The Indianapolis leader., 1881-08-20
BY the DexterOus Use of q "CheeSer,"
or Criminals Jack Knife.
He is Seized, and During the EX-
citing Struggle the Guard 8 Re-
vOlver is Discharged.
An Interview With Warden Crocker
and Full Details of the Fight
in the Prisoners Cell.
GUITEAU.
He Attempts to Kill Guard Who Enter
His Cell i'm the District Jail.

/ He Attempts to h1l a Guard VINO Enters
His Cell in the District Jail.
| WASHINGTON Aug. l7.-This morning at 4:3O
O'Clock, while Mr.. w. C. McGill, of the guards
at the Jail, was passing through the corridor
| something in the direction of Guiteau's cell at
tracted his attention. Entering the cell he found
| the assassin in possession OF knife. How he OBJ
| tanned 1t is a mystery When he demanded the
| knife Guiteau refused to surrender it, Mr. Nc
| Gill drew his pistol, and then exciting tussle
| ensued, Guiteau making every exertion to get
the pistol from the guard. He succeeded after
exertion regained procession of it. In the scufiie
that followed the weapon was discharged. and
the report brought the other guards to the assist
ever. in cutting McGill's clothing pretty
dangerous wound. Guiteau pretended to be
crazy, and complained that his pistol had been
taken from him.. All the facts indicate that Gui-
teau was probably meditating escape and that he
had formed some desperate plan. His assump-
tion of insanity is believed to be dodge, as he
"eS Guitesu mas yolanseered no expianaon of the
matter so far. 1t was also thought he was at
tempting to escape. but Warden Crocker states
that In his belief no attempt at escape had been
made. His theory is that Guiteau, who has been
in an extremely nervous and irratible condition
ragged at the sudden entrance of the guard that he
was led into this exhibition of violence
The news of the Presidents critical condition
day. increased by the fact that early last evening
the guard was double and military drill was held
| in the rOtunda. the noise of which awoke Guiteau
to state of feverish excitement. He paced his
CELL aud inquired anxiOusly for the news from
the President The rumor reached the Jail late in
| the evening that the President dying, and il
was supposed that Guiteau heard it. He was OBJ
| served to climb up on the window in his cell and
in other ways show great excitement. Mr.. w. C.
McGill, who has charge of the Jail on alternate
nights, visited the cell several times and, coming
to the conclusion that Guiteau had heard from
Of he Q lQr m iDpr mod
him with unusual care. Several times
Mr.. McGill observed Guiteau clinging to
| the iron bars OF his window, and the idea
that the prisoner might be attempting to hang
himself prompted the guard to visit the cell at
about 4:S0 this morning. Mr.. McGill. upon open
ing the cell, found that Guiteau was concealing
something in his hand. and determining that il
was knife, he said: What are you doing with
that knife?' Guiteau looked up excitedly and
cried: $50 help me God, have no knife" Mr..
, McGill insisted that he had, and stepped toward
, the prisoner. when Guiteau sprang up and rushed
| at him furiOusy, and made savage cut at his
throat. McGill drew back and the knife passed
through his coat collar, cutting off the upper but
The guard drew is revolver without cooking it but
finding himself unable to disarm his assailant,
, dropped his knife and grasped the more formid.
able weapon, crying for nelp and calling that he
was being shot. The pistol was accidently dis
when Guiteau was disarm ed. The assassin stated
TO the guards that he was acting in selfdefense,
. and that McGill had attempted to shoot him. The
question as to how Guiteau obtained the knife is
generally explained by the fact that Babe Bed
ford once occupied the cell, and that several
similar instruments had been concealed by that
criminal. The knife is what is generally known
by the prisoners as cheeser" >" and Is a criminal
suIsmau'e lot JACK aaaie carving KNIFE m razor or
found in the sole of boot which can be sharp
ened on stone or window-sll until it becomes
exceedingly keen. The blade is generally about
two or three inches long and half an inch broad,
, and an inch or more is left unsharpened, and
wrapped in rags or paper for handle. These in
struments are used by the prisoners for various
PURPOSES They "a are Econ eo1fiseated by the siers
possible that some other prisoner @ has in some
way left the knife where Guiteau could get it.
