The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-07-16
Garfield Would Have GrappIed Guiteau.

Colonel Rockwell President Garfeld's per-
sonaI friend, was ASKED by New YORK Eerasd
reporter;
he President turned . handspring over LIE
bed r
1T was the morning before, the colonel re-
piled g Jimmie, t.fere the fellow sIts." point
ing 10 Private Secretary Browns desk. : came
into his fathers chamber, half dressed, ana u
his nsmble WAY turned handspring oyer INC
bed and back again. See here, papa, Il you
were not 50 stout yoa nigh. 90 that too;
couldn't yoa p The President kept OF. With M
toilet until Ji1nIDie's banreTlng somewhat
netfled him, and before the boy could resilze
il the President had TUNED gracefully from
one side Of the large double bed 10 the other
and came down with 3 thump on the Eoor-
There. nv boy, the sou Is noi greater than
his lsti.er: now finish your dressing
Il suppose" continued the colonel, the
story Was told 20 illustrate the strength Of the
presiden. ami his saVpleEess at his age Of life.
VERY fesE men OF 1ifry sears for the President
viii be TIA. old the 9Th DAP Of November next.
would dare 10 undertake such feat But the
story has q thrilling secret. You know the
ladies' room, where the shots were fred, Is
about twenty feet wiae-that i, from tie door
sill 10 the opposite hall. The aisle way leading
TO the main hall Is formed By double reEs OF
seats, h-aviiy cushioned and of large frame
work When the President entered the depot
with Secretary Blaine be Was in the cheeriest
mood He passed half way down the aisle,
Blaine preceding him very few steps. Guite2a
stood al the inside end Of the row OF seats near
the main entrance, On the left, when he fired
the first shot, which did the President no harm,
Tor be turned 10 see from whence the sound
came and saw Guiteau advancing. He
was preparing 10 leap over the seat; that i,
he realized when he turned partially around
that the man had fred al him. He instantly
determined to attack the man The neys
instant the President would have been face 10
face with Gulteau. His confidence in his ability
70 spring over the barrier-for the back Of the
seat Is about four feet hish-fashed upon him,
and his whole muscular strength was strained
Tor the act when lie fell forward struck By the
second shot Gulteau was behind him. The
instant he pulled the trigger the first time he
stepped forward four feet II was but the very
fraction Of q second between the explosion and
the Presidents alarm. That fraction was on
the side Of the wonld-be assassin. His pur-
pose was also 10 fire the second shot, and he
stepped quickly forward 10 get as near the
President as possible. They were not six feet
apart, 50 that the instant the President realized
the situation his intense activity OF mind and
muscle made him aggressive, and il was that
instant he received The staggering buiie. and
fell forward against the g2inscoting OF the re-
ception-rcom AZ the head OF the aisle leading
70 the main hall Til now the impression
seems ~ have gained hold that Guiteau's act
vac done 50 quickly that the President aid not
comprehend what was going on. L Is true, as
| told you awhile ago, that the reports OF the
firing were close togesher-that it could not
have been longer than it. would take to cock
pisEol-yet during this time Guiteau was ad-
vancing and the President preparing to
advance upon his assailant. Any one who
viii take his watch and carefully OIL
serve the beats OF the secondhand viii
be surprised al the distance one can ge.
over in single second il impelled by a
strong motive. II is more satisfactory TO know
that the President had determined TO graphic
The wretch. undaunted by the appearance OF tho
ugly weapon aimed at him. The position IN
which Gulteeu stood made il necessary for him
to shoot at nearly an angle Of forty-five de
grees, while the position of the body OF the
President was also at about the same angle
with the Eeats when the ball struck his right
side With this understanding OF the position
Of the two it Is evident the ball met with great
resistance and was detected"