Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-20

| hanglngS in the eastern states. They think
that course other than the usual one should
be adopted in the punishment of Guiteau for
| his crime. in order to satisfy the feelings of
an injured nation. and serve as an example in
future to curb the baser passions of all who
aspire to become notorious by assassinating
| the ruler Ofthe nation. The avengers have lust
unanimously resolved that one of their number
| be chosen by ballot. whose duty it shall be to
| devote his whole time and energy to carrying
! into execution their proposed plan, and while
the one chosen must act at the risk of his life.
| 1t must be with the consciousness that his life
is not too dear to sacrifice in order to punish in
just manner the dastardly coward who has
| lmbrued his hands with the nations best blood
| 1t is understood that the person selected to
! murder Guiteau will be unknown to his fellow
| members, except those Of the executive COM
mittee, who, it would seem, have absolute
power.
TOlling the Bells.
THE NEWS ANNOUNCED BY M0URNfUI KNELI--
SCENES ABOUT THE CITY~-EXCITEMENT AND
WILD RUMORS-A NIGHT NEVER TO BE FOR
GOTTEN.
When the announcement was made there were
comparatively few people On the avenue. but
the bulletin boards at the various places were
soon supplied with the news that all looked for
but dreaded to learn, and the crowds began to
assemble in groups and quietly discuss the
event. 1t was not long before the information
became general by the tolling of the bells in the
different church steeples. The fire alarm bells
began striking just before midnight by an order
from District Commissioners Dent and Morgan
by telephone to the several fire stations. The
Metropolitan church and other church bells took
up the echo and between 10 and O'Clock the
tOlng became pretty general throughout the
city, from Georgetown to the Navy Yard.
CROWDS OF MEN
were soon thronging the avenue and other
streets; windows were hoisted and anxious in
quiries made from every house of the passers-
by, all anxious for particulars of the sad termin
alton of the Presidents life. "Did he die in one
OF those terrible rigors?" ''Was his death sud
den?" ''Who was present at the timer ''WilI
the remains be sent here, or sent direct to Men
tori" Such were the character of questions in
everybody's mouth.
The newspaper Offices were besieged for news,
and TIE STAR office corner was blocked up en-
tireiy and thousands were running to and fro
between the telegraph offices and news offices.
WILD RuN0Rs
were heard Of an attempt to be made upon the
jail to take the assassin Guteau out and hang
him; that troops had been dispatched from the
arsenal to guard the Jail, the guard doubled;
that there was to be no resistance made by the
jail officials: that there were plots on foot to
blow up the train if he should besmuggled away
from the District to New Jersey, &C., &c. These
rumors tended to keep up the excitement, and
thousands in the city kept awake all night, ex-
pectng some terrible event to occur but none
could tell exactly what.
THE POLICE.
The fact was learned that all the police had
been ordered to be kept on reserve at the station
houses. In the fifth precinct the drinking
saloons were closed up at once by order of Lieut.
Arnold, and rot a minute too soon as quite a
number OF drunken men were seen about the
corners. During all the din and excitement eX-
pressions of sympathy for the wife and family of
the deceased President could be heard on all
sides, and words OF disgust and hatred for his
assassin and any who sympatilized with him.
THE HOTEL LOBBIES
were thronged with their guests, many of whom
had retired for the night, but rose from their
BEDS utterly unable to rest. The published dis
patches and last official bulletin in last nights
STAR seemed to have revived the hopes of many
that the end was not so near, and the tidings of
death was surprise to many who could not be-
lleve the correctness of the reports from ElberOn
and not until dispatch after dispatch had been
received were they satisfied As the night wore
on the crowds on the streets began to diminish
and scatter to their homes, the bells giving
mournful midnight peals.
THE DISTRICT MILITARY
Colonel William G. Moore. commander of the
washington Light Infantry, has made arrange
ments for the military companies of the District
to act promptly should there be any necessity by
undue excitement or otherwise any call upon the
companies of the District. A moments notice
Is all that is necessary to call them together at
their respective rendezvous.
SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED.
After all, the news of the Presidents death
came suddenly and when least expected. Nearly
everybody was abed and asleep when the noise
broke on the air that the President was dead
The news reached Washington at 1850. but was
not buletined There were very few people on
the streets. 1t was IL O'clock before the note of
death had reached the ears Of the people of
Washington. Early in the evening there had
been large crowds OF people on the streets In
the vicinity of THE STAR office the crowd was
the greatest After the issuance of the last
STAR extra the crowd began to dispense and by
O'Clock only handful was present reading the
latest bulletin placarded on THE STAR window
Up town. around the Western Union Office and
the drug stores in that immediate vicinity, the
crowd remained the longer
VERY LITTLE NEWS
was received there, and while it was of an any-
ious tenor it was not of a kind to cause imme-
date alarm. The conviction which had taken
strong hold upon the people that the President
could not live many hours was unslaken but
none thought that during the night he would
breathe his last
HE WILL NOT DIE TONIGHT"
At half-past nine the drugstore at the corner
VA A>C" VI dfShoC tsiiu 1otN STREET put Dull
letin against the glass of it's Illuminated window
to the effect that DR.. Bliss regarded the Presi-
dent as better at that time than for the preced-
ing forty-eight hours. He will not die to-
night" said all, and homeward went most of
them. That bulletin cleared the crowd from the
uptown places. Only about twenty men fingered
in that vicinity. All was very quiet, when the
word began to go round that the President was
dead. A small bunch of men was in the West
ern Union office. The newspaper correspondents
came in now and then, but beyond them it was
fully IL o'clock before anything like crowd had
commenced to gather. The people were very
quiet; the night was still; the cry of the news
boy was the only noise that for a while disturbed
the city. Then the people began to nc ye about.
Lights appeared at windows. doors opened. and
men who had made hasty toilets began to walk
or run to the Western Union Telegraph Office
anu to the Offices of the morning papers.
THE T0LLlNG BELLS.
At quarter to one O'Clock the bell in All
Souls church steeple-the first to lift its voice
broke on the air and told its tale of sorrow
st. Matthews chimes caught up the dreaded
sound and passed it on to the New York avenue
anu Epiphany churches. In a few minutes bells
Were ringing out the nations loss in all parts of
the CITY. Ladies appeared on the streets. and
q nl bad.