The assassin considers his escape very Fortunate
had thought the pistol shot had settled the dog
he replied: my dear sir, that is too important
subject for joking. life is valuable"
DENIED.
, WAsHINGToN Aug l7-Warden Crockett of the
Jail says there is no truth whatever in the story
of Guiteau's having knife or having assaulted
the guard, and CrOcker says all there is in the
his cell evidently to hear the talk about S' the
President, that the guard ordered him down and
II to rem ns the
ton he had climbed to. and the guard seized him.
: and there was scuffle In which the guards gun
was accidentally discharged
? WARDEN CRocKER TELLS HOW THE ASSAULT
OCCURRED.
WASHINGTON Aug 17.-It is evident now that the
Warden of the Jail here not only concealed the
. facts but misrepresented them about the assault
OF Guiteau on the guard this morning. The only
motive for this Misrepresentation that can be con-
ceived is that the Warden wanted to protect him.
self and assistants from the appearance of having
! been relax with Guiteau, and of having per
y mitted him to get possession of a deadly weapon
Walden Crocker was interviewed about the affair
, not much to it, he said; "about 4:4O o'clock this
morning as the guard was passing Guiteau's cell,
he saw Guiteau at the window, and asked what
he was doing there. Guiteau didn't give him any
satisfactory answer. The guard went into the
cell to see what was up. and Guitean turned upon
the guards pistol was discharged The ball went
out of the door and struck the dead wall opposite.
| Ibid not Guiteau cut the guard?'
| HE did not. Neither the guard nor Guteau
was hurt. Why. Guiteau did not have anything
WAS there no shoe shank in the cell?''
NO" replied the Warden; and continuing
this to be the cell and that the passage there is
the dead wall which the bullet struck when the
pistol was discharged. 1t hit the wall that separ-
ates the passage. The guard, when he saw Gui-
teau at the window thought his actions were a
little unusual and went In to ascertain what Gui
intend to hurt the guard when he clinched Nc. Nc
Gill: Another guard came to his assistance"
Did the struggle last long?' asked the
mo; it was all over in a half minute quicker
than IT has taken to tell 1t; but before they were
parted the pistol was discharged"
The assault then was made by Guiteau?"
turned upon him and clinched him."
Has Guiteau bee at all morose silent?' in
qufred the reporter
mo, there has been manifestation or appear
ance OF morOseness. Yesterday he was little
more excited than he has been for two or three
weeks. In fact he was considerably excited"
"Do you think he knew anything about the
| Presidents condition?'
HE had no news from the President at all, so
far as we know. He may have imagined that the
| President was worse, but he had no actual knowl-
| edge OF the Presidents condition.
| docs Guiteau say any thing about the assault?"
| NO went into the cell before / left the Jail
| last night and had conversation with him.
That was about O'Clock. He was somewhat ex-
| cited, perhaps, but expressed himself as feeling
| very we'll l told him TO quiet down, get into
| bed and go to sleep. He said he felt well as he
| ever did in his ife l noticed. as have stated
that he was little excited. His conduct was a
little unusual"
| "How is he now?' inquired the reporter
He Is calm and quiet this morning and saws
that he did rot intend to hurt the guard"
| HAS he made no exclamation whatever"
| mo, he has said nothing / think he was Of
Tended because the guard entered his cell so
| abruptly. / do not think he was trying to injure
| himself or get out of his cell. He would make no
| attempt to escape" added the Warden 'It would
be just as futile as an attempt to jump over the
moon He has no means with which to attempt
| to escape"
HAS any more rigorous measures been taken
1.-The guards look after him constantly but no
more Constantly than before. to prevent him from
/ injuring himself"
"The only way he could injure himself" said
| Captain Vernon, who was standing by, would
be by hanging himself by tying up his bedcoth
| ing for halter"
"He has not torn his blanket clothing or any
thing" said the Warden. "He is constantly |
] under the eye of the guards. Isuppose his nery-
( GUS condition might have made him little rest
| less, and when the guard went in to see him,
| suppose Guiteau thought 1t an intrusion and