The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-07-07
Charles julius Gitteau, a Whilom
Lawyer Of Chicago, the Would
be Assassin.
He Pr0claims Himself a StalWart and
Boasts Of Having Made Arthur
President.
Speedy Arrest and Incarceration of
the Wretch---His Career in the
Northwest and Elsewhere.
The President Still Lingering in Life
With Faint Hopes Of Recovery.

1uc lltolucuU DULL 1luStlluS Ill IliC
With Faint Hopes Of Recovery.
SHOT THEnPRESIDENT!
On Friday morning I'd inst the president, &C.
companied. by several members OF his cabinet,
and their ladies intended to leave Washington
for two weeks trip in New England Mrs. Gar
field, who was at Long Branch was to have Joined
at an early hour, attended to considerable ex-
ecutive business, loft his instructions with
Private Secretary Brown, and was preparing to
start when Secretary Blaine came to the White
House. The other members of the party, it
appears, had gone to the depot some minutes
before the time for the train to start, $50
a. m. Secretaries Window, Hunt, Lincoln and
Postmaster General James, accompanied by
Mrs. Window, Mrs Hunt and MIS-. James, had
taken seats in the special car attached to the
" trs' d t Ss' tine Of five .,a mn
when the presidents carriage drove up to the
B street entrance to the depot Mr. Blaine &C
companied Gen. Garfield to the train and
both gentlemen slowly alighted from the car
riage.
The president and Blaine, arm-in-arm, and
walking slowly, had taken but two or three
steps in this aisle near the Is street door, when
! Gitteau entered by the left door from the gen
oral reception room, and passing quickly
around the back of the benches, came behind
the president and fired the shot that struck his
| arm. The president walked about ten feet to
the other end of the aisle and was in the act=of
turning to face his assailant, when the second
shot struck him in the small of the back,
and he
FELL DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE AISLE
A scene of the most intense excitement fol-
| lowed. There was larger crowd present at
the depot than usual, many persons having
been attracted there to see the president and
| members Of the cabinet As soon as the re-
ports of the pistol we're heard rush was made
for the ladies' waiting room. Somebody
shouted ''Blaine is:murdered," but the secre-
| room shouting for COL Rockwell Mrs White,
the woman in charge of the waiting room, was
| the first to reach the president The crowd
stood ashast with horror. She lifted up his head.
He was deathly pale, but retained conscious
| ness His son bent over his father and sobbed
fran,ically The secretary Of state could
hardly repress his emotion. Mr.. Jameson and
others called upon the police to dispense the
| crowd, that the paesldent might have air. A
small space was made, but the policemen were
absolutely powerless to preserve order. The
| news of the assassination few along the street
LIKE WILD FIRE,
| and within ten minutes there were over 900
people at the stati on The members of the
| cabinet and their wives wero notified of the
| event A man burst into the car exclaiming
''The president has been murdered!" The
| gentlemen rushed from the car into the
station, while the ladies were left in
state Of speechless surprise As soon as
those who surrounded the president recovered
their almost paralyzed senses mattress was
brought down from the Pullman Office and the
| president was laid upon it Blood was oozing
from his wounds and soaking through his
clothes upon the floor. BE was tenderly carried
upon the mattress through the large waiting
room and up stairs into one Of the private
keeping the crowd back, and the doors of the
depot were closed ana fastened against the
people. Physicians were Immediately
summoned. Those called were Dr..
A. N. Bliss, who was placed in
ingden, U: s. A., Dr. J. s. woodward, y: 5. A,
DR.. Townslend, N. 4. Lincoln, Robt. Reibum,
Surgeon General Barnes, Surgeon Basil Nor:
ris, Surgeon General Wales of the navy, and
DR.. Patterson. preliminary examination of
the wounds was made at the depot
The physicians made an unavailing effort to
discover.the ball, at the depot 1t was evident
that nothing could be done in the presence of
such q crowd, and that the slim chance for
saving the presidents life depended upon plac-
ing him where he could have absolute quiet.
A. police ,o. ambulance was sent for and ID
u spRe Fss'0e to the %,' whi Ss1''sG House.
arriving at the stairway, directly back Of the
blue room, the ambulance was brought to a
stop. he president carefully removed and
| placed upon stretcher, and brought up the
his private apartments on the second floor, and
! on the south side Of the mansion While be-
ing carried through the blue room, the presi-
dent made an effort with his left hand to salute
those who stood about the room, and whom he
apparently recognized Upon examinad N it
! arm OF the president, and the other the liver:
| At first it was supposed that one of them had
gene through the Kidney, aud strong hopes
we're entertained of his recovery.
CAPTURE OF THE ASSASSIN.
Meantime the assassin had not been allowed
to escape. After firing the fatal shot he start
| cd at rapid pace through the main waiting
room, apparently intending to escape by til,
entrance on Sixth street He held the smoking
revolver in his hand, but was prevented from
| spot where the president was lying. He turned
sharp about passed within ten feet of his VIC
tim, and attempted to pass ont at the B street
trance, through which the president had
just passed A policeman named Kearney
was standing on the corner Of sixth and B
streets when the shots were fred, and he ran
| through the entrance on the last named street
| just in time to meet Gitteau as he was coming
out Of the door. Without knowing that he was
the assassin, but attracted by the mans desire
| him as in . wise. Gitteau struggled little
to get away, his shirt being torn in
the encounter, but Special Officer Scott came to
KearDey's assistance, and the murderer submit
ted quietly. Eyes. said the assassin. II have
killed Garfield. Arthur is president of the
United States. am a stalwart / have let
ter that will tell you Ill about it want YOU
to take it up to Gen. Sherman" His pistol was
taken from him and he was removed without
delay to tho police headquarters, corner of
Pennsylvania avenue and Four and halt
street. Quite crowd followed the officer and
the pris oner to headquarters, but no violence
towards him was attempted. In fact, but few
of the people who saw him rushing through
the streets were aware Of tho gravity Of bis
offense. He was entered on tho police books
as follows:
1851, for shooting President Gardeld: age 80,
white, born in the United States and lawyer by
profession. Weight 100 pounds. Has dark
dressed In dark suit. with black SLOUGH hat"
SEARCHING THE PRISONER.
After answering the questions which led to
the entry above quoted, iGltteau WAS searched
A.number Of papers were found upon tie as
sassin, all but one Of which the authorities re-
fuse to make public. This one is as follows
It shows clearly that tho murder was premedi-
tated: f-..,r,,-rI ,.,lt a..
u: JULY al: 2: 1881, TT WHITE Hoyszs-rh. prs.i:
put .sd ..4s tn. f fspaso Fl En-. Is S:S
dream, and it matters little when one goes. 4
til. s '%; ;s ss
cS!s.n that 10 s. Ssppef IL p.t nds
sas a;'s a..1 S g Viz SS''s &, sub NJ,
! any e4a anyway Aeveao M'vM tevase III