The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-08-13
GahFIELD'S ASSASSIN.
Life of Guiteau in Jail, and Some of His
Peculiarities - Reading the Bible and
Writing ssTruth."


Peculiarities = Reading the Bible and
Writing ''Truth.''
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 9.-Guiteau has
now been confined in the Jail over five
weeks 1t is rather singular fact that no
one has ever called upon him at the Jail with
a friendly purpose; that during his wander
ings in this city he never made one friend
VINO now manifests any substantial interest
i'm him: that no letter has been received by
Guiteau proferring him counsel or assist
ance. Such an absolute destitution of friends
is something unprecedented even in the
case of the meanest criminals He has never
asked to have anybody sent for. 1t Will be
remembered that he arranged when he plan
ned the assassination of the President to be
driven directly to the Jail, hoping thereby to
escape popular fury.
It's thought that he feels some comfort
and security in having soldiers about him.
From what can be learned of the ideas it
is apparent that in case the President had
been killed, he never expected TO suffer Tor
the crime. He had in his fanatical frenzy
worked himself up to a pitch which he felt
| it his duty TO remove the President In order
| to make room for one, who in his opinion,
would be more Just to all parties. de
| thought when the change was made, the peo-
| pie would come to look at the matter In the
same hight and that he would be regarded
as a public benefactOr Officials at the jail
state that Guiteau is very tractable
| prisoner The representations frequently
made that he is restless and querulOus are
not founded on facts His diet
| has been the subject of considerable
| newspaper comment. When he was hrst
| taken to Jail he suffered a little with de-
rangement of the bowels, and at the sugges-
ton of the JAIL physician, DR.. Young, ne
was given tea instead OF coffee: Coffee
| 81. N
prisone as rule, molasses being admins
| tered as laxative the prisoners get little
exercise In Guiteaus case coffee was
| omitted from the bill of fare for while,
put now he frequently asks for coffee and
gets it, He evinceS considerable interest In
his diet, but not more so than is customery
with prisoners and he does not complain
Il Wheat bread is served to prisoners for break
fast and corn bread for dinner. When corn
| bread does not agree with prisoner he is
given wheat bread altogether. For the same
reason that tea was served instead of coffee,
) Guiteau was put on the white oreao
| list He seems to relish milk ana
often asks for it. He takes special gastron-
| mic delight in meat Beef seems to be one
of the main objects of his life. de shows
3 little concern just now about anything ex-
| cept his meat He has lost no flesh since
, his confinement and if anything is in better
, condition than when he was taken to the
health, eats heartily and sleeps soundly.
He is more composed now and less nervous
than when first taken to the Jail. He has
settled down. officials say, to await philo-
sophicaly for the result. At no time since
his confinement, it is stated by his attend
ants has he shown any manifestation OF
! sorrow or remorse. He shows some anxiety
> about the Presidents condition and hopes
) that he will recover. The prospect OF being
| punished for murder does not now seem an
/, agreeable one, as Guiteau evidently feels sat
isfied that the people would not now justify
1 his act. He never halls prisoners passing
2 his cell to inquire for the news about the
) President Guiteau, in fact, shows no de
sire to communicate with the prisoners. de
considers himself above them and does not
l care for any association with them. de
z does not regard himself as belonging TO the
criminal class.
The prisoner reads his Bible almost con
| stantly. The Warden asked him yesterday
! if he found any news in the Bible, and ne
2 replied. II find many things that ! like to
read" He undertook at first to use his tame
in revising his work called Truth" sor'
of commentary upon the Bible. The great
est part of the only edition of this work evel
a published was destroyed by fire at the plac'
where they were printed in Boston.