The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-07-08
GUITTEAU'S HISTORY.

Several Years Ago.
BOSTON, July 3.-The following is
an extract from tho letter dated March
80, 1873, from the father of the assassin
to John w. Guitteau, his brother-in-
law, in this city, in which he refers to
his son Charles as follows
sI have been ready to believe him
capable of almost any folly, stupidity
Or rascality. Tho only possible excuse
l can render for him is that he is in
sane. Indeed, if I was called as Il wit
ness upon the stand, am inclined to
think 1 should testify that he is abso-
lntely insane, and hardly responsible
for his acts. My own impression is
that unless something shall stop him
in his folly and mad career he will be-
come a fit subject for a lunatic asylum.
Before I finally gave him up had ex-
haustcd all my powers Of reason and
persuasion, as we'll as other resources,
in cndeavoring to control his actions
and thoughts, but without avail. l
found he was llcceitful and could not
be depended upon in anything. Stub
born, Willful, conceited and at all times
outrageously wicked, apparently pos
sessed of the devil. l saw him once or
twice, when it seemed to me he was
willing to do almost anything wicked
he should happen to take a fancy to.
You will remember, perhaps, at the
last conversation we had about him
told you to keep clear of him and not
have anything to do with him. Should
anybody ask about him now 1 should
be compelled to say to them that
I thought he was insane, or at least a
monomaniac, and should there leave
it and say no more about him. His
insanity is of such 4 character that he
is as likely to become sly, cunning
desperate as anything. Could 1 see
him I might possibly make another
and vigorous effort to change tho chan
mel OF his thoughts and feelings. If I
could not do that I should have no
hope whatever left of being able to do
him any good. 1 made up my mind
long ago never to give him another
dollar in money until I should be con-
WINGED he was thoroughly humbled and
radically changed. I am sometimes
afraid he would steal, rob and do any,
thing before his egotism and great con-
ceit shall be knocked out of him, and
perhaps even all that will not do it,.
So you see regard his case as hopeless,
or nearly so, and of course know no
other way but to dismiss him entirely
from my mind and leave him entirely
| in the hands of his Maker, with very
faint hope that he can be changed
either in this world or the next"
Guitteau's brother in this city John
w. Guitteau, in giving an account of
tho assassin's early history says {:
Charles Julius was born in Freeport,
ILL.,, in 1911 or 1912. He was one of
the children of l.. w. Guitteau, late
cashier of tho Second ' National Bank
of Freeport, Ill. Mr.. Guitteau, ST.,
died recently, aged 70 years, and was
ono of the oldest and most esteemed
citizens of the place. AS youth
Charles Julius is reported to have been
a good, tractable boy, with nothing to
mark him as either better Or worse
than the average of his associates.
Several years before he became of ago
and while preparing for college at the
University of Michigan, he conceived
tho idea OF joining the Oneida COM
munity, AND did so. He dweIt there
for some years, and finally left because
he could not live up to the restrictions
of the order. Full of anger he threat
oned to issue publication exposing
the peculiarities of the community,
but was prevented from doing that by
an article written by John III. Moves,
the recognized hoad Of the community.
Immediately afterward he entered up
on the study of law in the Office of
Geo. Scoville, 4 brothcr-in- law, in
Chicago. He was admitted to the bar
in that city about eighteen years ago,
but is said to have never had other
than 4 small office practice in the way
of bill collecting, etc. 1t is reported
that he was prosecuted and fell into
bad rcpute in that city on account of
collecting sums of money which he
failed to turn over to the owners. He
eventually had to leave town.
USES OF CHARCOAL.