
street. got out and went into the depot
and loitered around there: had his shoes
backed engaged hack for - to take |
HIM to the ail, went into a water closet
and took his pistol out of his hp pocket
and unWrapped the paper from around it |
which he had put there for the purpose
OF preventing perspiration from the body |
dampenlng the powder, examined his |
pistol carefully, tried the trigger, and |
then returned and took a seat in the Ia |
dies waiting room, and as soon as the |
President entered advanced behind him |
and fired two shots. These facts. think. |
can be relied upon as accurate. and | |
give them to the public to contradict GER !
tam false rumors in connection with this |
most atrocous of atrOcious crimes.
GUITEAT'S CoWARDIcE AND 1Ncovs1s- |
TENCY.
The Washington correspondent of the |
Boston journal says: The statement !
which District Attorney Corkhill has CON |
densed and given to the press from the |
confession OF Guiteau will undoubtedly do |
very much to weaken the insane theory. |
IL dlScl0Ses most careful premedita- |
ton, and it also very clearly shows the |
TACT that at different times Gutcau lost |
his courage and WAS too cOWardIv to com
NIT the deed. His argument that he |
would not shoot in the church for fear
that he might hit some other personisvery |
Inconsistent, in view OF the location which |
he finally did select for the ATTEMPT |
ed assassination. He fired in the DEPOT |
Just at the time when the principal train |
was leaving for New York, and fired in
the direction of the general waiting room. |
which was then crowded with people. |
ana scores OF persons were within imme- |
date range of the bullets, which were |
shot at the President Guiteau was more |
likely to have injured other persons in
the depot even than had he shot in |
church. But the fact that he did not
shoot the President when he followed him |
on Friday night after dark from the
White House to Mr.. Blaine's house indi-
Gates clearly that the towards courage
failed him. He says he stopped in the |
alley in the rear of the house of Levi p |
Morton, Minister to France, to examine
his pistol. The mouth of that allevwav
is but few feet south of Mr.. Blaine's |
door. Through that alley Guiteau, after
having shot III the dark, might reasonably
have hoped to escape, and as there was
no known motive to connect him with the
crime, his detection would have been