Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-07-15


Collins: Dear Sir-I have received yours of
the 4th inst, and thank you for the kind
expressions it contained. The evil .1nf1u-
ence to which you refer as causing tne Dlt-
terness felt towards Southern men, 1t may
fairly be expected will give way to the
sober sense of the people if they shall, like
myself, detect the sordid motive for which |
the stimulants are administered. WILL
not. like the telegram you cite IN regard |
to the attempted assassination OF the Pres- |
ident, say | am thankful the assassin was
not Southern man, but Will say, re-
greet he is an American. A crime, black
enough in itself, has IA deeper dye from
the mercenary motive which seems to
have prompted it. l sincerely trust the
President may recover, and that this start
ling event will arouse the people to the
consideration of Il remedy for the dem0r-
alization, which wild hunt after office is
creating. With the best wishes for your
welfare, 1 am, very truly yours,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
WHAT Elk SENATOR ROSCOE CONKLING
HAS TO SAY.
The following correspondence has passed
between Ex-senator Conkling, and Attor-
ICY -OclCIdl MAJ OlSH.
FIFTH-AvENUE HOTEL.
NEW YORK, July 5, 1881.
My Dear Sir.-In the ahhorrence with
which all decent men alike shudder at the
| attempt to murder the President, [ have
given thought to matter to which your
| attention may or may not have been
| turned. Our criminal ,de treats premed-
ltated homicide in all cases alike. lrrespec-
| tive of victim; murder being visited by the
greatest penalty. Perhaps no distinction
| between one case and another could be
| founded on che public relations held by
the person slain. But in the case of an
attempt to murder, broad distinction can
| be made between aSSailing che life OF an
individual and an attempt to take life of
special value TO the whole people. The
shocking occurrence of Saturday 1 think
demands that the definition of the punish
ment of assaults aimed at high executive
| officers. whether successful or not, should
| be N ade thorough rigorous. man who
| attempts the life of the President, If NOR
| ally responsible, commits an Offences which
| the nation ought to guard against and
| punish by the exertion of all the power
| that civilized nations may employ. / sug-
gest this as deserving consideration. My
profound sympathies are with the Presl-
| dent and with all of you every hour. Con-
| fict of reports keeps hope and fear striv-
| ing with each other, with nothing stable
| except faith, and trust that the worst is
over and passed. wish you would ex-
press to the President my deepest sympa-
| thy in this hour, which should hush all
| discOrds and enlist all prayers for his safe
deliverance. Please also give to Mrs Gar
| field my most respectful coincidence, trust
| ing that all will be well.
Cordially yours,
ROSCOE CoNKLINa.
MR.. M'vEAGH's REPLY.
WASHINGTON. July 7.--H0n. Roscoe
| Conklinq, Ne,o York:-Thanks for your
letter of the 5th, which has just reached
me. Its suggestions will be carefully con-
sidered and its kind messages Of sympathy
will be conveyed to the President and Mrs.
Garfield at the earliest opportunity.
WAYNE MACVEACH.
THE AssAssIN's LIFE IN JAIL.
Guiteau is having very solitary time of
| it in Jail far out on the eastern border of
the city. He is quarantined from any
connection with the outside world even
more effectually than the President is
He gets his meals delivered to him by
| turns cast iron II don't know" to every
question put by Guiteau. Five times he
has been taken out into the Office of the
| Warden of the prision and permitted to
narrate the story of his life. This he is
perfectly willing and even anxious to do.
When started on his story he keeps on
| talking until the next mealtime arrives,
and when he goes away to get his meal his
victim escapes. Thus far he has talked
only to those coming from the Office of the
| District Attorney. He has secured no
counsel and beyond short visit from his
relative. Mr.. Scoville, he has not seen an
acquaintance since he was lodged in the
| ]alI over week ago. He has one of the
lower interior cells. and despite his profane
| protests against the deprivation he has not
been permitted to read the newspapers. A
Bible is the only book in the cell and this
he is devouring, at times reading on for
hours at stretch. re complaiaed TO the
| Distrlct-Attorney at the last visit of that
official to the Jail that ne was suffering for
| want of exercise, and asked that he be
permitted to have the run of the Jail. Col.
Corkhill offered to bring down his carriage
and give Guiteau ride on the outskirts
| of the city, but this offer was quickly de-
clined by the prisoner, who in his cowardly
| conceit imagines that there is a crowd
without the Jail waiting to make short
| work of him. He has been very consistent
! iu his statements, as his fine memory ena-
bles him to recall names, dates and places
| with readiness, and while he has been
allowed to talk his story over now nearly
half dozen times, has not tripped or
deviated in one single instance. Ali that
he has said has been taken down and he
has been led to believe that his yarn has
| been set forth to the public. and several
times he has asked the keepers whether all
he got only the regulation II don It know"
| from the keepers.
AN ALMOST FoRGOTT EN- LETTER.
Since the attempted assassination of the
President, Mr.. Judd, one of the latter's
secretaries, has recalled to mind the fact,
that last fall, soon after the October cleo
ton. while the President was at Mentor,
Ohio, he received from the then unknown
Chas. Guiteau, the following letter, dated
New York city, and written upon headed
paper of the Fifth Avenue Hotel:
sDear General.-I, Charles Guiteau,
hereby make application for the Austrian
mission. Being about to marry wealthy
and accomplished heiress of this city, we
think that together we might represent
this nation with dignity and grace. On
the principle of first comes first served.
have faith that you will give this applica-
tion favorable consideration.
"CHARLEs GUITEAU."
uC lCbbOl Wdo SiIOWu w OCus UdTu6Iu
ratter as a curiosity than as commune
cation to be answered, and he several times
afterward referred to it, half humorously,
as an illustration of unparalleled audacity
and impudence.
THE SYMPATHY FOR GARFIELD IN THE
SOUTH.
The Boston Herald" says editorialy:
ga gratifying feature of the expressions
of popular feeling over the assault upon
the Presidents life has been the swift and
manifestly heartfelt sympathy with Gen.
Garfield and his family evoked at the