Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-07-09
4 NATIONS GRIEF.
Attempted Assassination
President Garfield.
.,.,.o,o, Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-

lIries and intrigues oil polltical lue aI
va nations capital to the sharp, clear-
III, nrcasion when Il pistol-shot echoes
rH Gu. the world and brings all sudden
~ Into ~ ! reality that all men can appreciate,
~ life and death, is change not often
p,dn here. These few occasions are the
, ncrv canoes of history, cut and set into
,hn solid stone that makes imperisha6le
history. The mad attempt upon the lie
- lanes A. Garfield, President of the
I.ritrd states, by Charles Guiteau, at the
Ienot of the Baltimore and Potomac Rall-
road Yesterday, was such an occasion.
THE TRAGIC NARRATIVE.
The story of the shooting, though ora
matte enough in some of its details, can nc
,old in a few words: 1t was ahhouhVTu
ssyeral DAYS since that the President "ouIu
start this morning on an Eastern to"t, ~
assist in several college comihehce"'ch.e'
He arrived ut the B-street entrance oi lav
Baltimore and Potomac ROau ABOUT ''oo
I,'inrt the others of his party having ar
rived shortly before him. Ihey consisted
af secretary and Mrs. Hunt, Secretary
Window and Mrs. Window, Postmaster
General James and others, all of whom
lend taken seats in the cars. The PreSl-
don't was accompanied by Secretary Blaine.
'rbev came in the same carriage, the Pres
dent entering the depot in the lead. AS
Lr stepped out of his carriage he asked
nolice officer kearney, the depot officer,
ifhe had any time TO spare. Mr.. Near.
uey answered, eyes, a few minutes"
The officer then turned his back, and IN
an instant the reports of two piStol-shots,
the one following close upon the other,
,,cre heard. Chas. Guiteau, the assassin,
had been seen to enter the depot few
minutes before the President arrived,
though his actions were not of charaC-
fer 10 attract the attention of those VINO
were in the depot. He stood i'll about the
centre of the hall leading from the b.
street entrance or ladies' room, and adj
yanced towards the President as lie enter
cd. Without giving any notice whatever
Of his Intention to fired, the ball from the
first shot entering the right sleeve OF the
Presidents coat, passing up the same and
ont at the shoulder. This ball did no III
fury except scratch the flesh of the arm,
though ii was thought at first that 1t had
entered the shoulder. The President at
this iuncture turned, when Guitcau fred
the second time, the ball entering the
back, lodging i'll the kidneys. This stag
rcrcd the President and he fell to the floor.
Mrs. White, the jantreSS OF the ladies'
room of the depot, first ran TO the Presi-
dent Secretary Blaine was 50 shocked by
the occurrence that he first ran after the
assassin, and finding that he was in the
custody of officer kearney, returned 10
the side OF the President, who was taken
up stairs 10 the superintendent room,
where in few moments several surgeons
were i'm attendance upon him. They cX-
pressed the gravcSt doubts the moment
Ihev saw what direction the bah had TAX
10 nj thnnnh
hemorrhage was ut no time very profuSc.
The President vomtcd slightly and faint
cd,but in short time recovered conscious
ness and talked freely 10 those around
him. I'm an hour it was thought better to
remove him 70 the White House, which
was done by means of the police ambu-
lance, Drs. Bliss, Wales and SurgeOn-Gen-
cral Barnes riding with him, Col. COrbln
sitting with the driver, and Col. Rock
well, the superintendent of public build
ings and grounds standing on the rear
step. Or. Lincoln and q couple OF the
other physicians followed in the wagon
of the chief of the fire department, which
happened to be near the depot at the time.
y gentleman who was present immc-
datclv after the President was shot says
that PoStmaster-Gc James held him
up and embossed his clothing so that he
could breathe easier. The President who
had just partakcn of a hearty breakfast,
vomited freely from nausea, hut there
was no blood. Secretary Window looked
nj him, the tears courSing down his cheek.
The Presidents SoE James. 4 manly-look-
ing lad, stood by crying softly, and utter
ing between his Subducd means, "Oh, my
dear father. Oh, my dear father"
Mrs. Grant, the lady with whom Gui-
teau boarded, took one of the newspaper
offices this morning an advertisement ell
curing for information of one Gllltcau,
who protested to be 4 friend of President
Garfield and Secretary Blaine, and had
left forgetting to pay his board. The
clerk looked at the advertisement and
said, "Why, this Is the man who has just
shot the PRESIDENT
1t ia wonderful how the news of the as
saSSination got abroad, and in Il few min
utaS after the shooting took place several
hundred had gathered about the depot.
Five minutes afterwards the number had
Vuadrupled, and by the time the ambu-
lance started to the White House several
thousand had collected about the depot.
\ platoon of mounted police kept the lar
GER part of the crowd from following, but
rs they neared the White House they
found just as many cOngregated about the
gates there. There was much excitement
in the crowd, and many threats at lynch
ing were heard, loud and violent curses
being heaped upon the act of the assassin.
Anticipating that there was II possibility
of this excitement taking shape in some
form, the chief of police ordered Guitca 10
I've taken Immediately to jail, which was
done. From the moment of his arrest he
displayed but little excitement, saying
upon his arrival ut police headquarters
that he had nothing to say In regard TO
the matter, which lie had fully explained
in 4 number Of letters which he handed to
Lieut.. Ecklofl. They were tied up iii
package, on the outside of which was Il
letter addressed TO the public, as follows:
"JULY ,, 1881.
"TO THE WHITE HOUsE.-The PreSi
dents tragic death was Il sad necessity,
hut it will unite the republican party and
save the republic. life is Il flimsy dream
and it matters little when one goes. A hui
man life is of small value. During the war
thousands of brave boys went down with
out tear. presume that the President
was Christian, and that he will be hap
pier in Paradise than here. 1t will be no
worse for Mrs. Garfield, dear soul, to part
with her husband this way than by natur-
81 death; lie is liable TO 20 at any time
anyway. l had no ill-will toward the
President
Ellis death was 4 political necessity. l
am lawyer, a theologian and politician.
| am stalwart of the stalwarts. | was
with General Grant aud the rest of our
men in New York during the canvass.
have some papers for the press, which |
shall leave with Byron Andrews and his
coiournaliStS, at 1920 New York avenue.
where all the reporters can see them. |
am going TO the Jail.
CHARLES GUITEAU."