The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-09-29
CHARLES JULES GUITEAU,
rnE AssAssn or rHE -.


This miscreant, whose name is now
abhorred so universally, was born in
Illinois about the year 1910, and APP
parently under circumstances not very
tOrtuitous. When sixteen years of age,
his father induced him to Join the
| Oneida Community in New York
State, in which he remained for some
years without having impressed that
body very favOrably, and from which
he separated himself only, and 1t
would seem, to commence a career
the most disreputable and fraudulent.
| From the first hour of his intercourse
with the general public to the present,
his course has been characterized by
falsehoOd, vanity and systematic dis
honesty and, at times, under the guise
of religion. In a spirit of fair play,
however, it must be said, that his in
sanity has never been doubted but
seeing that it has just taken so fien1-
ish turn, and that it is characterized
withal by such cool and rational
methods, in case that his murderous
assault on the President does not
prove fatal, he should be consigned to
solitary confinement, under the strict
est surveillance, for the rest of his
natural life
Having by some means acquired a
knowledge of law, about five years
ago he opened a small office in Chicago,
but, as may be supposed, without sue
cess. Here he soon became a notorious
boarding-hOuse cheat, and to such an
extent that no establishment would
receive him. At one place he repre-
sented that he was in a Bible class in
a neighboring church, and that il was
necessary that he should board con-
venient to it; but falling in this, as in
every other relation and place. he pro-
fessed himself both theologian and
| lawyer and entered the lecture field.
delivering discOurses on the Second
Advent of Christ, which, of course,
were utterly valueless and unremuner-
ative. He then took it into his head
to play the role of a lover, and being
an expert swindler and hypOcrite he
was, at one, on the eve of being mar
ried to a most estimable young
! lady, but his character becoming
/ known to her in time, ne was speedily
/ discarded. Subsequently, however,
1 he became united to the sister Of a
respectable lawyer in Chicago, but
so comported himself that he was
| forbidden to the house of that gentle
Ppan. and removed 10 New York. In
/ 1876 he returned to Chicago, and pro-
/ Tossing 10 have been converted, he
/ commenced lecturing under the au-
! spices of the Young Mems Christian
Association.
We next find him concoeting
scheme to buy out the Inter ocean,
and run it after the manner of the
+ New York Herald. AS he had neither
/ money nor credit the ridiculous pro-
! jrct necessarily fell to the ground :;
although the circumstance, so far
from obstructing his Wretched career,
seemingly served only to incite him
to new whims and more disreputable
acts. About six or seven months ago
he disappeared from Chicago, where
/ he had lived so long without any
visible means of support. He had
tried everything, religion, politics,
literature, and only to fail in all.
/ Whether as a lecturer, a petty practi-
toner in the police courts, or wand
ering theologian, he was held in utter
disrepect, until at last he seemed to
fall below all contempt, and would
have dropped out of existence withous
further notice, were it not for his re-
cent diabOlical crime. And yet
through all this course of infamy and
swindling the fellow wss persistent
office-seeker, and so annoyed the
President in this relation, that not
long before the attempted assassina-
ton he was denied the privilege of
approaching the office of the Chief
Executive. How far this may have
preyed upon his vicious and NOR
bid sensibilities it is difficult TO say,
for it appears that even before this re-
pulse he had deliberately planned the
diabolical deed which he had so near
Iy consummaied i'm its direst aspect.
A record of this man is to be found
in more than one city. He appears TO
have travelled widely throughout the
country,a and always with the same in
famous result. Previous to the last
election, he offered himself as a stump
Z speaker on the Republican side, but
was rejected of course, not only from
his antecedents, but from the strong
symptoms he presented Of unsOund-
ness of mind. His aspirations have
been of the most elastic description.
as nothing al ears 10 have been too
high or too low for him. No person
could possibly be possessed OF more
unabashed vanity; and certainly 40
more inopportune or persistent suitOr
for the hand Of a lady ever existed.
in this relation he had been taught
several severe lessons physically, but
they appear not to have deferred him
from making fresh ventures in the
same field. In 1879, he published .
book with the imposing title, "The
j Truth, a Companion to the Bible, by
i Charles J. Guiteau, Lawyer, Theolo-
gian and Lecturer; a Book for Every
{ one TO Read but so worthless tho
work, it never commanded even the
slightest attention. The letters writ
Z ten recently by him regarding hii
diabolical crime, discloses q eoOlnes'
Z and love of notoriety without &
| parallel; while from the moment hs
I fired the cruel shot that struck dowT
] the President, mp 10 the present hour
Z he has not eyinced the slightest com
E junction for having committed ths